The Signs Your Thermostat May Need To Be Fixed

Is your thermostat acting up? Unfortunately, it's common for thermostats to malfunction over time. To help you identify when your thermostat needs attention, here are four signs that you should take action to help you maintain your thermostat and ensure your home remains comfortable all year round.

The display on your thermostat should show the current room temperature as accurately as possible. Thus, a significant difference between the temperature reading and room temperature highlights an issue with the sensor. For example, if your thermostat displays a room temperature of 73 degrees Fahrenheit, but the room feels very cold, you likely have a problem.

First, ensure your thermostat is set to "heat" or "cool," depending on your desired temperature. Then, use an accurate thermometer (or an app on your phone if you have that capability) to check the room's temperature and compare it to what you set your thermostat to. If the measurements don't match, it can highlight a broken sensor inside the thermostat.

Also, your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technician might need to reinstall the thermostat in the right place. If it is in direct sunlight or somewhere else where it might experience frequent and extreme temperature changes, the thermostat will give you a wrong readout of the temperature in your home. If that's the case, have a professional move the thermostat to a better place.

When you manually set a thermostat to turn on the heat or air conditioning at specific times and temperatures, it should retain those settings until you alter them again.

A thermostat that cannot save these settings or cannot operate during the set time, like turn on at night, might have operational issues. Change the batteries in the thermostat to see whether it's broken. If this doesn't work, you may need to save up for a new thermostat.

Another settings issue that your thermostat might exhibit is unresponsiveness to temperature settings changes. If you try to adjust the settings on your thermostat and it doesn't work, the first thing to check is the power source. If the connection to the power line or the batteries inside are good, check the circuit breaker to ensure you did not trip it.

You can also hire an HVAC pro to look for problems with the wiring inside the thermostat, as these can also create problems. You should buy a new thermostat or HVAC system if nothing else works.

An unresponsive thermostat will not react to your input, refuse to adjust based on your settings, or display a blank screen. If the display on the thermostat works, but the AC or heat won't come on, the wiring between the thermostat and the HVAC system may be loose.

Alternatively, your thermostat might work, but the air conditioner or heater won't turn off when the room reaches the target temperature. Set your thermostat to auto if it has two settings. If this change does not fix the issue, your HVAC tech can examine the thermostat to determine the problem.

A thermostat older than 10 years will show signs of deterioration that require replacement. Outdated thermostats can be unreliable and waste a lot of energy. Also, this replacement should be an opportunity to choose a more energy-efficient and smart model to reduce energy consumption and bills.

Don't let your thermostat issues go unnoticed. Contact Haskins Heating & Cooling today for prompt, courteous, and economical service from certified experts. With nearly 37 years of experience in the Greater Nashville area, you can trust us to provide you with the best solution for your individual climate control situation.