Go Back  DoItYourself.com Community Forums > Heating, Cooling, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and T-Stat Controls > Thermostatic Controls
Reload this Page >

Changed Thermostat Batteries - Display Sometimes Comes on, Sometimes Not

Changed Thermostat Batteries - Display Sometimes Comes on, Sometimes Not


  #1  
Old 03-01-18, 04:33 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Changed Thermostat Batteries - Display Sometimes Comes on, Sometimes Not

Hi.

Two mornings ago, my wife noticed the house was cold. She looked at our programmable RiteTemp thermostat, and the display settings seemed off. So she changed the batteries and everything seemed fine.

That night, we noticed the display was blank. So we tried another pair of batteries, and the display came back. And the furnace seemed to be fine.

The next morning, which was yesterday morning, the display was blank again. I could turn the fan on from the thermostat so I knew there was a connection there still. I checked the breakers and they're all on. So I fiddled with the batteries some more, pressed some random buttons on the thermostat, and the display suddenly came back on. I increased the temperature setting and the heat came on, so I know my furnace works.

When we came back home from work that evening, the display was off again. I haven't fiddled with it again, because I have no skills in this area.

Before I call a technician, I thought I would try these forums, in case it's a simple fix that I could even try.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.
 
  #2  
Old 03-01-18, 04:55 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I should add that yesterday morning when I was fiddling with the batteries, I tried something I had read on the internet. And that was to put the batteries in backwards on purpose to wake the system up a bit (ie. to make it think "low battery" or something). And then to put the batteries in properly. So I did that yesterday and pushed some buttons, I think, and the display came back on, and the heat worked, etc.

So now, I tried putting the batteries in backwards again, and then the proper way. The display came back on now, and this time I didn't even push any random buttons. The heat is on too.

Obviously this is not a true fix, if my display keeps going off. But I'm just trying to give additional background information.

Thanks.
 
  #3  
Old 03-01-18, 05:08 AM
P
Group Moderator
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 27,651
Received 2,152 Upvotes on 1,927 Posts
I wonder if there is a broken contact with the battery. Can you wiggle the battery and make the display go on and off?
 
  #4  
Old 03-01-18, 05:25 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks for replying, Pilot Dane.

I was reading your message and I could hear the heat stop. I wasn't sure if it was because it was time to stop or not, so I went over to the thermostat. The display was off, so I couldn't really test your suggestion.

Anyway, I pushed some random buttons. Nothing. I reversed the batteries and then put them in normally, but this time nothing. So I just rolled the batteries around, pushed some random buttons, and then I could see the display come on faintly. I could also see a low battery indication - a symbol of a half-charged battery blinking. I now remember that I saw this low battery warning yesterday morning too.

So I kept rolling the batteries and pushing some buttons, and then the display came on clear and strong. I turned up the heat, and it's working again.

I headed back to the thermostat to try your wiggling/rolling suggestion, but now the display is blank but the heat is still running. I have not seen this combination before. Usually, it's display off and heat/everything off.
 
  #5  
Old 03-01-18, 05:43 AM
Geochurchi's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,074
Received 161 Upvotes on 147 Posts
I would say that Stat needs to be replaced unless you can remove it from the wall and spot a repairable bad solder joint.
To unreliable.
Geo
 
  #6  
Old 03-01-18, 05:48 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Thanks, Geochurchi.

So I had mentioned that the display was blank but the heat was running, which is new to me. I wiggled the batteries some more, and the display still didn't come on, and the heat kept on running though.

Out of curiosity, I pulled the batteries right out. Of course, the display is still off, but the heat is still running. This is even more unchartered territory to have the furnace running without batteries in the thermostat.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to call in a technician.
 
  #7  
Old 03-01-18, 07:48 AM
Geochurchi's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,074
Received 161 Upvotes on 147 Posts
Post the model # of the thermostat......
Geo
 
  #8  
Old 03-01-18, 09:14 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
It's RiteTemp, as I was saying. I believe the model is 8022C.

As an update, I'm waiting for a technician to arrive.

The heat kept running, even with the batteries pulled out. I was reading horror stories online about what can happen if the furnace runs for days. I know I'm home, but I put the batteries back in to see if I could get the display on and turn off the heat, but no success at first. I switched heating lever to OFF but the heat kept running.

Later, with the batteries still in but no display, I just randomly pushed buttons and pressed the up and down buttons for the temperature control. The heat stopped suddenly. Whether that was a coincidence or because of something I randomly pushed, I don't know.

Then later, I heard the furnace try to come on for a second or two, and then turn off. I went to the thermostat, saw the display come on dimly. I pushed some buttons and then the display went blank again.

So the current status is batteries in, no display, and heat off. Waiting for technician.
 
  #9  
Old 03-01-18, 11:04 AM
G
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Canada
Posts: 6
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Just to provide some closure on this thread, the technician came. He looked at the thermostat and looked at the furnace. He said the furnace is fine, but the thermostat is basically old and unreliable. It's 12 years old. He says he doesn't really see them anymore.

So he replaced it with a new Honeywell thermostat.

Thanks again to those who replied.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: