5 Ways to Tell if Your Home's Thermostat is Malfunctioning

Your heating and cooling system might not work for a variety of reasons. A faulty thermostat often is one of the primary culprits of HVAC failures. However, you might not be sure how to tell if the problem is within your thermostat or if it is because of your furnace. It also could be because of impaired electrical wiring or another problem.

To make sure you resolve heating and cooling issues correctly, you probably need to have HVAC lines inspected as soon as possible. In the meantime, here are five ways to tell if your thermostat is malfunctioning.

Included also are examples of related HVAC issues that result in poor heating and cooling circulation because more than one issue could be causing heating and cooling failures.

1. Your utility bills are higher than normal for the season.

Every home has a peak amount of energy used during various times of the year. However, you might notice your bills are skyrocketing substantially above the maximum you would use even in late winter or summer. If so, you might have a problem. In this case, you might need thermostat repair.

Otherwise, your furnace parts need to be cleaned and replaced. In some cases, however, you also might need thermostat wires fixed or changed to increase energy efficiency.

2. Your thermostat does not register when you adjust its level.

You will notice this happens as you attempt to change the temperature setting and wait for your heat to turn on or off. A similar problem will also be noticed if trying to adjust your cooling levels. If you already made sure the thermostat is switched on and is at the correct settings, it might be a more serious wiring problem and is an indicator you need thermostat repair.

For the safety of your home and family, you are advised to have this checked out by a St. Michael region qualified HVAC expert as soon as possible.

3. You have heat when you are supposed to have cool air.

If this happens even though the thermostat is set right, then it could be a main circuit breaker problem. If you cannot figure out how to correct the issue after this, you are probably in need of some professional HVAC assistance. If you just moved into a new place, it could be possible that someone who was not qualified to perform this kind of work (i.e. a former homeowner) installed it wrong.

4. Your furnace stays on indefinitely or deprograms when it should not.

This could be the origin of a number of problems such as faulty wiring or a switch problem. If you have an LCD programmable thermostat, the problem could be within its computer interface.

For instance, its batteries might need to be replaced if it is a wireless thermostat. Another scenario in which the battery should be changed is if your thermostat does not stay programmed. However, you also could have more severe wiring and switch problems that require more complicated programmable thermostat replacement or repair.

5. No air circulates from the registers.

Your thermostat might need cleaning, and accumulation of dust on the registers is typically one of the most common problems. Additionally, your fan might need repair, or your furnace filters need cleaning or replacing. The air ducts from the furnace to the registers also could be clogged with toys, clothing or other household objects that somehow fell into it. Keep in mind also that clogged ducts could cause a fire or fatal carbon monoxide accumulation.

Therefore, you should have someone take care of this problem as soon as possible.

Additional Indicators of a Faulty Thermostat

If you have a thermometer in the St. Michael home other than just the one on your thermostat's LCD monitor, it might read a different number.

If the discrepancy between the two temperature readings is significantly high – perhaps more than five to ten degrees, it is highly recommended you have your HVAC system inspected.

Another common issue that might need addressing is excess snow accumulation around your outdoor heating and cooling vents. Make sure you keep the vents leaving your home are kept clear, or it could cause carbon monoxide buildup inside your house. However, you might not have realized how much of a danger this already has become and need help correcting the issue.

If you detect a carbon monoxide problem within your home, you probably need someone to help you clean out all your heating ducts, vents and fans. You might also require parts repair and replacement or filter cleanings and changes. Some repairs could be done by you, but unless you have been properly trained in HVAC maintenance, you would want to call a professional for help.

An additional issue that might concern you louder-than-normal noises when operating your HVAC system. It could be your thermostat, but it also could be that your furnace or parts of it need repair or replacement.

Please contact B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C today at (763) 497-2290 to receive quality HVAC maintenance in your St. Michael, MN home. We are standing by to answer all your questions and will respond quickly in emergencies.