Sunny Windows, Shady Trees and Other Non-Electrical Supports to HVAC

If you have a really old thermostat that you have not replaced in all the time you have lived in your home, you may want to replace it soon. If you do not, you will eventually find that you are not getting any heat into your home. While a lack of heat could be any number of things, a broken or malfunctioning thermostat can definitely be the cause. Here is how an HVAC contractor determines if your thermostat is broken and needs to be replaced.

Starting with the Furnace

Often, the contractor will start with your furnace. He or she will open the main panel to the power grid and circuit boards. A handheld device that measures the flow of electricity and triggers your furnace to turn on will be attached to two specific areas inside the furnace with small metal clamps. If your furnace successfully kicks on with this device attached, the problem is not your furnace, and your HVAC contractor will want to check your thermostat before continuing with any heating system repairs.

Checking the Thermostat

Most thermostats have a cover that either flips up or pops off, revealing the electrical circuitry inside them. Using another handheld device, the contractor checks the flow of power and the functions inside the thermostat. If the furnace does not kick on and produce heat, and there is a disconnect in the electrical circuits and wiring, then the problem is most definitely your thermostat. Thankfully, replacing your thermostat is a quick and easy thing to do, and it is fairly inexpensive when compared to what it would cost to replace your entire furnace or more expensive components.

Replacing the Thermostat

A broken thermostat cannot be fixed, only replaced. Because it has several tiny circuits and components inside it, your contractor cannot ascertain exactly what microscopic part is malfunctioning. If your thermostat is outdated, it is recommended that you have it replaced anyway. Even if an HVAC contractor could perform microscopic repairs to the circuitry in your thermostat, it would still need to be replaced soon anyway.

The contractor will remove the old thermostat from the wall, taking care not to pull apart any electrical wires which are necessary to the new thermostat's functioning. Then he or she will connect the old wires to the new thermostat, check for proper electrical flow and function, and secure the new thermostat to the wall. One last check is performed on the thermostat's buttons to be sure that it is signaling the right heating or cooling appliance to turn on heat or to turn on air conditioning and then the contractor is finished with your heating diagnostics heating system repairs.

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