chronically helpless primitive has broken thermostat

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=287x8922

Oh my.

I didn't see anything about the action the Packer household down there in northeastern Oklahoma today, and so up over to New England we go.....

Paper Roses  (1000+ posts)      Wed Oct-27-10 08:01 AM
THE CHRONICALLY HELPLESS PRIMITIVE
Original message

Is my house thermostat broken?

My furnace and thermostat are 7 years old. Oil heat.

Four days ago, it was so cold I had to turn on the furnace. This was the first use this year. The thermostat is a round digital unit made by Honeywell. No model # visible on the outside. Shows temp in room on the dial. I have it set at 63 degrees.

Yesterday the furnace should not have triggered on. It was 70 degrees inside and outside. It would turn off eventually but came on again and again. Still 70 degrees in the room. This happened several times. I finally threw the main furnace switch to stop this waste.

I can go to the fuel company and ask them but I know they will say I have to have the furnace cleaned or have them come at a minimum of $100.00 to check and replace. I have it cleaned every year but was going to pass this year. Lack of extra funds. If the symptoms are of a broken unit, is it a do-it-yourself job to replace the unit?

I have no paperwork on the thermometer to go to the manufacturers site for into and I don't know how to take the cover off.

LiberalEsto  (1000+ posts)        Wed Oct-27-10 09:14 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. Check the batteries!

A few weeks ago I thought either my furnace or thermostat was broken. I called the company that installed the furnace. They sent someone out, and he found that I simply needed to replace the AAA batteries in the thermostat.

So as not to waste the $60 service call, I asked him to inspect and clean the system to get it ready for the heating season.

Inchworm  (1000+ posts)        Wed Oct-27-10 01:35 PM
THE SCHMEKELE PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message

2. I had a round thermostat

And it did go bad. Mine was much older and did not have batteries.

I replaced it fairly cheap with a $20 digital thermostat from Lowes. It was real easy to do. Remove, connect two wires, replace, done.

In hindsight, I wish I'd have gotten a programmable one for $50ish dollars (I didn't have the $$). That way I can lower heat usage at night when I'm supposed to be snuggled up in bed.

Wash. state Desk Jet  (1000+ posts)      Wed Oct-27-10 02:07 PM
Response to Original message
 
3. It many need to calibrate itself.

Put a cheap thermometer above the thermostat and set your temp at 55 for a few days.your thermostat cannot recalibrate itself if you shut off the power to it.

The weather is not consistent this time of year and neither is your thermostat as a result of it. Should be a 24 volt thermostat right ?

Round the number off to 60 or 55 degrees for the time being . Compare the cheap thermometer reading to the reading on your thermostat.

A new thermostat the same type is about $30.00 . The directions will tell you all you need know to install it if you need a new one . you most likely do not need a new one. Relax it is a common happening this time of year as the cold weather sets in. !

amerikat  (1000+ posts)        Wed Oct-27-10 02:38 PM
Response to Original message
 
4. Do you have hot water baseboard or radiators?

I have hot water radiator heat. My furnace comes on sometimes when the thermostat is not calling for heat. The furnace guy told me my furnace had internal controls that turn the furnace on to maintain a certain level of heat in the system. This is so that it doesn't take so long to get heat when the thermostat calls for heat. I turn mine off at the switch. I'm going to have a new furnace soon and will have that feature disabled.

Paper Roses  (1000+ posts)      Wed Oct-27-10 02:46 PM
THE CHRONICALLY HELPLESS PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #4

5. I have radiators, flipped the switch again today and it doesn't seem to turn on like it did yesterday and the day before. Still mild out. I took the cover off the thermostat today to see of it was dusty or needed batteries--something visible. No dust, no battery. I am going tomorrow to my fuel supplier to see if they can tell me what is going on.

Paper Roses  (1000+ posts)      Fri Oct-29-10 10:48 AM
THE CHRONICALLY HELPLESS PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #4

7. Thanks for confirmation.

I have hot water/radiators. Yesterday I went to the office of my fuel company to discuss what was happening and they told me just what you said. It is a pain but shortly it will be going on it's own anyway. The few warm days are gone and for my neck of the woods, this is the beginning of the cold weather. In the spring when it gets warm again, I'm going to flip the main switch. I don't want to waste oil and certainly don't care about a few more minutes for the heat to get to my radiators.

marybourg  (1000+ posts)      Wed Oct-27-10 05:46 PM
Response to Original message
 
6. When you take off the cover do you see a small tube filled with mercury (silver liquid)? If yes, tilt it down on one end. If that starts the furnace, dust off everything gently. If not, it's probably shot. A new programmable can be had for $50. Installation is pretty easy and it keeps the house much more evenly heated than the round Honeywell.

[thundley4]

Most thermostats I have worked on get their power from the furnace unit, not batteries.  The calibration is probably off on the thermostat is all.

[PatriotGame]

Most thermostats I have worked on get their power from the furnace unit, not batteries.  The calibration is probably off on the thermostat is all.

Thermocouple in the furnace could be dirty too. Above what most homeowners can do but some very light cleaning with emery cloth can fix it. I have a gas furnace & electric heat pump. Furnace started cycling, on-quick off, back on...after one furnace repair guy visit at $90.00, I started cleaning the thermocouple myself. Eventually it will have to be replaced - two wires, I can do myself.

My T-stat, RCS TR-60 (http://www.resconsys.com/products/stats/serial.htm) uses five wires but it DOES control a heat pump & A.C. besides a gas furnace. The one I have is tied into my home automation system - when I leave, & the home alarm is armed in away mode, if in heat mode, the temp is set back to 65. If in cool mode, the temp is set forward to 75 - I have cats so don't want them to get too cold or hot. My T-stat also has batteries to retain date/time/programming parameters if the power goes out.

Oh did I say I can hit my home automation server from anywhere via the Internet, check the temp, change the set-points, turn on lights, and listen to my MP3 library?

Yes...I'm sick...

[jonesangela]

I think the thermostat won't work because the maybe the filter is dirty. Like other member says the power from the furnace unit, not batteries. and then the furnace also dirty so make it visit to see what is real problem of your thermostat.

[JohnnyReb]

Listen DUmmie, if it's 7 degrees hotter in the house than you desire just lower the themostat 7 degrees from where it is now.
Damn the numbers on the dial.

The themostat has either a mercury or coil spring thingy to make it work. They get old, bumped, bent, out of calibration, whatever and probaly wasn't very acurate to start with.....you just now noticed it and are going to worry yourself sick over it.

...and one other thing. My furnance does this...it comes on, brings house up to the desired temperture and shuts off....a couple of minutes later the "FAN ONLY" comes on again for a few minutes and blows more heat into the house...because of heat build up in the heat exchanger in the furnance. No use wasting that heat. I could adjust that out of it but I'm too lazy.

[formerlurker]

Is the furnace coming on for hot water?   

[Carl]

The third component to this system is the circulator pump,that is what the thermostat likely controls.
Temp goes down and the stat starts the pump to circulate water through the radiators.

What had happened was the house didn`t require heat so the the water was left in the lines and water jacket of the stove.
The stove is not triggered by the stat but by the temp of the water.
The water cooled so the stove came on to reheat it in the storage tank/water jacket of the furnace.

[NHSparky]

Is the furnace coming on for hot water?   

Or the hot water heater.

Frankly, anyone who lives up here who DOESN'T either have their furnace checked or do their own annual maintenance deserves to freeze.  And that includes putting the additives in the oil tank, changing the tips at least every 2-3 years, checking/changing the filter at the tank outlet, etc.  It's $125 well spent.

Oh, and DUmmies--I have TWO programmable thermostats, one for each floor.  $25 each at Lowe's.  You remember Lowe's--they support the troops and Republicans, right?

[JohnnyReb]

Dude has a water heat (radiator) system? I thought he was talking about a forced air system.

[formerlurker]

Dude has a water heat (radiator) system? I thought he was talking about a forced air system.

No -- I have oil heat, but the furnace kicks on and off all summer for hot water, which is what I am thinking she is hearing also.   My nephew keeps telling me to put the hot water on propane to save oil.   

[miskie]

This is why primitives shouldn't be allowed to own homes. There are so many simple things that normal people do to upkeep their own property that simply escapes them.

Oddly enough, I was planning on replacing my thermostat today with a programmable one, as the ancient round Honeywell can no longer be calibrated properly - one needs to set the temperature four degrees above where one actually wants it to be.

Although this isn't exactly the primitives problem, another easy to fix thing is the flame sensor. If one has a gas heater that keeps cycling on for about a minute, then off for four or five, then back on needs to clean the sensor. Its just a matter of removing it, and gently cleaning it with some steel wool to remove the oxidation,
then reinstalling.

Its usually held in place by one or two screws. A monkey could do it. Unless you happen to be a primitive, then you get to spend between $80 and $160 for your local HVAC guy to do it for you.

[crockspot]

Man, that DUmmy really is helpless. Those round Honeywell thermostats have been around since Moses wore short pants. They work on a mercury switch. I suspect the temp setting is consistent, but way off on the scale. I highly doubt that an actual temp of 55 is their normal comfort zone. That's pretty frickin cold. Just grab ahold of the face and pull, it comes right off. Make sure there's not a big ass spider living in there or something.