Keeping an eye on your thermostat throughout the year can be highly beneficial, especially if you live in an area with changing temperatures. Being aware of how your thermostat works can help you save money in the long run. If your thermostat doesn’t appear to be working, you may face issues during the summer or winter. Perhaps your heater does not turn on in the winter, or your air conditioner does not turn on in the summer.
This is not only uncomfortable and extremely dangerous, but it may also be expensive to repair. However, it is possible that the problem is not with your furnace or air conditioning system but with the thermostat. The thermostat may not be sending out the correct signal, or the thermometer may be broken. The problem is most of the time with your thermostat rather than your heating or cooling system, which is fortunate because a thermostat is much less expensive to repair than a furnace or air conditioner. This article is the ultimate guide for you to find out everything about the thermostat.
Steps To Check The Thermostat At Home
- Tape a thick paper towel to the wall next to the thermostat, and then tape a regular household thermometer, properly calibrated, to the paper towel. You want a paper towel between the wall and the thermometer so that the thermometer reads the temperature of the ambient air rather than the temperature of the wall.
- Allow the thermometer to be taped to the wall for about 15 minutes before taking a reading. If the temperature readouts from the household thermometer and the thermostat differ, you have an issue with your thermostat and will need to do some maintenance. However, keep the thermometer and paper towel taped to the wall for the purposes of maintenance and testing.
- Go to your fuse box and turn off the power to the thermostat. Go to the thermostat and ensure it is not receiving any power, just so you can accurately fix and test it without putting yourself in any danger.
- You can now re-energize the thermostat and repeat the test with the household thermometer and the paper towel. The thermometer and thermostat readings should now be the same. If the thermostat still does not provide you with an exact temperature reading, you may need to replace the batteries of the thermostat.
- If the problem persists, it’s possible that the thermostat isn’t sending a signal to the furnace or AC unit, which needs a different solution. To know if the thermostat is sending a signal to your furnace, remove the thermostat cover to expose the wiring. Turn off the furnace’s circuit breaker.
- Untwist the “R” and “W” wires, remove them from their connectors, and then twist the wire ends together. Turn on the furnace’s breaker. If the light comes on, it shows that the thermostat is not sending a signal to the furnace. Remember that if the furnace doesn’t turn on, there is a problem with the furnace.
- If you’re still experiencing issues, you may need to hire a professional to perform some electrical repairs, or you may simply need to purchase a new thermostat.
Signs That Your Thermostat Is Old
Your thermostat, like all other systems, will age and become obsolete. Most home thermostats have a ten-year lifespan. However, as newer, more efficient thermostats hit the market, you may need to replace yours sooner. The following are signs that your thermostat is old:
1) Defective Thermostat Readings
Proper thermostat readings ensure that your indoor spaces do not become overly hot or cold. When your thermostat begins to register incorrect temperatures, it may be time to consider replacing it. To ensure that the temperature is correct, use a portable indoor thermometer to take a reading.
2) Surprising High Energy Bills
Most people are always looking for ways to reduce your energy bill. Inefficient HVAC systems can have the opposite effect. You discover that you must pay a higher energy bill than usual. The thermostat is frequently to blame. A thermostat that isn’t reading the temperature correctly will usually cause your HVAC to overwork. The higher the value, the more times the unit cycles per hour.
3) Shifts in Constant Temperature
A faulty thermostat will typically struggle to keep its settings. It has the ability to change temperature settings indefinitely and without warning. For a test run, try lowering the thermostat settings and seeing what happens. If the problem still exists, contact a technician to inspect the thermostat.
4) The air conditioner is Still Constantly On
Check to see if the fan is turned on. If this is the case, the air conditioner will continue to run even if the thermostat has been set to your preferred temperature. While the cooling component is turned off, the fan still continues to circulate air. If the switch is turned on, change it to auto. If this simple fix resolves the issue, that will function normally.
5) The Thermostat Is Completely Blank
A thermostat’s display could be blank for a number of reasons. The simpler ones are an LCD brightness display that is too low (which can be manually adjusted), batteries that have died, or dirt inside the thermostat. By reading the system’s manual, you can troubleshoot all of these issues.
How Much Does A New Thermostat Cost?
A thermostat is what turns on and off a furnace or central air conditioning unit to meet a preset temperature or time. Non-digital/non-programmable and digital/programmable are the two types of home thermostats. Thermostats that are not digital or programmable are less expensive than those that are digital or programmable.
A non-digital/non-programmable thermostat costs between $10 and $30. The cost of a digital/programmable thermostat ranges from $20 to $550. To have a professional contractor install the thermostat, the cost of replacing a home thermostat ranges between $75 and $200. Thermostats are used to control not only furnaces and air conditioning but also water heaters and automobiles.
Contact Coastal Home Today
Your thermostat plays a critical role in your and your family’s comfort, so you should not compromise for that. If you feel that your thermostat is not working correctly, you can check the signs mentioned above in case your thermostat has become old and you need to replace it. If nothing is working, contact Coastal Home and we will have your thermostat back to working condition in no time at all! Fill out the contact form below as the first step in getting your thermostat back to working order.
