No heat? Believe it or not, your heat not working could be the result of one of any number of issues with your thermostat. Before you assume that you have a problem with your furnace, do some basic thermostat troubleshooting. Modern programmable and wifi thermostats can be quite complicated. The more complex a thermostat is, the more that can go wrong.
8 No Heat Troubleshooting Tips Related to Your Thermostat
1. Be sure the thermostat is on “Heat” rather than on “Cool”
We know it sounds stupid, but that oversight happens all the time!
2. Check the temperature setting
Compare the thermostat’s temperature setting to the room’s temperature. Set the thermostat temp five degrees higher than the room temp. Listen to see if the furnace kicks on.
3. Check day and time settings
Be sure the thermostat program is displaying the right day, time, am, and pm settings. A simple mistake will prevent your heat from coming on at the appropriate time.
4. Replace the battery
If there is a power outage and your battery is dead, your thermostat will revert to the default program.
5. Clean out the thermostat
Open the thermostat and blow out any dust/debris. Make sure it’s firmly attached to the wall.
6. Can’t make the program settings work?
If you can’t seem to get the thermostat’s settings to work, set the heat temperature you want with the up/down controls. Press the hold button. This will switch on the furnace if the thermostat programming is causing the heat to not turn on.
7. Rule out thermostat wiring issues
If you’ve done any remodeling, trace the thermostat wires back to the furnace to check for breaks.
8. Read through the thermostat owner’s manual
The owner’s manual may provide some thermostat troubleshooting tips. Lost your owner’s manual? Most major-brand manuals are on the internet. Go to the manufacturer’s website.
