The 8 Most Common Problems With Thermostats

Thermostats have brought comfort into the home no matter what the temperature is outside. Being able to remain comfortable in your home is important and the thermostat communicates with your home’s HVAC system, telling it what temperature that it needs to maintain.

Unfortunately, there are more than a few common issues that can pop up when using a thermostat. A thermostat may be positioned improperly, overly dirty, have a faulty display, and so much more. Troubleshooting the issue will usually lead you to the problem, where you can then implement a fix sooner than later. Generally, fixing the issue with your thermostat is relatively easy. But if your thermostat isn’t working properly, you may have to replace it entirely.

While having a thermostat means greater comfort and convenience in the home, it is possible to experience issues. For the most part, these issues are minor in nature. Minor issues require minor fixes, many of which can be done by even the most amateur DIYer.

The key is to know the issues that most commonly plague thermostats and the fixes that accompany them. If you get to a point where your thermostat is not really responding to anything, it may require replacing.

This goes for your entire HVAC system, not just the thermostat. Cleaning on a fairly regular basis will do you a lot of good in the long run. We tend to pay more attention to the cleanliness of the ducts but your thermostat can get dirty, too. It’s not that your thermostat will stop working, it will just give off inaccurate readings. That can mean the thermostat doing more work than it has to, shortening its shelf life.

Older thermostats can be cleaned by popping the cover off and cleaning inside. Thankfully, most of the newer models are built to reduce dust, dirt, and other debris from getting into the internal components. Otherwise, you will have to clean the interior of the thermostat by hand.

Pop off the covering and use a Q-tip to get into the areas. The contacts can be a little trickier. With a piece of paper in hand, move the piece of paper between them in order to get the grime off of them safely.

Your thermostat is what controls the HVAC system in the home. Most units made within the last 20 years will allow you to set the temperature that you want, holding at that temperature until you tell it to do otherwise.

For newer units, or those that have been properly maintained, there shouldn’t b e an issue getting to that temperature. But when the thermostat can’t hit the proper temperature, it can mean that your HVAC system is working harder to chase the fluctuating temperature.

The most common reason for inaccurate temperatures is that it has been left near a source of light. When the thermostat is exposed to too much sunlight, it can make the panel warm. When the panel gets too warm, it can throw off the internal thermometer, ultimately making it difficult to achieve the right temperature. Just move the thermostat to a spot that does not get much light exposure.

A good rule of thumb is that, the older something gets, the less accurate or effective it will be. That is the truth for thermostats. Older thermostats tend to be more likely to make false or inaccurate readings. Those readings lead to more work for your HVAC, which in turn leads to a shorter lifespan.

Older thermostats tend to have a plethora of issues attached. For one, they get dirtier far more easily. For two, there have been connectivity issues as the thermostat ages. It gets to a point where maintenance and time spent resolving issues gets to become more expensive than simply buying a new one.

What you may not have known is that every thermostat has a sensor within that gets calibrated at the factory. The point of the sensor is to make sure that your thermostat is getting accurate temperature readings.

As thermostats age, they become less efficient. And as they age, they need to be re-calibrated. When calibration needs to be done, your home will have a difficult time evenly heating and cooling. Not only that, but thermostats in need of calibration can also result in improper commands.

When the commands are not right, it causes the fan and compressor to cycle on way too much. That is ultimately what leads to your thermostat shorting out. Just make sure that your thermostat is calibrated. If it isn’t or you aren’t sure, you need to bring in a professional to look at the issue.

We touched briefly on it above, but the location of your thermostat definitely matters. Being in direct sunlight can throw off the temperature readings. On the same hand, if your thermostat is not centrally located, that can cause issues as well.

If you have areas in your home that are always cooler or warmer than the rest of the home, there’s a reason. It is because your thermostat isn’t located at a central point in the home. For maximum efficiency and comfort, the thermostat should be as centrally located as possible.

Cold and hot spots are generally the result of a misplaced thermostat, but it might not be the only issue. If your thermostat is centrally located but you still find those hot and cold pockets, it could be the zoning of your home. That is a much more complicated endeavor, though.

It might surprise you to know that thermostats have not always had digital displays. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, they simply had a dial that you could move this way or that. Thankfully, technology developed and screens were added.

These displays show you all the important information pertaining to your HVAC system. Even the older ones will allow you to do things like change temperature, set schedules, and several other features relating to the performance of the HVAC system.

When the thermostat display isn’t working properly (or at all), it can mean issues with heating or cooling your home. The most likely fix is that the batteries need to be replaced. But if your thermostat is wired in, it may mean that the screen or entire unit is malfunctioning. Only a replacement would do the trick in that event.

Another issue that many of us have had to stare down from time to time is the HVAC system shutting off suddenly. Normally, it is supposed to either heat or cool until the desired temperature is reached, then it kicks off to maintain efficiency.

But if your thermostat suddenly stops working, it can present more than a few problems. Remember that you use the thermostat to control all of the basic functions behind the thermostat. Without the display, control is gone.

There are usually two reasons for a thermostat shutting off. One is batteries. That’s an easy one. Two is that there is a loose connection somewhere. When a wire comes loose, it can sever the power to the thermostat, which would shut it off. Check both of those features. If neither are at fault, it could be that your thermostat is at the end of its shelf life.

When we buy anything, we assume that it is coming to us in working condition. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The same thing can happen with thermostats.

Since most modern thermostats are digital, that also means that they could have been improperly programmed. The downside here is that if your thermostat is glitching or malfunctioning, it will have to be replaced. Depending on the company and the warranty, you may be able to swap it out for another unit.

When it comes to your thermostat, this is a lot that can go wrong. Thermostats have several small components that could either get uncalibrated or damaged in some way. Even something seemingly harmless like dust and dirt can prohibit the thermostat from working properly.

Positioning is one of the most important aspects of having a thermostat. Try to keep it out of direct sunlight when possible. This will not only help to mitigate inaccurate readings, but it will help extend the life of your thermostat, too.

For the most part, if a fix cannot be implemented within a few minutes, a bigger fix is needed. If you are unsure about how to proceed or why your thermostat is malfunctioning in the first place, call in an HVAC technician. These professionals have the knowledge, skill, and experience to not only assess the proper diagnosis, but to resolve the issue in short order. Not only that, but it can save you major hassle and headache trying to figure out what the issue is on your own. Just get it fixed and get your life back to normal.