When your home isn’t staying warm or cool like it should, the first thing to check is often right on the wall. Your thermostat controls how and when your HVAC system kicks on, so if it’s off even a little, you’ll feel it. Whether it’s a blank screen, unresponsive buttons, or temperatures that don’t match what you’re feeling, you can try a few things before jumping to bigger repairs. At W.F. Hann & Sons in Cleveland, OH, we help homeowners figure out whether the thermostat is to blame or just part of a larger issue.
Check the Power First
Before you delve into anything complicated, first check that your thermostat is receiving power. Many thermostats operate on batteries. If yours does, the fix might be as simple as swapping in a fresh set. Look for a small panel or slide-out drawer on the bottom or back. If your thermostat is wired into the wall, it might be powered by your HVAC system. When that’s the case, a tripped breaker or blown fuse in the main electrical panel could be the reason it’s not turning on. Check your fuse box or breaker panel and look for a flipped breaker. At that point, it’s time to move past power and dig deeper.
Make Sure the Settings Are Right
It sounds obvious, but sometimes the issue comes down to how the thermostat is set. If your house feels cold and the heat’s not kicking on, double-check that the thermostat is set to “heat” and not “fan” or “off.” On some models, it’s easy to hit the wrong button accidentally.
If your system has a “mode” button, press it to make sure it lines up with what you’re trying to do. Then, check the temperature setting. The thermostat might be set too low or too high, and the system doesn’t need to run. For example, if it’s 72 degrees in your home and your thermostat is set to 70, your AC isn’t going to turn on because the temperature hasn’t gotten high enough.
Listen for the System Kicking On
If you’ve set it to heat or cool and nothing starts running, that’s a big clue the message isn’t getting through. Stand near your vents or listen for the hum of the blower fan. Thermostats use low-voltage wires to talk to your furnace or air conditioner. These wires can loosen, corrode, or even become disconnected behind the wall.
That issue isn’t always easy to spot without removing the cover, but you can sometimes see if a wire has slipped out of its terminal. Be careful, though. If you’re not familiar with low-voltage systems, it’s safer not to start pulling wires out. But even just noticing that nothing kicks on can help you explain the issue when you call for help.
Try Resetting the Thermostat
Some thermostats have a reset feature that clears any glitches or bugs in the system. If yours has been acting weird, flashing numbers, freezing up, or responding slowly, this might be a helpful step. Look in the manual or search your thermostat model online to find out how to reset it. On many models, you’ll hold down a specific button or flip the circuit breaker off for a minute and turn it back on.
Keep in mind that a reset might erase any custom schedules or settings, so you’ll need to reprogram those afterward. If you’ve been trying to use a smart thermostat, the reset might also log you out of the app or disconnect it from Wi-Fi, so be ready to reconnect it if needed. This step won’t solve everything, but it’s worth trying before calling in backup.
Look at How Your System Behaves
For example, if you set the thermostat to 68 and your house keeps dropping to 64, it might not be sending the signal correctly. Or perhaps the system turns on and off too frequently. That’s called short cycling, and this usually means the thermostat isn’t reading the temperature correctly. Most thermostats have a small sensor inside that tracks the air around them. If that sensor starts to fail, your thermostat might think the house is warmer or cooler than it is.
Fix Your Thermostat Trouble Today
A malfunctioning thermostat doesn’t always mean something’s broken beyond repair. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh battery or a setting tweak to get things working again. We also offer furnace repair, boiler maintenance, and indoor air quality solutions. When the standard thermostat quick fixes don’t cut it, W.F. Hann & Sons can step in and get your comfort back on track.
