Home thermostats give you ultimate control over your home’s heating and cooling system. It compares your temperature settings to your room’s temperature and turns on your A/C or heater to keep your home comfortable. By letting a faulty thermostat run for a prolonged period, you risk cutting the longevity of your HVAC system.
Signs of a Bad Home Thermostat
The air conditioner does not turn off: When a faulty thermostat does not detect a room’s temperature properly, it may not turn off the air conditioner. In addition to making your home feel cold, running the A/C constantly can cause it to burnout. By ignoring this red flag, a simple fix may result in an expensive A/C replacement.
Replacing the batteries does not help: When it seems as if your thermostat is on the fritz, it may need new batteries. If you change the batteries and the thermostat still doesn’t work, you should replace the thermostat.
The thermostat settings are perfect, but the HVAC system does not respond as it should: If you think your home thermostat is broken, double-check the settings. Make sure the device is turned to the “on” setting. If you want to cool your home, set the thermostat to “A/C” or “cool.” Also, verify that the thermostat isn’t on a special setting, such as vacation mode.
The furnace or A/C does not respond: Have a friend stand near your furnace with a cell phone. While you’re on the phone, turn on the furnace. If the thermostat works, your helper will hear the furnace start. As you slowly raise the temperature, the furnace should make sounds that indicate it’s receiving a signal from the thermostat. If you try the same test with your A/C, keep in mind that it may have a delayed response.