Programmable Thermostats

CoffeeCanuck · Post by **CoffeeCanuck** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 6:19 am

I thought I'd post here as it's kind of like a computer..no?..lol

Anyone know how these things work? I had an electrician install one about 4 months ago. I programmed it, and it's been working fine, untill yesterday and today, the two coldest days of the season. The furnace is comming on, I'm getting some heat but the temp is sitting around 65 and it's supposed to be 70. I tried reprogramming it, same thing. I even tried overriding the temp to at least warm up, but it's not working?

Any suggestions?

~D

Jo · Post by Jo » Jan 22nd, 2008, 6:29 am

If it has only been four months, I'm guessing it'd still be covered? Do you have the manual for troubleshooting? The first thing I'd do is get the brand and model and google it with the word 'troubleshoot'.

Good luck! What bad timing, eh, and isn't that always the way of things.

AlanH · Post by **AlanH** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 6:49 am

It sounds more like the Furnace not turning on the heating element, which, unless you know furnaces, I'd suggest calling a service person.

It could be as simple as switching from fan to heat? There should be a switch, or button, that may not be sitting on heat. (Usually has off.heat.auto.cool)

westsidemom · Post by **westsidemom** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 9:18 am

I just had a similar issue with mine. I didn't know what was going on, I thought it was the digital thing but I was wrong. I realized the issue was with the furnace. For a short term fix I took the front panels off on the furnace, which reset the funace(there is a switch that goes on when the panel is on) That worked for a few months actually, and of course it happened on the coldest days.

Bad news for me though. It cost a few hundred dollars to have some motor thingy (my husband knows the technical term) replaced and now everything is just fine.

Good luck, its not fun to deal with.

westsidemom · Post by **westsidemom** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 9:36 am

Its weird I was just thinking...

I had my digital thermostat installed in July...and mine started to act up at about 3-4months after...hmmmm (my thermostat is a Honeywell, working with a 7 yr old furnace)

AlanH · Post by **AlanH** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 9:44 am

This site might help you out... I stumbled across it while looking up some info on the limit switch (Which I am guessing is the issue with yours, if it wasn't the switch on the thermostat) But it's a trouble shooting guide, so it might help you narrow the issue down?

http://www.mobilehomerepair.com/articlefurnace.htm

Mind you, my furnace didn't come on (Back 10 years ago) so I took the part out myself (Using a silly guess as to the problem I figured it was the black looking plug in thingy in the middle of nowhere {It turned out it was a limit switch that turned on the fan, after the heat exchanger was at temperature}, who knew the internet had the answer.. lol. I didn't have that luxury back then..) bought the 20 dollar part and lucked out. That is the one repair I should have had a serviceman do, but hey! Sometimes you get lucky. And my repair worked all the way until I replaced the whole furnace, two weeks ago.

Good luck.

gardengirl · Post by **gardengirl** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 10:15 am

Yeesh! I would go with the simple things first. Do you have the installation manual? If not, you might be able to get it online.
I would check the programming first. Some of them actually adjust to daylight saving time and have all sorts of other settings.

Barring that, I would guess it is the furnace itself.
If the furnace is 20yrs + chances are that is where the problem is.
Before calling the tech at $80/hr, I would check the furnace filter, make sure it is not blocked.
I would also check that there is not another heat source close to the thermostat which may be fooling it into thinking the room is warmer.
If you have a portable heater close by, the thermostat may be reading that and shutting off the furnace.

AlanH · Post by **AlanH** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 10:19 am

gardengirl wrote:Yeesh! I would go with the simple things first. Do you have the installation manual? If not, you might be able to get it online.
I would check the programming first. Some of them actually adjust to daylight saving time and have all sorts of other settings.

Barring that, I would guess it is the furnace itself.
If the furnace is 20yrs + chances are that is where the problem is.
Before calling the tech at $80/hr, I would check the furnace filter, make sure it is not blocked.
I would also check that there is not another heat source close to the thermostat which may be fooling it into thinking the room is warmer.
If you have a portable heater close by, the thermostat may be reading that and shutting off the furnace.

The site above has a troubleshooting guide. That would be the simple thing to try.

ralphrob · Post by **ralphrob** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 10:33 am

Try the KISS principle. Change the batteries in the programmable thermostat. That fixed mine when it was on the "blink". I change them every time I put the clocks "back".

Also check you have not set it to manual!

gardengirl · Post by **gardengirl** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 10:42 am

ralphrob wrote:Try the KISS principle. Change the batteries in the programmable thermostat. That fixed mine when it was on the "blink". I change them every time I put the clocks "back".

Also check you have not set it to manual!

Depending on the type, the batteries may only run the clock. The thermostat itself should have its own power. The batteries would be something like what is in your clock radio, they would keep the time and programming if the power goes off.

ralphrob · Post by **ralphrob** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 10:58 am

On mine they run the whole thing. If you leave the batteries out for longer than 30 mins you lose the whole programme

CoffeeCanuck · Post by **CoffeeCanuck** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 11:25 am

Thank you everyone for posting and giving me ideas! I now kind of feel like a complete bonehead...lol. My water pipe burst in the basement sometime in the night, so I had a plumbing and heating guy stop by. I explained my issue with my heating/thermostat and I think it's all worked out...I 'think'. Being in Nova Scotia, the main source of heating, is by oil. Natural gas is beginning to slowly arrive. Anyhow, being from BC I of course am only used to gas heat and furnaces. Turns out I have oil hot water heat. The temp dropped down to -21 with a windchill factor of -35 the other night. Because I have an oil hot water furnace, it supposedly takes about 4-5 hours for the heat to get to where it should be. It was suggested that when I know a real cold spell is comming, to have the furnace turned up before heading to bed so that it doesnt have to work so hard at bringing the temp up. That makes sence! Man, oh man the things I'm learning out here.

I dont miss Kelowna, but I sure miss my instant natural gas heat..lol. Thanks again for all the help, and ty Alan for that link, I've saved it for future reference.

Staying warm...so far! (fingers crossed) :smt023

~D

gardengirl · Post by **gardengirl** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 11:36 am

Glad to hear you got it worked out.
My furnace cacked in Feb last year. It took almost week to get the parts and get it running. Fortunately, we have a natural gas fireplace, so we didn't freeze. We also have one of those oil filled radiant heaters. It works great. We closed off the rooms we weren't using and hung curtains to block off other areas and keep the heat where we needed it.

SpaceAddict · Post by **SpaceAddict** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 11:42 am

That's what you call a long distance furnace repair. Somebody in Nova Scotia asking how to fix it on a BC forum..

If that is not correct then ignore this post. But it seems to be you live there now. Is that correct ?

CoffeeCanuck · Post by **CoffeeCanuck** » Jan 22nd, 2008, 12:03 pm

SpaceAddict wrote:That's what you call a long distance furnace repair. Somebody in Nova Scotia asking how to fix it on a BC forum..

If that is not correct then ignore this post. But it seems to be you live there now. Is that correct ?

Yes I live in Nova Scotia now, after having lived in Kelowna for 35 yrs. I will always be connected to Kelowna and I really enjoy these forums, why I'm still on them.

I'm just not used to the heating systems here. I guess when the temp dropped and didnt come back up, even when I did the override thing, I thought I had a big problem. I just need to educate myself on these things. I am not mechanically inclined, but always had a dad, brother or friend in Kelowna to help me out, here I have no one. Well I do, I just have to pay them...lol, which I did this morning! Fortunately call outs here seem to be rather reasonable

~D