FieldBench

Lennox

EL296V

Furnace · Elite · two-stage · variable-speed · 96%

Lennox EL296V two-stage 96% Elite with a variable-speed blower and a 7-segment SureLight IFC (ignition control 107045-XX / 103130-XX — same E2xx family as EL297DFV / EL296UHV field boards). Codes are E plus three digits. Two pressure switches, two hoses. Confirm any odd extra code on THAT door card — revisions shuffle a few numbers in the E292/E310 neighborhood.

Not ML196 flash (1–9 LED). Not SLP99V (iComfort-native modulating — E105 is first-class there). Not EL296E (constant-torque cousin — same gas/PS/limit E2xx, no serial-blower E201 as the motor story). Not SL280 / EL280 (80% metal vent).

Walk this in Diagnose

This plate

AFUE
96% two-stage condensing
Blower
Variable-speed ECM (serial, not a tap motor)
IFC
SureLight 7-seg E-prefix · 107045-XX / 103130-XX family
Draft
Two pressure switches · two hoses · never teed
Sister SKU
EL296UHV upflow · EL296DFV downflow
Tstat
Usually 24V W1/W2. iComfort RS bus is optional, not required.

This board

SureLight 7-seg IFC (E2xx)

  • Idle is a decimal blink at 1 Hz (0.5 s on / 0.5 s off). That is not a fault.
  • Faults are E plus three digits. Write the full number. E225 ≠ E223 ≠ E229.
  • Pushbutton menu: E = recall last 10 (c twice to clear). F = flame µA. P = program unit size (VS only).
  • This chart is the 107045-XX / 103130-XX SureLight family used on EL296V. Confirm any odd extra code on THAT door card before you order a part.
  • E105-style RS-bus codes appear only if iComfort is wired. Many EL296V jobs are 24V.

Sequence

  1. W1. Low inducer → low PS must close. Failure here is E223 / E227 / later E229.
  2. Trial. HSI (E207 / E290 if the circuit is open) → low-fire valve (E204–E206) → flame (E240 / E270 if no µA).
  3. W2 / high. High inducer → high PS. E225 if high-fire prove fails. E229 = IFC abandoned low-fire prove and lit on high.
  4. Limits. E250 = limit string open. Open >3 min or recycle-on-limit becomes E274. E252 = discharge air too high.
  5. Blower. VS motor talks serial to the IFC. After a board or motor swap, P-menu unit size must match or you get E201 / E202 / E203.

Faults on this IFC

  • idle

    Decimal blink

    info

    Idle / heartbeat. Decimal blinks 1 Hz. Not a fault.

    • If you expected a code, press E for recall — idle only means nothing is active right now.
  • E

    Error recall

    info

    Menu: last 10 stored codes.

    • Write them in order before you clear.
    • c then c again while flashing erases. Do not clear until you have the stack.
  • F

    Flame signal

    info

    Menu: live flame current in µA on the 7-seg.

    • Use this on an E240 / E270 call instead of guessing the rod.
    • Exits on power reset, hold-to-bars, or 10 minutes.
  • P

    Program unit size

    info

    VS only. Stores cabinet / motor capacity in non-volatile memory.

    • Required after IFC or blower swap. Wrong or blank size → E202 / E203.
    • Follow the P-menu character for THIS EL296V cabinet, then hold to accept.
  • E105

    RS BUS communication

    lockout

    No other devices on the RS bus, or the bus is too noisy to talk.

    • Only if iComfort is actually wired — i+/i− polarity, one communicating control, indoor/outdoor on the bus.
    • Many EL296V jobs are 24V. E105 on a 24V-only install means data wires landed on the RS terminals. Pull them.
  • E111

    Low line voltage

    lockout

    Line voltage below nameplate. Control waits; resumes ~5 s after voltage recovers.

    • L1 to N at the IFC, not just the disconnect. Brownout, loose lug, undersized circuit.
    • Some older EL296UHE cards print E110 as low line and E111 as polarity reversed — confirm THAT door card.
  • E112

    Ground not detected

    lockout

    IFC does not see earth ground. Unit shuts down.

    • Green to cabinet and IFC. Painted screw / missing star washer.
    • Resumes ~5 s after a real ground is provided.
  • E113

    High line voltage

    lockout

    Line voltage above nameplate.

    • Measure at the IFC. Boost transformer, generator, or utility high.
    • Resumes ~5 s after voltage is in range.
  • E114

    Line frequency out of range

    lockout

    No clean 60 Hz. OEM: no 60 Hertz power.

    • Generator / inverter / poorly conditioned backup power is the usual.
    • Utility frequency events are rare — confirm you are not on a job-site gen set.
  • E115

    Low 24V

    lockout

    Secondary below ~18–30 V class. Control restarts if voltage recovers.

    • 24 VAC at the IFC under load. Extra accessories robbing the transformer.
    • Door-switch / shorted valve / undersized VA. Fix the load before you upsize the transformer.
  • E117

    Poor ground

    warn

    Ground is present but dirty. Warning only — clears ~30 s after it recovers.

    • Same ground path as E112, just not open. Flame µA and HSI both suffer.
    • Do not ignore a repeating E117 on an E240 / E270 call.
  • E201

    Indoor blower communication failure

    lockout

    IFC lost serial talk with the VS indoor blower (including a motor that never powered up).

    • Motor harness seated at IFC and module. 120/240 at the motor, not just the IFC.
    • After a board or motor swap this is usually P-menu / wrong motor — see E202 / E203.
  • E202

    Indoor blower HP / unit capacity mismatch

    lockout

    Programmed unit size does not match the motor horsepower the IFC sees.

    • P menu: pick the character for THIS cabinet, hold to store, let the IFC reset.
    • An EL296E constant-torque motor in this VS cabinet will throw E202 / E310. Use the VS motor.
  • E203

    Appliance capacity not programmed

    lockout

    Unit size code is blank or invalid after a new IFC.

    • This is a P-menu job, not a bad motor. Program size, then retest.
    • Remove the stat from the bus if iComfort is fighting the program cycle.
  • E204

    Gas valve mis-wired

    lockout

    Valve harness does not match what the IFC commanded.

    • Stage 1 / stage 2 leads on the correct valve terminals. Pinched or swapped harness.
    • Clears when the wiring is repaired — do not replace the IFC first.
  • E205

    Gas valve control relay shorted

    lockout

    IFC thinks its valve relay contacts are shorted.

    • Unplug the valve. If E205 stays, the IFC relay is the fault.
    • If it clears, ohm the valve coil and harness for a short to chassis.
  • E206

    Second-stage gas valve relay failure

    warn

    High-fire solenoid will not drive. OEM: furnace runs first stage only for the rest of the call.

    • W2 present? 24 VAC at stage-2 coil on a high call.
    • If wiring is good and it never stages, replace the IFC — it is already heating on low.
  • E207

    HSI sensed open

    lockout

    Hot-surface ignitor circuit measures open.

    • Cold ohms at the ignitor, then at the IFC. Replace if open or out of the IOM range.
    • Harness rub-through on the collector is common on these cabinets.
  • E223

    Low PS failed OPEN

    lockout

    Low-fire pressure switch did not close on the heat call.

    • Inducer actually on low? Low-fire hose only, 96% trap, PVC intake/exhaust.
    • Clean the inducer pressure port — known EL296. Dust packs the port and throws the whole PS family.
  • E224

    Low PS failed CLOSED

    lockout

    Low-fire switch is made when it should be open.

    • Unplug the low switch. Water in the hose or a welded switch.
    • Inducer still coasting / hose holding residual draft.
  • E225

    High PS failed OPEN

    lockout

    IFC commanded high; high-fire switch did not close.

    • Does the inducer actually go high?
    • High-fire hose not teed to the low switch. Vent capacity on 110/135 kBtu cabinets.
  • E226

    High PS failed CLOSED

    lockout

    High-fire switch is made when it should be open.

    • Unplug the high switch only. Water or a welded disc.
    • W2 shorted so the IFC thinks it should already be in high.
  • E227

    Low PS opened during trial or run

    lockout

    Low switch had closed, then opened mid-trial or in run.

    • Wind, ice, trap siphon, inducer dropping out after light-off.
    • Same port-clean as E223 — a half-clogged port will make then drop.
  • E228

    Combustion air inducer calibration failure

    lockout

    IFC could not finish pressure-switch calibration.

    • Vent and both hoses seated. Inducer must be able to sweep both switches.
    • Fix E223/E225 physics first — calibration will not pass on a clogged port.
  • E229

    Ignition on high fire

    info

    Low-fire switch did not close in time, so the IFC ran the inducer high and lit on high. OEM: no action needed as a separate repair.

    • This is a low-fire draft problem wearing a high-fire costume. Fix E223 / E227 physics. Do not start on the high-fire manifold screw.
    • Also fires on high for ~60 s if continuous fan was already on (heat-exchanger warmup) — that one is information only.
  • E240

    Low flame current — run mode

    warn

    Flame is present but µA is below the run threshold.

    • F menu for live µA. Clean the rod — not sandpaper. Neutral-to-ground and E117.
    • Clears at the end of the heat call. Repeating E240 becomes E270 / E273.
  • E241

    Flame sensed out of sequence — flame still present

    hazard

    Rod sees flame with the valve de-energized. Flame is still there.

    • Shut the gas cock. Leaking valve — replace, do not jump.
    • If flame dies when you shut the cock, the IFC flame circuit / rod short is next.
  • E250

    Limit switch circuit open

    warn

    Primary / rollout / secondary string is open. If it stays open >3 min the IFC goes to a 1-hour soft lockout (E274).

    • VS heat CFM vs the EL296 chart — not a 9-speed tap. Filter, coil, media cabinet.
    • Walk the rollout string if E270 / E274 also store. Manual-reset rollout is a hazard until the cause is gone.
  • E252

    Discharge air too high

    warn

    Leaving-air temperature above the gas-heat limit (DAT sensor).

    • Rise vs plate. Heat CFM in the IFC, not a guess.
    • Input rate / manifold. Sensor itself only after airflow and fire are right.
  • E270

    Soft lockout — max retries, no flame current

    lockout

    Tried to light, never saw flame current. Soft lockout. Clears on a successful heat call.

    • Watch a try: inducer, HSI glow, valve click, flame, then F-menu µA. Which step dies?
    • This is ignition, not rollout. The older field rumor that E270 ‘is rollout’ is wrong on this SureLight family — rollout lives in the E250 / E274 string.
  • E271

    Soft lockout — last retry failed because PS opened

    lockout

    Retries used up; the last try died when a pressure switch opened.

    • Treat as a hardened E223 / E227. Port, trap, PVC, inducer.
    • Do not replace the ignitor because the stack says 270-family.
  • E272

    Soft lockout — last recycle PS opened

    lockout

    Recycles used up; last recycle failed because a pressure switch opened.

    • It ran, then draft dropped. Wind, ice, trap siphon, inducer after light-off.
    • Same two-hose / port-clean as the E223 cluster.
  • E273

    Soft lockout — last recycle flame failure

    lockout

    Recycles used up; last recycle lost flame signal.

    • F-menu µA, rod, ground, manifold after blower-on. Flame that dies when the wheel starts is often draft or a weak rod.
    • Pairs with E240.
  • E274

    Soft lockout — last recycle limit open or limit >3 min

    lockout

    Recycles used up because the limit string opened, or a limit stayed open longer than 3 minutes.

    • Hardened E250. VS CFM, media cabinet, rise.
    • If a rollout is open in that string, stop and inspect the exchanger before you up the CFM.
  • E275

    Flame out of sequence lockout

    hazard

    Soft lockout after out-of-sequence flame. Same hazard family as E241.

    • Shut the cock. Valve leak or IFC flame circuit.
    • 1-hour-class lockout. Do not keep resetting.
  • E290

    Ignitor circuit fault

    lockout

    Failed ignitor or triggering circuitry. 1-hour soft lockout until flame proves stable.

    • Ohms the HSI. Open / out of IOM range = replace the ignitor.
    • Good ohms + no 120 VAC during trial = IFC / harness.
  • E292

    Heat airflow restricted below minimum

    warn

    VS heat CFM is below the minimum the IFC will allow for this firing rate.

    • Filter, coil, wheel, return. Media cabinets on Elite jobs are the usual.
    • Some communicating SureLight cards print a different sentence next to E292 — confirm THAT door card before you condemn a motor.
  • E310

    Blower unable to start

    lockout

    Indoor blower did not start — seized bearings / obstructed wheel class.

    • Spin the wheel. Ice, debris, rusted module, unplugged harness.
    • Door-card note: a few revisions park a DAT-sensor sentence on E310. If the card says sensor, treat it as a sensor. If it says wheel/bearings, treat it as a motor.
  • E311

    Blower temperature too high

    warn

    Blower / module overtemp. IFC sheds or parks heat.

    • Static, wheel rub, module fins packed with dust.
    • After a motor swap, confirm you did not put an EL296E CT motor in this VS plug.
  • E312

    Restricted airflow — cooling / CF

    warn

    Cooling or continuous-fan CFM is below the setting. Cutback / high-static warning.

    • Filter and duct. VS motor is already in torque limit (roughly 0–0.8 in. w.c. class).
    • Not a heat-call code. Do not chase E312 with a pressure switch.

Workflows

E229 / E223 / E225 / E227 cluster

The EL296 that will not stay on low, lights hard, or never proves draft.

  1. Photograph the 7-seg and pull E-recall. Order matters: 223 then 229 means low prove failed and the IFC escalated to high-fire light-off.
  2. Clean the inducer pressure port. EL296s clog this port with oxide/dust and throw the whole PS family. Known fix before you replace a switch.
  3. Two hoses, two switches. A tee is a miswire. Low hose on the low tap only.
  4. Trap and PVC next. Then ohms each switch with the matching inducer speed.
  5. E228 (calibration) will not pass until the port and hoses are right.
  6. Only then look at the IFC. Boards do fail, but 223/229 is usually air.

E250 trips after 10 minutes

Heat works, then drops. Limit string.

  1. VS heat CFM vs the EL296 chart — not a 9-speed tap and not a PSC blower.
  2. Coil and filter. Elite jobs often got a thick media cabinet that starves heat CFM.
  3. If E270 / E274 also store, walk the rollout string before you up the CFM and leave. Manual-reset rollout is not ‘just a limit.’
  4. E252 stored with E250 = leaving air too hot. Rise and input, then the DAT sensor.

E270 / E240 ignition

No heat, retries, or weak flame after it lights.

  1. Watch one full try. Write whether the inducer proved, whether the HSI glowed, whether the valve clicked, whether you saw flame.
  2. F menu for rod µA. E240 in run that stacks into E270 / E273 is a rod / ground / manifold problem, not a new IFC.
  3. HSI ohms (E207 / E290). Open or out of IOM range = ignitor, not the board.
  4. E271 / E272 in the same stack means draft died — go back to the E223 cluster. Do not replace the ignitor for a pressure-switch lockout.

E201 / E202 / E203 after a board or motor swap

New IFC or new blower, no heat, serial-blower codes.

  1. This motor is variable-speed serial, not an EL296E tap motor. The wrong motor in this cabinet throws E202 / E310.
  2. P menu: program the unit size character for THIS cabinet. Hold to store. Let the IFC reset.
  3. E203 = size never programmed. E202 = size does not match the motor HP the IFC sees. E201 = it cannot even talk to the motor.
  4. Harness, motor line voltage, then motor. Do not shotgun the IFC until P is set.

Test points

E-code
Three digits. E229 ≠ E225. Confirm odd extras on the door card.
Inducer port
Open to the collector, not packed with oxide. Two hoses, never teed.
Flame (F menu)
µA per EL296 card. Rising while running.
HSI
Cold ohms in the IOM range. 120 VAC during trial.
P menu
Unit size stored for this VS cabinet after any IFC or motor swap.

Gotchas

  • ML196 looks similar in the basement and uses 1–9 flashes. Pulling an EL296 E250 card onto an ML is how techs replace the wrong part.
  • EL296E is the constant-torque Elite — E2xx gas/PS/limit still apply, motor setup does not. A VS motor in an E cabinet (or a CT motor in this V cabinet) is an E202 / E310 call.
  • SLP99V is a different communicating IFC. E105 is native there, optional here.
  • E270 on this family is max retries / no flame current — not ‘rollout.’ Rollout is the E250 / E274 string.
  • E229 is OEM information: no separate high-fire repair. Fix low-fire draft.
  • Door-card drift: some 107045 cousins print E110 for low line or swap the E292 / E310 sentence. Believe the card on that unit.

Related plates

  • lennox-el296e — Constant-torque Elite cousin. Same E2xx gas/PS/limit. Airflow is tap/profile — no serial-blower E201 as the primary motor story.
  • lennox-ml196 — Merit 96% flash (1–9). Same PVC physics, completely different display. Do not use E223 language on an ML LED.
  • lennox-slp99v — Signature modulating iComfort. E105 is native. Capacity is a percent, not W1/W2.
  • lennox-sl280 — Elite 80% two-stage, metal vent. A 7-seg E223 there is chimney/inducer, not a 96% trap.