Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Home Maintenance

How to test a thermostat and save a buck on repair costs

By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Do you know how to test your thermostat? 

It can really be a drag if your HVAC system isn’t circulating the right air temperature. Hot air when you’re already trying to avoid the sleep sweats simply will not work for most folks. It’d be ridiculous to ignore it and rely instead on your bedsheet’s cooling materials to get you through the night. But hold on before calling in the repair squad — turns out there are few things you can check yourself. Come learn the ins and outs of testing your own home thermostat:

First things first: Is your switch set accurately to cooling or heating? A quick change of direction may be all that’s needed in this situation.  Flip it to the other side and see if that helps.

Recommended Videos

Check batteries. If any element of your HVAC runs on batteries, it’s best to check those now, if you haven’t already. It can save you time and a little embarrassment later.

Related

Is your air conditioning or furnace not turning on? This is probably one for the repairman, as it’s likely a wiring issue or something wrong with the unit itself — but give it a quick flip on and off just to see if it works first. 

Is your thermostat in a good spot? Placing it near cold, drafty windows or in direct, hot, beaming sun may cause erroneous readings and other issues. 

Is your HVAC system running constantly without stopping at the assigned temperatures? This is likely a wiring issue, best handled by a professional unless you’ve done it before yourself. 

What type of thermostat do you have? If it’s programmable, see if it’s allowing the settings you’re programming in, i.e. temperature. If not, why not? Are you entering them correctly according to unit instructions?

Other issues besides the above-mentioned are probably due to wiring, and best left to the pros unless you’ve got experience:

  • Thermostat is entirely without power; this could be due to bad batteries or something else. Run a test for clues.
  • The furnace or air conditioner won’t turn on, even though it looks like there’s power reaching it. While there may be an issue with the unit itself, it’s also possible there’s a thermostat wiring defect.
  • There’s no evident change in your home’s temperature after you adjust the temperature setting, or the setting and the temp don’t match up.

Follow these basic steps to test your thermostat:

If you have a smart system, maneuver through your settings to find Test. Read and follow the instructions for the test, and run it!

For standard thermostats, have someone help you. Ask them to stand by the furnace while you stand by the thermostat. When you turn the thermostat on to heat, see if your helper also feels warmth coming from the furnace. While you’re turning the heat up to higher temperatures, both the furnace and the thermostat should make a clicking type sound — not just one or the other. If one doesn’t make a sound, look within that unit for the problem. (*If you don’t have a partner to help you, try using a walkie-talkie with the speaker button taped down, or a cell phone, or even a baby monitor with two units — anything that allows you to hear what the other person would hear standing close to the furnace).

Older mechanical thermostats may gather more than their fair share of dust over time. Give it a thorough dusting both in and out by removing the cover and clearing out debris with a cloth.

Replace batteries in any units powered by battery; switch these out regularly, or at least on a yearly basis.

If you find it’s time to get a new thermostat, you’ll have plenty of choices. To save a buck, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends setting a programmable thermostat down by around seven to 10 degrees for eight hours per day. This would be the time most folks are out at work or school, but it can also be the time you’re up and most active, and can easily throw on a sweater (or on warmer, air-conditioned days, you can wear a lighter shirt or tank top). Doing so will save you up to 10% annually on your utility bill.

You can also choose a smart or manual thermostat, with each type having its advantages and disadvantages. If you need more information on energy-saving or thermostats, try our section on household thermostats, energy saving in garages and other workspaces, and more.

Editors’ Recommendations

21Oak Contributor
21Oak Contributor
Former Digital Trends Contributor
How to install a kitchen faucet (and save a ton of money)
how to replace kitchen faucet shutterstock 404421880

Making updates to your house is a great way to both increase the value of your home and improve your quality of life. Kitchen remodels are among the most rewarding, and one great place to start is the kitchen faucet. Replacing that old faucet can really give the space a simple and effective facelift, but can you install a faucet yourself? With a little elbow grease and a splash of DIY skill, you certainly can, and we're going to walk you through how to do it.

Is installing a kitchen faucet hard?
Installing a new faucet is among the easiest of DIY home projects, and it could take as little as an hour to complete. Challenges with this project, which can lengthen the project's time and increase the level of difficulty, typically arise when the old faucet is being removed. Common problems include corroded pipes as well as nuts and fittings that are difficult to reach or tough to remove due to corrosion or rust. With some extra tools, you should be able to remove difficult nuts and fittings, but corroded pipes may require the services of a plumber.
Preparing for kitchen faucet replacement
Prior to settling on a model for your new faucet, check under your sink and see how many holes are currently there. There could be holes for the spout as well as separate holes for the hot and cold handles. Some sinks also have holes for sink sprayers or soap dispensers.

Read more
Save your veggie garden: How to get rid of cabbage looper pests easily
cabbage looper control caterpillar close up near pune maharashtra india

When you're growing a vegetable garden, all that time and hard work can easily be for nothing if an invading and destructive pest species attacks your plants. One of the most common among these pests is the cabbage looper. It's such a disappointment to lose those precious vegetable plants, so stay tuned to learn what cabbage loopers can do to your plants, how to get rid of them, and how to prevent their presence in the future.

What is a cabbage looper?
Cabbage loopers are small, green caterpillars, and they are the larvae stage of the brown cabbage looper moth. Not to be confused with cabbage worms, cabbage loopers are easily identified by their signature walk. They only have feet on the front and back ends of their bodies, so they move similarly to an inchworm, but in a more wobbly, awkward fashion.
Why are cabbage loopers a problem?
The brown cabbage moths lay their eggs in neat rows on the underside of your vegetable plants' leaves, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae ravage the leaves and even the vegetables growing on your plants. Then, they make their cocoons on the plant and emerge as moths that will begin the process again. They can cycle through several generations during the growing season if left alone to breed, and their eggs can even survive over the winter and begin the process again in the spring.

Read more
How much do solar heating and cooling systems really cost? What you need to know
House with solar panels on the roof

Home heating and cooling choices occupy a small but significant part of new construction or renovation. These appliances typically claim about five percent of the total cost of new home construction, but 46 percent of the monthly power bill. An investment in a solar heating and cooling system could pay dividends in reduced power bills for many years.

Interest in renewable energy tech has been on the rise for decades as a way to reduce pollution and lower monthly expenses. Clean, renewable solar heating and cooling systems have become an increasingly significant part of the conversation. If you have been thinking about harnessing free solar energy for your home’s heating and cooling needs, keep reading.

Read more