If there were an award for “most misunderstood button in homeownership,” the furnace reset button would win it every year.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some version of this:
“The heat’s not working. I just need to find the reset button.”
So people start searching things like:
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where is the reset button on a furnace
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how to reset furnace
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picture of reset button on goodman furnace
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furnace reset button location
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is there a reset button on a furnace
And if you have a Goodman MBVK electric furnace setup, that search rabbit hole gets even deeper—because you’re mixing advice meant for gas furnaces, oil furnaces, electric furnaces, blower motors, Honeywell controls, and equipment that may not resemble your system at all.
So let’s slow this down and do what the internet usually doesn’t:
Explain what a reset actually means, when reset buttons exist, when they don’t, and how to restart a furnace the right way—especially if you’re dealing with a Goodman MBVK electric furnace.
This is Jake Lawson talking, so we’re going to skip the folklore and stick to how the equipment actually works.
The uncomfortable truth upfront
Here it is, straight and clean:
There is no single universal reset button on a furnace.
Not across brands.
Not across fuel types.
Not across generations.
Anyone telling you “every furnace has a reset button” is either:
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talking only about certain gas furnaces,
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confusing breakers with reset buttons,
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or repeating advice they never verified.
And that’s where most of the confusion around furnace reset switch, heater reset button, and reset button on furnace not working comes from.
First: what kind of “furnace” are we even talking about?
Before you ask where is the reset button located, you have to answer a more important question:
Is your furnace gas or electric?
Because this changes everything.
Gas furnace
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Burns fuel
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Has ignition components
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Uses flame-safety devices
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May have manual-reset switches
Electric furnace (including Goodman MBVK setups)
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No fuel
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No flame
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No ignition
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Uses automatic electrical safeties
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Usually no manual reset button
Most online advice blends these two together. That’s why people end up searching for:
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gas furnace reset button
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how to reset gas furnace
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how to reset electric furnace
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where is the reset button on electric furnace
…and getting completely different answers that all claim to be correct. (Bob Vila)
Where the “reset button” myth comes from
The idea of a reset button mostly comes from older gas furnaces.
Some gas furnaces include:
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a manual-reset high-limit switch,
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a rollout switch,
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or a safety button that trips if flames or heat go where they shouldn’t.
On those systems, pressing the button after fixing the cause can restore operation.
That’s why searches like:
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gas reset button
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gas furnace furnace reset button
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how to restart gas furnace
sometimes lead to real, physical buttons.
But that logic does not translate cleanly to electric furnaces.
Let’s talk about the Goodman MBVK specifically
The Goodman MBVK is an air handler platform that becomes an “electric furnace” when paired with an electric heat kit.
That means:
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no burners,
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no gas valve,
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no flame sensor,
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no pilot light,
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no combustion safeties.
Goodman categorizes the MBVK as an air handler with optional electric heat, not a traditional furnace cabinet. You can see how Goodman defines and positions the MBVK series in their official product overview. (Goodman MBVK Series overview)
Because of that design, people searching picture of reset button on goodman furnace for an MBVK are looking for something that simply isn’t there.
So… is there a reset button on a furnace?
Let’s answer that keyword directly:
Is there a reset button on a furnace?
Sometimes—but not always, and not on Goodman MBVK electric furnaces.
Electric furnaces reset through:
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power interruption,
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automatic safety resets,
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corrected airflow or electrical conditions.
Not by pressing a button.
What people think is a reset button (but usually isn’t)
1. Circuit breakers
This is the most common misunderstanding.
Breakers are not reset buttons—but they act like one.
That’s why “reset the furnace” often really means:
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turn the breaker off,
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wait,
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turn it back on.
For electric furnaces, this is the closest thing to a reset.
2. Blower motor reset button (rare, but real in some cases)
Some older or specific blower motors include a manual thermal overload reset.
This leads to searches like:
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blower motor reset button
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furnace blower motor reset button
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blower motor reset button location
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gas furnace blower motor reset button
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how to reset furnace blower motor
Here’s the reality:
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Many modern ECM motors do not have a manual reset.
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Older PSC motors sometimes do.
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It’s usually on the motor housing—not the furnace cabinet.
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If it trips, airflow or motor failure is usually the cause.
If you’re constantly resetting a blower motor, you’re ignoring a bigger problem.
3. Honeywell controls confusion
People often search honeywell furnace reset button because Honeywell makes thermostats and control boards.
But thermostats do not have furnace reset buttons.
They send signals. They don’t override safeties.
Restarting a thermostat ≠ resetting a furnace.
Where is the reset button on a Goodman furnace?
Let’s answer the keyword exactly as people search it:
Where is the reset button on a Goodman furnace?
On a Goodman MBVK electric furnace:
There is no reset button.
There is:
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breaker-based reset,
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automatic safety reset,
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and fault protection logic.
That’s it.
Goodman’s installation documentation for MBVK units makes no reference to a homeowner-accessible reset switch, because the system isn’t designed that way. (Goodman MBVK installation manual)
How to reset a furnace the right way (electric)
If you’re asking:
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how to reset electric furnace
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how do you restart an electric furnace
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how to reset electric furnace heater
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how to reset heating system
Here is the correct process for a Goodman MBVK electric furnace.
Step 1: Turn thermostat OFF
Not just lower. OFF.
Step 2: Turn OFF all furnace breakers
Electric furnaces often have:
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one breaker for blower/control,
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one or more for heat strips.
Turn all of them off.
Step 3: Wait 3–5 minutes
This allows:
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control boards to discharge,
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relays to drop out,
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automatic safeties to reset if conditions allow.
Step 4: Replace the air filter
Do this before restarting. Restricted airflow is the #1 reason electric furnaces shut down.
Step 5: Restore power
Turn breakers back on.
Step 6: Turn thermostat back to HEAT
Then observe.
If the system shuts down again, stop resetting. Something else is wrong.
How to reset a gas furnace (briefly, because this is not MBVK)
People also search:
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how to restart a furnace
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how to reset gas furnace
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how to restart gas furnace
For gas furnaces, resetting may involve:
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cycling power,
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checking manual reset rollout switches,
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addressing ignition lockouts.
But gas furnace reset logic does not apply to an MBVK electric furnace, and mixing those instructions causes damage.
The U.S. Department of Energy explains the fundamental operational differences between gas heating and electric resistance heating clearly, which helps explain why reset logic differs so much. (DOE heating systems overview)
Why reset buttons are intentionally rare on electric furnaces
Manufacturers don’t avoid reset buttons by accident.
Electric heat involves:
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very high current draw,
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rapid temperature rise,
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heavy reliance on airflow.
If a system overheats or loses airflow, allowing repeated manual resets without fixing the cause would be dangerous.
That’s why most electric furnace safeties are:
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automatic reset only when safe,
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or one-time-use components.
If you keep searching reset button on furnace not working, the real answer is often:
“The furnace is preventing you from restarting it for a reason.”
The blower side of the confusion
Searches like:
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how to reset furnace blower
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how to reset furnace blower motor
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furnace blower reset button
usually come from situations where:
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the blower runs but no heat,
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or the blower won’t start at all.
In MBVK systems:
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the blower is controlled electronically,
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faults are often airflow- or control-related,
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manual motor resets are uncommon.
If the blower won’t run, resetting power is step one—but repeated failures point to:
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motor issues,
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control board issues,
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wiring or voltage problems.
Why pictures online mislead people
A lot of people search picture of reset button on goodman furnace hoping to visually match what they see.
The problem?
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Most images are gas furnaces.
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Many are older units.
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Some aren’t Goodman at all.
Matching pictures without matching model and fuel type leads to wrong conclusions fast.
The Jake Lawson bottom line
Let’s close this out cleanly.
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There is no universal furnace reset button.
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Goodman MBVK electric furnaces do not have a manual reset switch.
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Resetting means power cycling, not pushing a button.
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Blower motor reset buttons are rare and model-specific.
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Gas furnace reset advice does not apply to electric furnaces.
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If resets keep failing, the system is protecting itself.
Once you stop hunting for a mythical button and start treating the furnace like the electrical system it is, troubleshooting becomes logical instead of frustrating.
And that’s how you actually get the heat back on—without chasing ghosts.
