Furnace Reset Button Myths, Truths, and Real-World Fixes: What You Nee

0 comments

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me where the furnace reset button is located, I could retire early and let someone else crawl through attics in January. The reset button has become one of the most misunderstood concepts in home heating, especially now that homeowners are installing modern systems like the Goodman MBVK electric furnace.

People ask everything from “is there a reset button on a furnace?” to “why is the reset button on my furnace not working?” Some want a picture of reset button on Goodman furnace, others want to know how to reset furnace blower motor, and some are convinced there must be a gas reset button hidden somewhere—even on electric equipment.

Here’s the truth, straight from the field:
The idea of a single, universal furnace reset button is mostly a myth.

That doesn’t mean furnaces can’t be reset. It means the process—and the risks—depend entirely on the type of furnace you have. And if you own a Goodman MBVK electric furnace, that distinction matters more than ever.

Why Everyone Thinks Every Furnace Has a Reset Button

Older heating systems trained people to think this way. Oil furnaces often had a big red button. Early gas systems relied on manual ignition and safety cutoffs. If heat stopped, you pressed something and hoped for the best.

That habit stuck.

So today, when a system shuts down, the first search is always furnace reset button, followed closely by where is the reset button on a furnace or how to restart a furnace. The problem is that modern furnaces—especially electric ones—don’t work like that anymore.

The Goodman MBVK Electric Furnace: A Different Kind of System

The Goodman MBVK is a multi-position, variable-speed electric furnace designed to pair with heat pumps or operate as a standalone electric heater. It uses electric resistance heating elements, not combustion.

That single fact changes everything about reset buttons.

No combustion means:

No pilot light
No gas valve
No flame sensor
No ignition lockout

So if you’re searching for where is the reset button on electric furnace, understand this first:

Electric furnaces do not have a gas-style reset button.

Is There a Reset Button on a Furnace? The Real Answer

Let’s clear the air.

Is there a reset button on a furnace?
Sometimes—but not always, and not in the way most people expect.

What people call a furnace reset button can actually refer to:

A breaker reset
A service disconnect
A manual-reset limit switch
A blower motor thermal protector
A control board power reset

In other words, it’s rarely a single button—and on the Goodman MBVK, it’s usually not a button at all.

Furnace Reset Button Location: Why It’s So Hard to Find

Homeowners constantly ask about furnace reset button location because they assume it should be obvious. On older systems, it was. On modern systems, it’s intentionally hidden—or nonexistent.

If a safety device requires a manual reset, it’s typically:

Inside the cabinet
Not homeowner-serviceable
Tripped only under abnormal conditions

That’s why searching for where is the furnace reset button located often leads to frustration.

How to Reset Furnace Systems the Right Way

Let’s talk process, not myths.

Step One: Identify the Type of Furnace

Before you try anything, you need to know what you’re working with:

Electric furnace (like the Goodman MBVK)
Gas furnace
Heat pump with electric backup

The reset procedure is different for each.

How to Reset an Electric Furnace (Including the Goodman MBVK)

If you’re wondering how to reset electric furnace or how do you restart an electric furnace, here’s the correct approach.

1. Check the Thermostat

Make sure it’s:

Calling for heat
Set correctly for electric or heat pump operation
Not in emergency or auxiliary mode unintentionally

2. Reset Power at the Breaker

Electric furnaces draw high amperage. If something goes wrong, the breaker trips.

To reset:

Turn the breaker fully off
Wait 30–60 seconds
Turn it back on

This resets the control board and is the closest thing to a universal reset for electric furnaces.

The U.S. Department of Energy explains that electric resistance heating systems rely entirely on electrical continuity, which is why power resets often restore normal operation.

3. Check the Furnace Door Switch

If the blower runs intermittently or not at all, the door safety switch may not be engaged. This switch is often mistaken for a reset button, but it’s not.

How to Reset Electric Furnace Heater vs. Resetting the Blower

These are not the same thing.

Furnace Heating Reset

If heating elements shut down due to overheating, they usually reset automatically once temperatures drop—unless a manual limit has tripped, which requires professional service.

How to Reset Furnace Blower

If you’re asking how to reset furnace blower or how to reset furnace blower motor, here’s what you need to know.

Most modern blower motors:

Do not have a manual reset button
Use internal thermal protection
Reset automatically after cooling

The blower motor reset button people remember from older systems is rare today. If you’re searching for blower motor reset button location or furnace blower motor reset button, you’re likely dealing with an older or specialty motor.

Furnace Blower Reset Button: What It Really Means Today

When people search for furnace blower reset button or furnace blower motor reset button, they’re usually dealing with:

Overheating due to airflow restriction
Dirty filters
Blocked ductwork
Incorrect blower speed settings

The Goodman MBVK’s variable-speed ECM motor monitors itself. If it overheats, it shuts down to protect the motor. There’s no button to push—there’s a problem to fix.

ACHR News consistently points to restricted airflow as one of the leading causes of HVAC shutdowns and inefficiency.

Honeywell Furnace Reset Button: Another Common Confusion

This one comes up a lot.

People search for Honeywell furnace reset button because Honeywell makes thermostats and controls. But thermostats don’t reset furnaces—they send signals.

Replacing batteries, rebooting a smart thermostat, or correcting settings can appear to reset a furnace, but the furnace itself hasn’t been reset. The call for heat has just been corrected.

Gas Furnace Reset Button vs. Electric Furnace Reset

This is where confusion really explodes.

Gas Furnace Reset Button

Gas systems may have:

Manual reset flame rollout switches
Gas reset button or switch
Ignition lockout resets

So when people search gas furnace furnace reset button, gas reset button, or gas furnace reset button, they’re often looking for these safety devices.

How to Reset Gas Furnace

If you’re wondering how to reset gas furnace or how to restart gas furnace, the process usually involves:

Turning off power
Shutting off gas
Waiting
Restarting in sequence

That process does not apply to the Goodman MBVK, because it is not a gas furnace.

Trying to apply gas-furnace logic to an electric system is how people get stuck.

Why Reset Button on Furnace Not Working Is a Red Flag

If you believe there’s a reset button and it’s “not working,” that’s usually a sign of one of three things:

The system doesn’t have one
The safety device is doing its job
There’s an unresolved underlying issue

Repeated resets without diagnosis are dangerous. Industry safety standards from ASHRAE emphasize that limit switches exist to prevent fires and equipment damage—not to be bypassed or ignored.

Furnace Reset Switch: The Term That Causes the Most Trouble

The phrase furnace reset switch gets thrown around loosely. It might mean:

Electrical disconnect
Breaker
Service switch near the furnace

Using these to restart a system is fine once. Needing them repeatedly means something is wrong.

Where Is the Reset Button Located? The Honest Answer

So let’s answer it plainly.

Where is the reset button located?
On most modern electric furnaces, including the Goodman MBVK: it isn’t.

And that’s not a design flaw—it’s intentional.

How to Restart a Furnace Safely

Whether electric or gas, how to restart a furnace should always follow this order:

Confirm thermostat call
Restore power
Observe operation
Stop if the issue repeats

Never keep forcing a system to restart.

The Air Conditioning Contractors of America consistently advises that repeated shutdowns require professional diagnostics, not repeated resets.

How to Reset Heating System Without Causing Damage

If you want to know how to reset heating system safely, remember this rule:

A reset should restore normal operation—not temporarily mask a problem.

If the system restarts and runs normally, fine.
If it shuts down again, stop.

The Myth of the Picture of Reset Button on Goodman Furnace

I’ll address this directly.

There is no universal picture of reset button on Goodman furnace because there is no universal reset button. Anyone claiming otherwise is oversimplifying or talking about a different type of system.

Final Thoughts from the Field

The Goodman MBVK electric furnace doesn’t need a big red button to work safely. It uses layered protections, smart controls, and self-monitoring to do its job quietly and efficiently.

So when you’re searching for: