5 Ways To Tell If Your Home's Thermostat Is Malfunctioning

What’s Up With The Thermostat?

No one likes to have a thermostat that malfunctions, especially since it’s the very thing that helps to control the central air. Whether your goal is to make the home get warmer or cooler, you still want your thermostat to work when you turn it on.

There are many things that might go wrong with the thermostat that it’s impossible to mention every incident that can occur, but it’s best to check out the thermostat if you think it’s not functioning properly.

A Boston professional is able to get a thermostat working properly again if it is malfunctioning, but you also need to look for the signs that tell you if there is a problem with the thermostat.

Thermostat Warning Signs

The same way a car might start smoking, making noise or showing signs on the dashboard when there’s a problem is similar to how a thermostat will alert you to problems that it’s experiencing.

Even though you should never wait till the thermostat gets to a point where it’s no longer functioning before you realize there’s a problem, sometimes, it takes the thermostat breaking down before you realize there was a problem in the first place.

There are a few warning signs that will let you know that you may need thermostat repair and have a malfunctioning thermostat.

#1 A blank display is present, but the central air works

#2 The temperature on the thermostat is unbelievable

#3 The battery sign is up and won't go away

#4 The thermostat settings are changing themselves without programming

#5 Flashing display on the thermostat

#1 A Blank Display on the Screen

Those who have a thermostat that shows a display of the temperature as well as other settings should always see the display lit with all the information that is supposed to be on the display. It’s possible that the display may completely go blank but still allows the central air to work.

In certain cases, the thermostat may simply be very dim, which makes it hard to see anything on the display. Although there tends to be a few occurrences that cause a blanked out thermostat display, one of the biggest problems is with the battery or a lack of power. Some thermostats will only use batteries to gain their power, but other thermostats use both a battery and electricity. Thermostats that run on batteries only can easily dim when the battery starts to go dead, and a replacement battery will be needed to get the display to show brightly again.

If the display is completely blank, then the battery may have died, the electricity might be out, or the thermostat has other problems. If you’re not certain what’s causing the blank display, then it is time to consider getting a professional that can fix the thermostat asap.

#2 The temperature on the display doesn't match that of the room.

Have you ever walked over to your thermostat to check the room temperature and just couldn’t believe what you were reading? Maybe it felt like it was 60° in the room, but the thermostat was reading 80° or even 90°.

It’s possible for the thermostat to have a reading that is off the charts or unbelievable, which means the thermostat is malfunctioning in some way. You should always check to see if sunlight is hitting the thermostat or any other heat source is close to it because this can make the thermostat give off a temperature reading that is wrong.

Thermostats have to be in a proper location to get the right room temperature, but if the thermostat’s been in the same location as always and is still giving off a bad reading, then a low battery or other malfunctions may be present in the thermostat, so professional help would be a good idea to fix the problem.

#3 The battery sign will not go away.

Whenever a battery sign shows up on an electronic device, that means the battery is running low, and the sign will not go away unless the battery is changed. If you see a battery sign on your thermostat, then change the battery quickly because many have lost power to the central air if the thermostat doesn’t have a proper battery, especially if it’s run solely by the battery.

It’s even possible that the readings on the thermostat will be incorrect because the battery is low, so always keep the battery fresh, and don’t wait for the thermostat to go dead before you change the battery.

#4 The thermostat is creating its own settings.

Some people have experienced a thermostat that will actually change the temperature settings on its own, even if it was never programmed.

Some are even having this problem with a thermostat that is not programmable, and even though it’s a very rare problem, it’s been mentioned by several people online and is somewhat of a phenomenon.

The temperature may be set to a low or high temperature, and the thermostat will reset itself to another temperature, which may end up keeping the central air on for hours as opposed to cutting it off when it’s supposed to.

In a case like this, there is a serious problem with the thermostat, and swapping out the thermostat may be the only solution.

You should allow a Boston area professional to analyze the thermostat to see if maybe the problem can be corrected without having to buy a new thermostat.

#5 The display is flashing.

A programmable thermostat can start flashing a code on the display of the thermostat when there is a problem with the unit, and the indoor unit may keep running while the outdoor unit has an issue that it’s trying to alert you about, via the thermostat. A flashing thermostat display can be a serious problem, so call an HVAC professional immediately.

Is Thermostat Repair a Possibility?

Thermostat repair is possible, so don’t assume you automatically have to buy a brand-new thermostat. As long as you get a professional repair person to fix the programmable thermostat or any other thermostat you may have, then you may be able to get the thermostat working again.

Don’t delay, fix your thermostat by calling Atlantic Heating & Air Conditioning in Boston, MA at (617) 566-6990.