Your Thermostat Might Be Why Your Furnace Isn’t Working
You just had your furnace serviced, but now it won’t turn on. Before you wonder if the technician missed something, it’s important to think about one other reason your furnace could be on the fritz: the thermostat. Your thermostat communicates with the furnace so it knows when to turn on or off, so if that’s not working, how can your furnace know what it’s doing?

A broken thermostat requires heating repair in Alcoa, but before you worry about scheduling that, let’s find out how your thermostat could be the culprit behind your heating issue.
Your Thermostat Might be Sending the Wrong Information to Your Furnace
The software can act funky, and with newer thermostats that include touchscreens, the software runs the entire thing. Sometimes the display doesn’t match what’s going on “under the hood.”
If your furnace isn’t turning on but you know it’s been serviced recently, it could be the thermostat’s software. These require occasional updates as bugs or issues arise, similar to how your PC and smartphone update.
If your thermostat isn’t Wi-Fi compatible but has a digital display, a software update might be in order. This is a very niche situation to be in, but not something you should write off entirely.
If it Reads Incorrectly, Your Furnace Will Be Confused
Right now it’s definitely 68°F in your home, but your thermostat says that it’s 74°F. Because your thermostat is set somewhere in between, it’s not saying “Hey furnace, wake up! It’s time to heat the house.”
With newer thermostats, this can be fixed with a simple recalibration. Older models may require a technician to calibrate them instead. In the best-case scenario, this fixes the problem.
If your thermostat has a problem reading the temperature correctly in the first place, this isn’t quite so simple of a fix and may require replacement depending on the reason behind it.
There’s a Wiring Issue and it Requires a Replacement
The wiring from your thermostat communicates directly with the electrical components of your furnace. When your thermostat reads the air temperature and realizes it’s lower than what you set it at, it tells the furnace to turn on.
The wiring that helps your thermostat communicate could simply not work anymore. This could be due to a power surge or tripped circuit, so be sure to check your breaker as well.
If the wiring is malfunctioning and your circuit breaker doesn’t remedy the situation, the wiring will need to be replaced. Your furnace technician will be able to accurately diagnose the situation and determine the best solution based on your unique circumstances.
A Wi-Fi Thermostat May Be the Upgrade You Need
Your thermostat is the controller for your furnace, but it’s also much more than that. With a Wi-Fi thermostat, you can track your energy efficiency and usage much more effectively, make smarter home energy choices, and live more comfortably. Wi-Fi thermostats help optimize your home energy use from the moment they’re installed.
Contact Fannon & Sons Heating Cooling today to schedule your new thermostat installation and enjoy your working furnace. Welcome to the family!