GE Oven F29 Error Code Fix (Straight‑Shot Guide)

Here’s the by-the-book way GE wants this handled. Start with the easy stuff before you drag the oven out of the wall.

Quick note: GE reuses codes across models. There’s usually a tech sheet hidden behind the control panel or lower toe-kick. If that sheet defines F29 differently, follow that wording, but the basic flow is the same: power → wiring → the part that code points at.

• 1. Hard reset the control.
  • Flip the oven/range breaker OFF for at least 5 minutes.
  • Flip it back ON.
  • Try a normal Bake 350°F run for 10–15 minutes.
  • If F29 never comes back, it was a glitch. If it trips again, keep going.
• 2. Make sure the oven can actually breathe.
  • Front top vent: no foil, pans, or covers blocking that long grille.
  • Back and sides: if it’s jammed tight in the cabinet with zero clearance, it overheats and screams F29.
  • Pull anything stored right up against the back or sides of a slide-in range.
  • Try another bake cycle. If F29 delays or disappears, airflow was part of the problem.
• 3. Listen for the cooling fan.
  • Start Bake 350°F. After a few minutes, you should hear a light whooshing / humming behind the control panel.
  • No fan noise at all? Or it chirps, grinds, or starts/ stops? That’s a big hint the fan or its wiring is bad.
• 4. Kill power and expose the fan.
  • Breaker OFF. Verify the display is dead.
  • Wall oven: pull it out a foot or so and remove the rear top cover (usually a few screws).
  • Freestanding range: pull it out and remove the rear panel.
  • You’re looking for the cooling fan, usually near the top/back, blowing across the control area.
• 5. Check the fan mechanically.
  • Spin the blades by hand. They should turn freely, no tight spots, no scraping.
  • If it feels stiff, gritty, or barely moves, the fan motor is cooked. That alone can cause F29.
  • Clean out dust, insulation, pet hair, or plastic that might be jamming the blades.
• 6. Inspect the wiring and any cutoffs in that circuit.
  • Still with power OFF: trace the wires from the fan back to the control board.
  • Look for burnt connectors, melted insulation, or loose push-on terminals.
  • Unplug and re-seat each connector firmly at the fan and at the board.
  • If you see a small round thermostat / thermal cutoff in line with the fan, check for a tiny reset button; if present, press it once. If it clicks, it was tripped.
• 7. Meter test (only if you’re comfortable with live 120V).
  • Put panels back on loosely so nothing is exposed you can touch by accident.
  • Turn the breaker ON, start a Bake cycle, wait for when F29 usually shows.
  • Measure at the fan motor leads: you’re looking for about 120 VAC when the oven is trying to cool.
  • Voltage present, fan dead or barely moving: bad fan motor. Replace it.
  • No voltage at the fan, wiring looks good: the main control board isn’t driving the fan. That’s a bad control board in GE’s book.
  • If you’re not confident with a meter, skip this and treat the fan as suspect first; boards are Plan B.
• 8. Replace the failed part, then road-test.
  • Swap in the new cooling fan motor or control board, one at a time, not both unless you’re sure.
  • Restore power, run Bake 350°F for at least 20–30 minutes.
  • No F29 and the fan sound is steady? You’re done.