The furnace thermostat is notorious for causing problems with your gas furnace. Need some help trouble shooting if there is a problem with your furnace thermostat? See below.

Your furnace thermostat determines when and how much heat will be produced by the furnace. When the furnace either fails to meet or exceeds the temperature set by the thermostat, this could be one of several issues. The thermostat could be mounted crooked. If a thermostat isn’t level on the wall, it can affect the automatic on and off function. To fix this problem, take off the cover of the thermostat and loosen the screws attaching it to the wall. Make sure the thermostat is level and tighten the screws.

If the thermostat is level and and you are still having issues, the problem is most likely with the heat anticipator setting. The heat anticipator is a device inside the thermostat that controls when the furnace turns off. When this is not functioning properly the furnace will either run too long or not long enough. Adjusting the heat anticipator, which is a small disc located underneath the thermostat cover, should fix this problem. If not, it’s time to call your local heating contractor.

The problem may be with the thermostat. If the thermostat is digital, check to make sure the batteries are working. If the thermostat is dusty this could be causing the problem. When the bimetallic coil and the switch contact surfaces get buildup on them, it makes the thermostat unable to communicate with the rest of the system. To clean the thermostat, spray the bimetallic coil with a compressed air canister (the type used to clean keyboards) at the lowest set temperature and at the highest set temperature. Go ahead and set the thermostat to the desired temperature and put the cover back on. If this doesn’t solve the problem, again call your local heating repair company.

The thermostat could also have loose or disconnected wires. Check for loose wires inside the thermostat and on top of the furnace. If you see anything that looks loose or disconnected, we recommend you call a local heating contractor. This is not a job we recommend you fix yourself!