If you are a tenant and your thermostat is not working, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to try and fix the problem. The first thing you should do is determine what type of thermostat you have, as the troubleshooting steps may differ depending on whether it is a smart thermostat or an older, non-digital model. Almost all thermostat manuals can be found online. A simple google search of your thermostat should return trouble shooting tips and information on other settings.
Here are some basic trouble shooting settings you can try before determing if a maintenance request is needed.
Troubleshooting Steps for Smart Thermostats:
- Check the Power: Make sure your smart thermostat is getting power. Some smart thermostats are powered by batteries, while others are hard-wired into your home's electrical system. If your thermostat is battery-powered, try replacing the batteries to see if that resolves the issue. If it is hard-wired, check your circuit breaker to make sure the power is on.
- Check the Wi-Fi Connection: Many smart thermostats require a Wi-Fi connection to function properly. Check your Wi-Fi settings to make sure your thermostat is connected to your network. If it is not, try resetting your Wi-Fi router or contacting your internet service provider for assistance.
- Reset the Thermostat: If your smart thermostat is not responding, try resetting it to its factory settings. Consult the manufacturer's instructions for how to do this.
Troubleshooting Steps for Older Thermostats:
- Check the Power: Older thermostats are typically hard-wired into your home's electrical system. If your thermostat is not working, check your circuit breaker to make sure the power is on.
- Check the Batteries: Some older thermostats have batteries that need to be replaced periodically. Check the manufacturer's instructions to see if this applies to your model.
Hold and Auto/Set and Run Functions (if applicable)
- Make sure you understand the difference between the "set" or sometimes called "auto" function on a thermostat and the "hold" function.
- Hold means you are telling the thermostat to continually blow air at this temperature. You're "holding" the heat source steadily. The furnace will continue to blow and not shut off regardless of how hot your home gets This is a more costly way to run your heating equipment.
- Auto or Set means you are telling the thermostat this is what you want the temperature to be in your home and when that temperature is reach the system will then turn off. When the temperature in the home drops below your set temperature then the heating system will kick back on.
- Run, on most Honeywell or other thermostats, is normally reserved for a user pre-defined program. Please make sure if you are using the Run function you have programmed the thermostat appropriately.