Living in a comfortable home is the desire of every homeowner. To make this a reality, most homeowners have now invested in an array of smart home devices. Unlike other devices, these ones can be controlled by either a voice command or a touch of a button.
A good example of this device is the White Rodgers thermostat. With this device in your home, you will be able to control the temperatures of your home even when you are miles away at work. Besides this, these devices can easily be programmed, very easy to use and are more affordable.
They are also compatible with a myriad of heating and cooling systems. As a result, they have become a lifesaver for those homeowners who want to improve the comfort of their homes. However, these devices are not immune to diagnostic issues every now and then. For instance, you may discover that your device is not working.
If this is the case, chances are that you will freak out as you may not know what to do next. Fortunately, such issues are easy to troubleshoot. In this article, we shall take a closer look at why is my White Rodgers thermostat not working, alongside other related facets.
Why Is My White Rodgers Thermostat Not Working And How To Troubleshoot
Although your brand new or refurbished White Rodgers thermostat might be working optimally, at some point, it may start working as desired. Such issues can be attributed to a number of factors. From power connectivity issues to old-age, there is a plethora of issues that can make such issues imminent. In the subsequent sections, we shall take a closer look at how to troubleshoot White Rodgers thermostat not working so that you can take appropriate actions:
1) Your thermostat is not getting sufficient power supply
Just like any other appliance in your house, the White Rodgers thermostat needs power for it to operate. If there is a power outage in your house and your thermostat does not run on batteries, it will not respond. In fact, its display will be blank and thus hinder you from regulating your house’s temperature the way you please. Therefore, you should confirm whether there is a power outage or not.
To determine this, you can check whether the other appliances in your house are working. In case, they are not working, chances are that there is a blackout in your home and as a result, you may have to wait until power is restored. However, if other appliances are working and your thermostat is not responding, chances are that there is another underlying issue that needs urgent attention.
2) The batteries have died or are running out
Besides power outage, dead batteries can make your device to stop working. In most cases, these devices normally run on AA batteries. Just like other conventional batteries, these ones can also get low and thus affect the overall functionality of your device.
To establish whether your batteries have died or are running low, check out for the low battery indicator on your device’s screen. This is practically possible if you have an electronic thermostat. In case, your screen does not show this indicator, consider purchasing a new set of batteries.
When installing a new set of batteries, you should first switch off your device and then open the battery drawer at the back. Install the batteries and then switch on the device. Once you are done, you can now see if the device will work afresh or not.
3) Blown fuse
Although power is an important component when it comes to the functionality of your White Rodgers thermostat, it is important to note that fuses too are equally important. This is because they help to transmit power from one point to another. Besides transmitting power from one point to another, they usually prevent your device from getting damaged in case there is a power surge in your home.
In such circumstances, these fuses usually get blown off and thus prevent further transmission of current to other HVAC components. Therefore, you can examine and see if there are any blown fuses in your system. As you do this, ensure that you have switched off the main power supply so as to avoid getting electrocuted.
Besides this, wear a pair of thick rubber gloves to optimize your safety. Once you replace the blown fuses, turn the power back on and see if the thermostat will start working. In case, the fuse blows up again, you may need to hire a professional electrician to check your wiring system.
4) Tripped circuit breakers
If your circuit breaker has tripped, the White Rodger thermostat may stop working. Such is possible when you have overloaded your circuit with different appliances such as your iron box, microwave, refrigerator, among other home appliances. Besides the circuit being overloaded, a ground fault or a short circuit can make the circuit breaker to trip.
In case, you have connected too many appliances to the power supply of your home, you can disconnect some, switch on the circuit breaker and see if the thermostat will start working. If the circuit breaker does not trip again, chances are that there was a circuit that was overloaded and needed to be relieved off some appliances. If the problem persists, you can hire a qualified electrician to help you out.
5) Loose connection
Apart from the issues we have discussed above, presence of a loose wire can contribute to this problem. Therefore, you should first examine if there is any loose wire or short circuit in your wiring system.
Before you do this, ensure that you have switch off the mains and then remove the faceplate of the device. Thereafter, you can examine the wires from both terminal C and R and establish if there is a short circuit or not.
With a voltmeter, you can readily carry out this undertaking with utmost precision. If there are some bare wires, you can insulate them with an electrical tape. Once you have fixed everything, you can reconnect everything, return the faceplate and then switch on the circuit breaker. Once everything is intact, check if the thermostat will start working again or not.
6) Check your furnace’s filter
The furnace filter is prone to getting clogged with dirt and dust if at all you device has been in operation for several months. Moreso, during the summer months, dust, debris and other elements can accumulate in this component.
The bad news is that clogged dust can make the system to be less effective. To restore the efficiency and efficacy of your device, you can replace the furnace filter on the go. By doing so, your thermostat will start working and thus enable you to regulate your home’s temperature the way you please.
7) The coolant pipes might be leaking
The coolant pipes are responsible for carrying the fluid of your heating and cooling system. With this fluid in place, be sure that heat will be able to reach to all sections of your house. However, there instances when the fluid might start leaking.In most cases, this leaks are very common at the pipe joints. To establish the section that have leaks, you should rub soap water around the joints of your pipes and then look out for bubbles. In case you see some bubbles from those sections, know that your coolant pipes are leaking and need urgent repair. If you are good at DIY skills, you can fix the leaks on your own. However, if you are a novice, consider hiring a professional technician to work for you.
8) You have not set the temperature accordingly
Have you set your thermostat’s temperature accordingly? If not, chances are that it will not work as expected. To put this into perspective, your device may not be working if your home’s temperature is slightly higher than the one you have set.
Better still, it may not work if your home’s temperature matches the one you have set on your device. Technically, this device’s role is to balance the temperatures in your home. In this case, if the temperatures are low, it will command the HVAC to increase it up to a certain margin.
On the other hand, if the temperatures are high and you want them low, it will follow the command given. If the thermostat cannot command the HVAC, then it shows that the set temperature and the actual room temperatures are more or less the same.
To diagnose this problem, you can try to vary the temperature by a bigger margin and see if there will be any change of temperature. If there is no change of temperature, chances are that there is another underlying problem that needs urgent attention.
9) The air compressor might have issues
One of the critical components of your HVAC system is the compressor. Its main role is to pump the coolant around your system. Although it might be working optimally for quite some time, it might have issues and thus develop a number of issues.
To check whether your compressor is working, you should alter the temperature and see what ensues. As you alter the temperatures, ensure that the compressor is up and running. In case you establish that it is faulty, it is advisable that you avoid fixing it on your own. Instead, you should hire a professional HVAC guy to help you out.
10) Clogged air vents
Sometimes, the compressor might be working flawlessly but the vents are already clogged. This can have an overall effect on the functionality of your thermostat. The main role of the air vents is to carry hot and cold air around your house.
Just like the air filters, these one can get clogged with dust and debris during the summer months. Therefore, there is a need for you keep an eye on them and establish if they are clogged or not. In case they are clogged, you can change them on the go.
11) Wear and tear
How old is your White Rodgers thermostat? If you have been using your model for ages, chances are that it is likely to wear out and thereby become less functional. Vital parts such as the hardware, system and the buttons might fail over time. Other typical characteristics of a worn-out White Rodgers thermostat include:
- Slow screen response
- Device constantly resetting
- Schedule not activating
- Incorrect temperature and time
Such might be imminent for those homeowners who use the device on a daily basis. Therefore, if you have been using your device for the last 10 years, time is ripe for you change it and purchase a better model. The good news is that a newer model is likely to come with an array of better features that will mesmerize you. Replacing it might be one of the critical steps that will help you avert this problem.
12) Malicious bug
Apart from the issues mentioned above, your thermostat might stop working due to a malicious bug. Although there are many ways to eliminate such bugs, resetting have proved to work magic over the years.
To reset this device, you should press and hold down both the arrow and time button until the display goes blank. Thereafter, the device will reset and thus allow you to reconfigure it again. Once you have reconfigured it, try and see if it will control the temperature or not. Depending on your model, it is always important to check its manual for more insights on how to reset it.
Final Words
From power-related issues to malicious bugs, there are a myriad of issues that can make your White Rodgers thermostat not to work as expected. Fortunately, you can diagnose the above-mentioned issues by considering all the ideas we have outlined in the article. If you need further assistance, reach out to the White Rodgers’ customer support team and narrate your situation. Once you address your issue, the team on the other end will either send a technician near you to fix the problem or better still, ask you to replace the device. Consequently, the problem of your thermostat not working will be no more and thus, you will be able to enjoy the much-needed comfort in your home.