Goodman, Amana, Daikin GMV / GMH / GMS / GMN error code 5 flashes
Flame detected when no flame should be present
Goodman is the platform name, and your unit may not say it
Amana AMV / GCH / GDS, Daikin GMV / GMH / GMS / GMN platform are the same board with a different badge, so this page covers all of them. The fault, the checks and the parts are identical, which is why there is one page rather than one per brand.
Which models this applies to. Applies to every legacy flash furnace in this group: GMV8 / GMV9, GCH / GDH / GME / GMH, GDS / GHS / GMS / GKS, and GMN / GMP / GMT.
Quick answer
On Goodman GMV / GMH / GMS / GMN (1990s-2000s), 5 flashes is a fault. It means flame detected when no flame should be present. A first thing to check: Leaking gas valve seat, which is a gas leak and needs immediate attention.
- Applies to
- Goodman GMV / GMH / GMS / GMN
- Goodman, Amana and Daikin legacy furnace flash codes (GMV, GMH, GMS, GMN series) · Furnace · 1990s-2000s
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Stop using it
- First safe check
- Do not go looking for a gas smell with a lighter or a flashlight. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility from outside.
What 5 flashes means on this model
The control detected a flame when the gas valve was closed and no burner was supposed to be lit. It shuts down immediately. Either something is leaking fuel into the burner area, or the flame sensor is seeing light or heat from somewhere it should not.
Symptoms you will notice
- Furnace will not fire
- You can hear or smell gas near the furnace
- Code appears right after the unit starts
- Blower runs but no heat
Common causes
The code tells you what the control detected, not which part failed. These are the causes we see most often, roughly in order of likelihood:
- Leaking gas valve seat, which is a gas leak and needs immediate attention
- Failed or improperly grounded flame sensor
- Pilot light left on somewhere in the burner compartment
- Light or heat from a nearby source reaching the flame sensor
- Cracked heat exchanger allowing combustion to reach the flame sensor area
What you can safely check
These are homeowner-level checks. None of them need you to open a live electrical compartment or work on gas.
- Do not go looking for a gas smell with a lighter or a flashlight. If you smell gas, leave and call the gas utility from outside.
- Look at the flame sensor. It is a thin rod near the burner. It should be clean and correctly grounded to the burner box.
- Confirm nothing else in the burner compartment is lit, such as a pilot that was left on.
Do not do these
- ×Do not operate the furnace if you smell gas. Leave the property and call the gas utility or 911 from outside.
- ×Do not bridge the flame sensor.
- ×Do not light anything inside the burner compartment.
When to call a technician
Stop using the appliance and call today
This one is a safety limit, not a nuisance. The control is shutting the unit down to prevent damage or a hazard, and it will keep doing that until the underlying cause is fixed. Running it anyway risks the expensive failure it was designed to prevent.
- This is a fuel-burning appliance, so treat anything involving a burner, gas valve or flue as technician work. If you smell gas at any point, leave the property and call the gas utility from outside rather than continuing to diagnose.
- If the appliance has stopped mid-cycle, is making a noise you have not heard before, or smells burnt, stop reading here and call. Those are symptoms of something the fault code does not describe well enough.
Do not DIY a suspected gas leak. This one goes to a licensed technician the moment you smell it.
What it costs to fix
Parts
Flame sensor $20 to $60. Gas valve $150 to $400. Ignition control board $150 to $350.
Labor
One to two hours for a sensor. A leaking gas valve is same-day work, not a next-week appointment.
DIY or technician
Do not DIY a suspected gas leak. This one goes to a licensed technician the moment you smell it.
Typical US part and labor ranges, 2026. They vary by region, model and contractor, so treat them as a planning figure, not a quote.
Scope of this code
- Code table
- Goodman, Amana and Daikin legacy furnace flash codes (GMV, GMH, GMS, GMN series)
- Models in scope
- Goodman GMV / GMH / GMS / GMN, 1980s-2000s
- Checked
- Confirm on your own unit
- Find the model number on the data plate, then check this code in the service manual for that model. Manufacturers revise code tables between model years, and a revised board can renumber a fault.