Imagine sitting in your home in the cozy living room when your thermostat stops working unexpectedly. It can be frustrating when it doesn’t respond to your perfect preset temperature settings. Honeywell thermostats are built to be reliable, but as with any product, there are occasional problems such as them not responding.
Some of the most common issues we notice with thermostats are dead batteries, unconnected Wi-Fi, and your thermostat needing to be reconnected. You can usually fix the issue of a nonworking thermostat by simply changing out those batteries. If that doesn’t work, grab your handy multimeter and turn off the electrical components before getting to work.
Thermostats are crucial parts of any home as they keep you warm and cozy when the temperature drops.
Unfortunately, they occasionally have issues that need to be serviced to continue running properly. Read further to find common problems and solutions to have your thermostat up and running.
Types of Honeywell Thermostats
Honeywell is a well known brand, popular for their innovative and durable safety devices. As well as thermostats, they also produce respirators, earplugs, and gloves.
Their reputation of being reliable and compassionate is long standing. They strive to create safe products for us to use with confidence.
Analog Display
The analog display is what you think of when you think of an older clock. Instead of a clock in this example, it is a thermostat. Most of the older thermostats use an analog display.
This type of thermostat may have a circular knob or a horizontally sliding knob. If it is circular, the numbers should wrap around the knob. If it is horizontal, the numbers should be in a straight line.
While the smart thermostats can be set through your phone, you will have to manually set the analog display thermostat. They cost less and will keep money in your pocket.
Smart Thermostat
This kind of thermostat will conveniently help control your home’s heating, ventilation, and cooling with the ease of your phone. These thermostats will learn your heating and cooling habits so that they can learn a household’s pattern to reduce costs.
Honeywell has some pretty trustworthy smart thermostats on the market. The Honeywell Home T9 thermostat is a great option to gain more control over your thermostat.
Another popular one would be Honeywell-Smart Color Thermostat. You can connect to Wi-Fi and control it all from the convenience of your cell phone even on the go from both of these thermostats.
Programmable Thermostat
This type of thermostat is a perfect in between selection from that of older thermostats and smart thermostats.
It does not have the bells and whistles of the smart, but is more advanced than traditional thermostats. With a programmable thermostat, you can program it to automatically adjust the temperature to your personalized comfort settings.
Some of the best programmable thermostats include Honeywell Home 1-Week, Honeywell Wireless FocusPRO 5-1-1, and the Honeywell Home 5-2 Day 24- Volt Programmable Thermostat Rectangle. Both thermostats are excellent choices to store your specific settings as well as carry them out.
Possible Fixes For the Honeywell Thermostat Display
If your Honeywell thermostat is on the fritz, worry not. There are many different reasons as to why this can be happening and we can help fix it.
Some frequent causes are dead batteries, wrong type of batteries, and clogs in the HVAC. Check this list below to see if one of these solutions are the perfect fix.
Change Your Batteries
Changing the batteries is the first step you want to take for troubleshooting your thermostat. This is the most common cause because when the batteries die, there is no more power to the thermostat. Have two double AA batteries in hand before you go to change them.
There should be a little ledge on the top of the thermostat that you will slide out. After sliding it out, remove the old batteries and replace them with the new ones.
Make sure you change the batteries out within two minutes to keep your settings, otherwise they can be deleted. If this was the problem, the thermostat should come back on.
Check the Strength of the Batteries
You may have changed your batteries and find your thermostat is still not working. Regardless of whether the batteries are new or not, it is just as important to have the correct strength battery. If they are not the right strength, your thermostat will not work.
The wrong type of battery could cause bad readings. When this happens, your thermostat may kick on when it shouldn’t, or may not work at all. As soon as you notice that low battery light, you should replace the dead batteries with a new set of correct strength batteries.
Check Your Breaker Box
Especially after a storm, your circuit breaker may trip. The breaker box itself is designed with plenty of safety features to prevent wiring and electrical shocks or from overloading themselves. These safety precautions because if this were to happen, it could start a fire.
To check to see if the issue is within the breaker box, check the switch that should be labeled ‘heat’. The switch should be all the way turned off, and then back on again. If your thermostat comes back on and responds, this should be the solution to the problem.
Check Your Wires and Connections
Another common problem is the wires not being properly connected. You can check this by using a multimeter.
The multimeter has two chords used to test the two ends of any wire. Before beginning to test wires, turn off any power going through the wire. This can hurt you as well as cause inaccurate readings.
The wire in question should have one end touching the one chord, and the other end touching the other chord. If your multimeter shows an infinity sign, this is indicating that there is a break in the wire.
Check That the Wires are Compatible
Honeywell has a tool to see if wires are compatible. First, turn off the power to the thermostat and remove it from the wall.
You will identify your voltage, which should be low to be compatible with Honeywell. You will know it is low if you have things such as a furnace, heat pump, or heating vents.
Once removing the thermostat, you will see wires. Take note of what they are. The tool will then let you know if the Honeywell thermostat is compatible in your home. If it is unsure, you can be connected to a professional.
Check Your Wifi Connections
If you have a thermostat with Wi-Fi connectivity, it may be having issues connecting to Wi-Fi. There are a few things you can try to solve the problem.
First, power cycle the thermostat. You can do this by removing it from the wall for 30 seconds and then replacing it.
Turn off any cellular data on your phone and connect to your home Wi-Fi and forget any other Wi-Fi’s. You can also try to connect your thermostat to a hotspot. Once this happens, you can reset the Wi-Fi to connect it to the home network.
Check The HVAC For Clogs
If you see your pipe dripping outside, you may have a clog. You will need a vacuum that is both wet and dry. You will take the vacuum and fit it snuggly on the pipe. If needed, you can grab a rag to wrap around the pipe for a more secure fit.
Run the vacuum for at least a minute for it to work the clog out. Once you remove the vacuum, you may notice more water flooding out if there was a clog. You will then try using your thermostat. If this did not fix the problem, you must continue down the list of possible problems.
Reset Your Honeywell Thermostat
Occasionally, your thermostat may need a reset to fix the problem. First, you will press the fan and arrow up button simultaneously. The right number should be at 0 and the left number should be on 39. You will then press ‘Done’ to save these options.
This will reset your entire thermostat. From here, you will then reselect your preferences. If you have Wi-Fi connectability, you will go ahead and enter your password and select your settings on your phone. Keep in mind that if it has Wi-Fi capability, you may have to do this again if you change your Wi-Fi password.
Check the Furnace Door is Closed
Systems that are found in attics, basements and closets utilize a pan system. There is a second pan that is used when there is an excess of water from the first. There is a switch where the pan will automatically come out if the water begins to overflow.
If the water is full and the pan is out, the water needs to be removed. You will then replace the water pan and put it back in. This is a frequent problem as to why a thermostat is malfunctioning. The furnace door should be closed to make sure it is working properly.
When to Contact Customer Care
Honeywell is always happy to answer concerns about thermostats. Before calling customer care, the common problems should be reviewed first.
This includes replacing your batteries, checking your circuit breaker, checking the indoor unit for all the doors to be closed, and making sure power is connected and surging to the furnace.
If all of the solutions outlined in this article do not solve the problem, it is time to get a hold of Honeywell customer care. You can do so by calling them at 877-841-2840. Their representatives will be more than happy to help solve the problem or connect you with a professional.
Conclusion
There is no need for panic when you notice your thermostat is not responding to your settings. There are plenty of common problems with easy solutions. Once you go through the list, you are almost sure to diagnose the problem and enjoy a warm home once again.
Ruben has a diverse background in the home services industry, with experience running a construction company, a kitchen and bath showroom, and a moving and relocation company. This breadth of experience has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various areas of home improvement in general and specifically in the heating and plumbing niche.