Braeburn Thermostat Blinking Cool? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

Your new HVAC unit is installed and tested. Everything looks good. The HVAC service technician was pleased to see you chose a Braeburn thermostat and told you these were some of the best on the market. Now the Braeburn thermostat flashes COOL, but the HVAC system isn’t responding. What could be the problem?

If your Braeburn thermostat flashes COOL continuously, the thermostat is calling for the HVAC system to start and provide cool air for your home. If the HVAC system isn’t responding, the problem could be with the thermostat or the HVAC controller board. In some cases, the wiring between the thermostat and the HVAC unit may be faulty.

It is frustrating when your HVAC system doesn’t do its job. It can also be uncomfortable in some climates or even dangerous depending on the situation. Finding an answer for why your HVAC system isn’t working can be critical. Fortunately, most homeowners can diagnose some problems with a Braeburn thermostat on their own.

Before you do any other troubleshooting, ensure that your Braeburn thermostat is set up correctly to work with your HVAC system. Your user manual has step-by-step instructions to set up your Braeburn thermostat to communicate with your HVAC system.

Follow the instructions precisely. It may be necessary to reset your thermostat before you can effectively set up your HVAC system. If you are unsure about how to set up your Braeburn thermostat for your HVAC system, consult with a qualified service technician for help.

If your thermostat continuously blinks COOL, the blinking indicates that the thermostat is sending a command to the HVAC system to begin cooling the air in your home. If your Braeburn thermostat doesn’t send the correct codes, the HVAC system won’t recognize the message and won’t respond.

The quickest way to remedy this situation under most circumstances is to perform a factory reset on your Braeburn thermostat. On most Braeburn thermostats, this is a simple process and will solve most of your communications problems.

Most Braeburn thermostats have a small button that allows a factory reset of the thermostat. A thin object such as a paperclip is necessary to access the button through the small hole on the thermostat housing. Press gently until the display flashes, and you see the reset occur

Resetting your Braeburn thermostat will erase any programming you have done and may require you to go through the Braeburn thermostat setup procedures. IN any instance, you should follow the instructions in the Braeburn thermostat user manual that came with your thermostat.

Your Braeburn thermostat may have internal batteries that protect the programming and scheduling of the thermostat against power outages. Even if your thermostat receives power from the HVAC unit, it probably has backup batteries installed. Sometimes low batteries can cause the thermostat to perform erratically.

Follow the directions in the user manual that came with your Braeburn thermostat to install fresh batteries. If the old batteries have leaked, clean the battery contacts of any corrosion that might have resulted. Install the new batteries, reassemble your Braeburn thermostat and test your HVAC system.

Most times, the thermostat will retain your programming settings and schedules during a battery change. However, there is a possibility that your settings may be lost. Be prepared to set up your HVAC system and your schedules again when you change batteries.

Your Braeburn thermostat connects to your HVAC system through a set of wires. These wires typically provide power to the thermostat from the HVAC system control board and send signals to the HVAC system for heating, cooling, and fan speed options. If a break occurs in any of these wires, the system will not function properly.

To diagnose a loose wire problem with the thermostat, you need to first access the wiring behind the thermostat. Before removing the Braeburn thermostat from the wall, be sure all the power to the HVAC system is disconnected to turn off.

It is safe to remove the Braeburn thermostat from the wall and examine the wires with the power off. There may be four or five wires attached to your Braeburn thermostat, depending on the make and model of your HVAC system. Each wire should be firmly connected to a terminal on the thermostat.

If one of the wires appears to be loose or is not connected, this is probably the problem with your Braeburn thermostat flashing COOL without a response from the HVAC unit. If you know where the wire connects to the thermostat, reinstall the wire and tighten the screw.

If you are not sure where the loose wire goes, stop before doing anything else. Connecting the loose wire to the wrong terminal on your Braeburn thermostat can cause irreparable damage to your thermostat or your HVAC control board. Call a service technician for help.

If the wires at the thermostat are all connected properly, the next step is to check the wiring on the HVAC controller board. The controller board is behind the service panel on your HVAC system.

Make sure all the power is off to the HVAC system before you open the service panel. Behind the service panel, you will find all the electronic controls for your HVAC system. Locate the electric wires that come from the thermostat. If any one of these wires is loose or disconnected, that is a problem.

Unless you are absolutely certain you know where the loose wire should connect, stop at this point, and call a certified HVAC technician to fix the problem. Connecting a thermostat wire to the wrong terminal on the HVAC controller board can be disastrous and cost a lot more than a service call.

There is a possibility that the wire from the thermostat to the HVAC control board has been damaged. Many times, these wires run along with the studs inside the wall. This can make the wires vulnerable to damage from nails or screws that hang pictures or shelving from the wall.

Diagnosing a broken or damaged thermostat wire is difficult because the wires are almost impossible to find. A service technician can test the continuity of the wires safely to make sure there are no breaks in the wires. This is almost impossible for most homeowners since the thermostat may be separated from the HVAC equipment.

If the thermostat wire is damaged, the solution is always to run a new thermostat wire from the HVAC unit to the Braeburn thermostat. This is a job best left to a professional.

It is rare but does happen occasionally. The controller board on your HVAC system may develop a problem. If there is a problem with the controller board, a qualified service technician should be called.

Many HVAC system controller boards have a reporting function that will show an error code if there is a problem. Some of these error codes are LEDs that blink a code. Some units have a small LCD that will display a text message.

Your user manual may have the error codes. However, we highly recommend that if your HVAC system shows an error code on the control board, a visit from a service technician is scheduled.

Various conditions can cause your condensing unit or heat pump to fail to operate, resulting in a flashing COOL signal on your Braeburn thermostat and no cooling. Very few homeowners are qualified to troubleshoot and repair condensing units or heat pumps.

The problems can range from a bad starter condenser to a burned-out compressor motor. In some instances, a blown fuse can be the problem. In any case, a visit from a qualified HVAC service technician is necessary to get your HVAC system up and running again.