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Rob Caskey Rob Caskey is offline
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Default Brrr, Broken Thermostat or worse?

btw, this is a multi-stage heat-pump

Rob Caskey wrote:
Thanks all. Thermastat turned out ok, but I figured I might as well
replace it anyway. The new digital one reads "No AC Power", so time to
get on the phone I suppose

--Rob

buffalobill wrote:
you will want to spend $25 on a digital multimeter in the electrical
section of your hardware store. or borrow one from the neighbor and
borrow him to show you how to use it.
unless this is a millivolt system which requires no electricity to
operate:
! if this is an electric baseboard heat 110VAC/220VAC [volts
alternating current] thermostat there is a potential shock hazard to
you inside the heating thermostat!
otherwise measure the 2 wires for 24VAC when warm/satisfied/happy and
zero VAC when cold/unsatisfied/unhappy temperature is in the room.
if this is a 24VAC thermostat containing a surprise battery, replace
the battery or the whole thermostst.
if this is a 24VAC old style two wire thermostat with a mechanical
switch that clicks, connecting the two wires together is all that the
switch does when it wants heat.
if it can call for heat by connecting those two 24VAC wires together,
replace the thermostat.
more reading How to Fix a Low-Voltage Thermostat at:
http://www.ehow.com/how_117647_fix-low-voltage.html

Rob Caskey wrote:
My heat is not working, and I checked all the breakers. Normally at
this point, I would give up and call a HVAC guru, but one thing caught
my attention. A few years back, our air-pump's compressor gave up the
ghost, but even then when I put it on emergency heat, the emergency
heat light turned on.

Any chance it is just the thermostat on this thing? I've been meaning
to swap it out for a digital anyway.

--Rob