Goodman, Amana, Daikin GMVM96 error code EA
Reversed 115 volt polarity
Goodman is the platform name, and your unit may not say it
Amana AMVM96 / ACVM96, Daikin GMVM96 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.
Quick answer
On Goodman GMVM96 (2010s), EA is a fault. It means reversed 115 volt polarity. A first thing to check: Line and neutral reversed at the furnace disconnect or breaker.
- Applies to
- Goodman GMVM96
- Goodman and Amana GMVM96, GMVM97, GCVM96 alphanumeric codes · Furnace · 2010s
- Type of code
- Fault
- Urgency: Needs attention soon
- First safe check
- If the code is present, have the polarity checked at the disconnect with a non-contact voltage tester or by a technician.
What EA means on this model
The 120 volt supply feeding the furnace is wired backwards. Most equipment will technically still run, but the electronics are not designed for it, and it is a genuine fire hazard at the connections. Some controls lock out rather than run at all.
Symptoms you will notice
- Furnace will not start
- Code appears immediately at power up
- Equipment behaves erratically with no clear pattern
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:
- Line and neutral reversed at the furnace disconnect or breaker
- Reversed at the panel
- Reversed by an installer or during a service call
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.
- If the code is present, have the polarity checked at the disconnect with a non-contact voltage tester or by a technician.
Do not do these
- ×Do not work inside the furnace wiring compartment. It is live even with the switch off.
- ×Do not attempt to swap the hot and neutral wires yourself.
When to call a technician
Book a technician, do not keep resetting it
This fault will not clear on its own. Every power cycle gives the control one more failed attempt, and repeated attempts are what turn a cheap part replacement into a seized or contaminated system.
- 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.
Leave this to a technician. The furnace side of the disconnect is always live.
What it costs to fix
Parts
No parts. Occasionally a damaged receptacle or whip needs replacing.
Labor
Under an hour in most cases.
DIY or technician
Leave this to a technician. The furnace side of the disconnect is always live.
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 and Amana GMVM96, GMVM97, GCVM96 alphanumeric codes
- Models in scope
- Goodman GMVM96, 2010s
- 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.