5 Signs Your Broken Heater Is Just A Thermostat Problem

It's freezing cold, and your heater won't turn on. This could be a significant breakdown that requires a costly repair or even a replacement, or it could just mean that your thermostat is broken. Before calling the repair team, you may want to ensure that the issue isn't your thermostat. 

Here are five signs that your heater isn't working because of a broken thermostat. 

1. The electric thermostat is blank. 

If you have a thermostat with a display of all kinds of numbers, it is an electric thermostat. If it's completely blank, it's obviously not communicating with your furnace. Replace its batteries and see if it works better. 

2. The wires are disconnected. 

If your electric thermostat doesn't have batteries, pull it away from the wall to look at its wires. If they are disconnected, that may be your problem. 

You can also check the wires on mechanical thermostats. Mechanical thermostats don't have any screens or buttons. They just have a knob that lets you select the desired temperature settings. 

3. Your heater isn't responding to your thermostat. 

You've turned up the thermostat, but your heater won't kick in. Everything on the thermostat looks normal, but you don't hear the furnace powering on as usual. The issue could still be a broken heater, but try replacing your thermostat to see if that's the culprit. 

In most cases, replacing the thermostat is significantly cheaper than paying for a furnace repair. 

4. Your heater won't turn off. 

In other cases, your heater may refuse to respond to the thermostat, and it may stay stuck in the on position. 

If the thermostat broke while the heater was on, it may just be running incessantly. Try turning the thermostat way down or completely off. If the heater won't turn off, you may need a new thermostat. 

5. The temperature on the thermostat is wrong. 

The thermostat should show two temperatures: the temperature where you want the system to power on and the current temperature of the room. If the current temperature is incorrect, your thermostat isn't working properly. 

To test the temperature, you need a thermometer that can read the air's temperature. Hold it next to the thermostat to ensure that you're not measuring a part of the home that is at a different temperature than the area around the thermostat. 

In a pinch, even a meat thermometer or any other kitchen thermometer will read air temperature. 

A heater repair person can help you install a new thermostat, or they can diagnose other issues. To get help, call them today. 

For more information on heating repair, contact a professional near you.


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