The thermostat is essentially the brain of your Beckley, WV, HVAC system. It tells your AC or heating when it’s time to turn it on and when to shut it back off. There are a few common thermostat issues that can prevent your HVAC from working correctly or cause it to not turn on at all. If the issue lies with your thermostat, there are times when you may be able to solve it yourself just by taking a few basic steps.
Thermostat Screen Is Blank
Although not all thermostats have batteries, most digital units and Wi-Fi smart units do use batteries. In some cases, the batteries just serve as a backup so that the thermostat settings don’t get reset any time your power goes out. Some smart thermostats can also switch over to battery power in case there is an issue with the electrical wire running between the HVAC control board and the thermostat.
Many models of thermostats rely solely on batteries to power their screens. They sometimes provide the power needed to tell the HVAC system to turn on and off. That’s why the first thing you should do if your thermostat screen is suddenly blank is replace the batteries to see if it comes back on.
If your thermostat screen doesn’t come on after you put new batteries in, the next thing to do is open the door on your electrical panel and check that the circuit breaker for your HVAC isn’t tripped. On some thermostats, the screen will still go blank if your HVAC doesn’t have power, even if the batteries in the unit are still good. Resetting the breaker if it’s tripped will normally get your thermostat to restart so that your HVAC works again. If the breaker isn’t tripped, it usually indicates that your thermostat died, and you’ll need to install a new one. If resetting the breaker doesn’t get your thermostat to turn on, there’s a high chance that there was a power surge. It caused the breaker to trip and damaged your thermostat.
Thermostat Doesn’t Signal AC or Heating to Run
If you can’t get your HVAC to run at all, it could be that your thermostat has failed or has a bad wiring connection. The issue could also be with the circuit breaker, the HVAC control board, or various other issues. After checking that the breaker isn’t tripped, you should try turning the temperature on your thermostat up or down by five degrees. You obviously want to turn the temperature up if you’re trying to run your heating or down if your AC won’t come on.
If you adjust the temperature and your HVAC starts running, it usually indicates that your thermostat isn’t properly calibrated. Most thermostats are set so the HVAC system runs when the temperature is one degree above or below whatever the thermostat is set to. In some cases, the thermostat may be programmed so that it doesn’t send the signal until there is a two- or three-degree temperature difference. This temperature difference before the thermostat signals the HVAC to run is known as the thermostat’s deadband. It is something that you can adjust on many units. In some cases, the deadband can end up changing if the thermostat malfunctions or goes through a hard reset. If this happens, the solution is for a technician to reset the deadband to whatever you want it to be.
If nothing happens after you adjust the temperature, the next thing to try is replacing the batteries. They may not have enough power to signal your HVAC to run. Before taking the batteries out, switch your thermostat off. After replacing the batteries and turning the thermostat back on, you should hear it make a click when it tries to signal your HVAC to start. If it doesn’t click, it usually means the thermostat is bad. If it clicks multiple times without your HVAC turning on, it indicates that the signal isn’t reaching the control board. There may also be some other issue preventing your HVAC from running.
One last thing you can try is switching your thermostat to a different mode. For example, changing heat to cool or cool to heat. If your AC turns on but your heating won’t, or vice versa, you can at least rule out the thermostat as the cause of the issue. That means there will be one less thing the technician has to check when troubleshooting why your AC or heating won’t come on.
Thermostat Doesn’t Register the Correct Temperature
There are also some issues that can result in your thermostat not registering and showing the correct temperature. This usually leads to your house being warmer or colder than you want it to be. You can use a kitchen thermometer to easily tell whether your thermostat is showing the right temperature. If you have a digital instant-read thermometer, you just need to hold it up in front of your thermostat for a few seconds until it displays a steady temperature. You also want to place paper towels or a rag on the wall before taping the thermostat to it, or else you may not get an accurate reading.
If your thermostat is working properly, the thermometer should show almost the same temperature. If the temperature is more than two or three degrees different between the two, it’s an obvious sign that your thermostat isn’t reading the temperature accurately. This can happen simply because it is dirty inside, is starting to fail, or needs to be recalibrated.
Another thing to be aware of is that the location of your thermostat can make a huge difference in whether it registers the temperature in your home accurately. If the thermostat is ever exposed to sunlight, it will read a higher temperature whenever the sun is shining on it. You’ll also often get inaccurate temperature readings if the thermostat is too close to a supply vent, a window, or an exterior door. The same is true if it’s located on an exterior wall.
Thermostat Keeps Signaling Your HVAC to Shut Off Too Soon
Your HVAC system should always shut off within a few minutes once the thermostat registers your home is at the right temperature. If your AC or heating shuts off too soon, your thermostat could malfunction. It could also indicate that your HVAC has various other issues. It’s usually easy to troubleshoot whether the issue lies with your thermostat. One sure sign that your thermostat is malfunctioning is if you hear it click and the screen shows that the temperature is still higher or lower than it should be. Another thing to check is if the screen temporarily goes blank when your HVAC shuts off, since this also indicates the thermostat is starting to fail or there is an issue with the wiring running to it.
With more than 70 years of professional experience, Childers Air Plumbing & Electric is the company to turn to if you need any home service in the Beckley area. Our certified HVAC technicians can troubleshoot any issues with your thermostat and expertly handle all your air conditioning and heating needs. You can also count on us if you need any plumbing or electrical repair or installation services. Whether you’re dealing with thermostat issues or need any other service, contact us today.