Honeywell Thermostat Won't Go Below 70? (We Have a Fix!)

Do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night because your Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 70? This can be frustrating, especially during those scorching summer months. We’re here to help!

Your Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 70 degrees because there is a temperature lock. The temperature lock protects your HVAC system from frozen coils, overheating, and short circuits. You can override the temperature lock on your Honeywell thermostat, but your thermostat will no longer be under warranty with Honeywell. It will cost about $100 to get it fixed by a professional.

Keep reading to discover how Honeywell thermostats work, reasons why a Honeywell thermostat won’t lower below 70 degrees, and how to fix the diagnosis.

Many thermostats, including Honeywell, won’t go below 70 degrees Fahrenheit because they are locked. Manufacturers generally lock thermostats at 70 degrees to help protect your HVAC system from damage. Temperatures below 70 degrees can damage the coils in your air conditioning system and that can cause exorbitantly expensive repairs.

Honeywell mitigates the risk of HVAC damage and frozen coils by limiting your thermostat settings. Your Honeywell thermostat simply will not let you program the temperature below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is for your own good. Other brands may allow you to set your temperature to 68 degrees or low, but it is still a bad idea.

You can’t speed up how slowly or quickly a thermostat will reach a certain temperature. Your thermostat will cool down just as quickly whether you set it to 70 degrees or 74 degrees. If Honeywell thermostats allowed you to go below 70 degrees, you would run the risk of causing severe damage to your air conditioner.

Overriding Honeywell temperature settings is not a great idea for several reasons. First off, you run the risk of short circuits or frozen coils. Secondly, your thermostat will no longer be covered by your warranty if you decide to override the factory-made temperature settings.

Voiding a Honeywell warranty isn’t worth the risk because of the repairs and replacements their warranties come with. With that said, you can override Honeywell temperature settings if they simply aren’t ideal for you. You are better off leaving your Honeywell thermostat as is but adjusting the temperature is easy if you follow the steps.

Use the up and down buttons on your Honeywell thermostat to adjust the temperature to warmer or cooler. Try not to go below 68 degrees if you are trying to set the temperature to be cooler than 70 degrees. Between 65 and 68 degrees is where you start to run the risk of frozen coils, short circuits and overheating.

The limiting menu will allow you to adjust the high-temperature limit and cool temperature limit. After you adjust one or both options, hit the “Menu” button to exit the menu and set your new temperature preferences in place. You can repeat this process anytime that you need to adjust the temperature limiter settings.

Power outages, tripped circuit breakers, blown fuses, and dead batteries will cause your Honeywell thermostat to revert to standard settings. You can get rid of your custom temperature limiter settings on your own if you simply reset the thermostat or remove its batteries.

Thermostat sensors detect the internal temperature in your home. Homeowners that set their thermostat fan setting to “auto” benefit greatly from this function. These sensors signal when it is time to heat or cool your home due to temperature fluctuations.

Sensors can fail if they are old or if you have electrical problems with wiring or blown fuses. Your sensor will generally work again if you replace the fuse or reset the circuit breaker. Wifi problems can also cause Honeywell thermostat sensors to act up if you have a smart unit.

Replace your sensor for $200 or more so that your HVAC system responds to temperature changes.

If you haven’t replaced your air filter in over a year, it is likely clogged and needs to be replaced. Honeywell thermostats cannot work fully if they are going up against a dirty air filter. You may not even be able to change the temperature on your Honeywell if you override the lock if your filter is clogged.

Clogged air filters prevent air conditioners and furnaces from staying running. You will have a hard time keeping a comfortable temperature in cool or warm weather. Simply replace your air filter 1-2 times per year so that you can override the lock on your Honeywell thermostat and set the temperature below 70 degrees.

A temperature lock can be the result of the schedule you’ve set overriding your immediate selection. It can also be because the device has a programmed lock.

Temperature locks are the leading reason why your thermostat won’t go below 70. The ideal Honeywell thermostat range for a home is between 71-74°F. Anything below that may cause the machine’s cooling coils to freeze up and break. As a result, many devices have a lock that won’t allow you to go below 70°F.

Additionally, check to make sure you don’t have a schedule set on your programmable thermostat. This schedule may override whatever temperature you try to manually set.

The Solution?

Although not recommended by any manual, it may be possible to override a programmed temperature lock.

Here’s how:

Step 1: Hold the ‘Raise Temperature’ and fan buttons together. This will pull up the ‘Temperature Limiter’ menu.

Step 2: Adjust the lower limit (with the ‘Lower Temperature’ arrow) to the desired lowest temperature.

Step 3: Hit the ‘Menu’ button to save all settings.

Be mindful of the damage keeping too low of a temperature can cause to the coils. Use caution when setting your lower limit, and try to keep the temperature above 70 when possible.

Any power trip or WiFi outage will reset your Honeywell thermostat to the standard settings.

Your thermostat may be signaling your AC to kick on, but your HVAC system may not be responding.

If the HVAC isn’t running properly, Honeywell thermostats can not regulate room temperatures below 70. A tripped circuit breaker, motor burnout, or other mechanical malfunction could be the reason for this. These are common occurrences during summer months.

HVAC issues are typically hard to diagnose for someone who isn’t a well-versed electrician.

The Solution?

If you suspect your AC is malfunctioning, get in touch with a licensed HVAC technician.

Routine maintenance by a professional can ensure your air conditioning system and Honeywell thermostat are properly communicating with one another.

Honeywell thermostats come equipped with sensors to accurately read the temperature and display it on the screen of your Honeywell thermostat.

Programmable and non-programmable digital thermostats use thermistors, and WiFi thermostats have digitally controlled sensors. If these sensors aren’t correctly calibrated or broken, they may not allow you to adjust the temperature below 70 degrees.

These sensors are an integral part of your Honeywell thermostat and how it regulates climate.

The Solution?

Sensor damage can, in some cases, be fixed but must be done by a pro.

Consider that between the labor and parts, fixing your thermostats sensor will cost about $198. Depending on the model you choose- expect to pay around $250 for a new thermostat plus installation.

So, it may just be wise to opt for a replacement Honeywell thermostat.

An unlevel Honeywell thermostat will not operate properly.

Programmable Honeywell thermostats are sensitive to the slightest fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels. If your Honeywell thermostat is not level, you will not be able to get an accurate reading of below 70. This is regardless of what you set it to.

The Solution?

You’ll need to purchase a small bubble level and place it within arm’s reach of your Honeywell thermostat.

Put the level on top of or below your thermostat to test its straightness. If it is even slightly off, I recommend having a professional come out to re-hang it on your wall appropriately. You should only be charged $100 for the hour of work.

Check out this short video detailing how to use a level for those unfamiliar.

Another common reason your Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 70 is its location.

Where your thermostat is located has a significant bearing on its ability to read temperature effectively. A hot room or too much sun exposure may render the temperature inaccurate.

Try closing the curtains or keeping your blow dryer away from your Honeywell thermostat to limit this problem. However, that doesn’t solve the root of the issue; it just puts a band-aid on it.

The Solution?

If you are experiencing issues due to your Honeywell thermostat location, it might be too low or high off the ground.

Call in a reputable HVAC professional to move it to another location. A good rule of thumb is to keep your thermostat in a dry and excessive heat-free part of the house. Have it mounted approximately 56 inches off the ground for the best reading.

A Honeywell thermostat that is dirty will most certainly not be able to go below 70.

Inevitably your thermostat will become caked with dust, dirt, and grime over time. This can lead to insecure wiring connections. Excess soot can collect where the wiring is plugged in, resulting in corrosion.

This build-up can obstruct or prevent the electrical current from passing through and detecting temperature. There’s a simple fix.

The Solution?

This is another issue best solved by a professional HVAC technician. However, you can DIY if necessary.

A technician charges $100-$150 for the hour of work and parts required to replace filters and give everything else a good cleaning. If you do it yourself, I recommend using a soft brush and an ammonia-based cleaner to scrub the thermostat.

Removing this build-up will take some time, but be sure not to get any liquid in your Honeywell thermostat.

Your Honeywell thermostat may not be going below 70 because it’s simply run its course. Many people have been using the same Honeywell thermostats for over a decade!

The average lifespan of a Honeywell thermostat is about 10 years. If yours is older and not working correctly, it’s time to update your technology. Honeywell has come out with newer models that are just as effective but much more precise.

The Solution?

Replacing an older Honeywell thermostat is very similar to replacing one from 20 years ago- except now they can even program themselves.

These newfangled Honeywells don’t even require special tools or wiring skills anymore. You snap them in place yourself without any electrical knowledge needed. Newer models cost about $150 a pop.

So, out with the old and in with the new! I promise you’ll thank me later.

Related Questions

Why is my Honeywell thermostat on hold?

The “Hold” function on a Honeywell thermostat keeps a steady temperature for as long as you set it to. Your Honeywell thermostat will go back to normal when the hold period is over based on your settings and preferences. Adjust the temperature manually if you want to disrupt the hold function and make the message disappear.

Why is my Honeywell thermostat blinking ‘Cool On’?

Make sure your thermostat’s display window indicates cooling. You can identify this by looking for the snowflake symbol or the words ‘Cool on” on the screen. If the ‘Cool On’ or the snowflake icon blinks, the thermostat is in delay mode. This mode prevents your equipment from short cycling during warmer months and will go away in 5 minutes.

How do I reset the WiFi connection on my Honey thermostat?

Honeywell thermostats require a strong WiFi connection. Start by resetting your WiFi router and modem by unplugging. Then, follow these steps on your Honeywell thermostat:

Honeywell thermostats won’t go below 70 degrees because of the temperature lock. The temperature lock on a Honeywell thermostat can prevent frozen coils, short circuits, and overheating. You can override the temperature settings on your Honeywell thermostat to set it below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

However, you will lose your warranty if you tamper with the temperature limiter on a Honeywell thermostat and it won’t be covered. Watch out for condensation, overheating, and water accumulating around your air conditioner if you override the limiter.

You can expect to pay $100 for an HVAC professional consultation and repair solution. Keep in mind that a new Honeywell thermostat will cost approximately $250 plus installation, which will vary across the country.

A simple cleaning or temperature override is a quick fix most novices can do on their own. However, if it’s because of the location or problems with your HVAC system, consider calling in an expert to help.