From the time when your Trane thermostat was installed, you have been using it in Auto Mode. But you’ve just read an article suggesting that you sometimes can regulate the temperature in your home better when the thermostat is set to Manual. Now you wonder whether you can change your Trane thermostat from Auto Mode to Manual and vice versa.
You can change your Trane thermostat’s Auto Mode to Manual by disabling all preset ‘schedules’ from its ‘settings’ option. And you can easily revert to Auto Mode again by enabling ‘schedules’ at any time.
A thermostat is in Auto Mode when it regulates the temperature according to set schedules. When the schedules are disabled, you have to enter the mode and temperature you require manually. The thermostat will continue to heat or cool your home until you turn it off.
In this article, I’ll explain the difference between Auto Mode and Manual in more detail so that you know what is going to happen when you disable Auto Mode. Then I’ll describe how you can change from Auto Mode by using your thermostat screen, the Trane Web Portal, or your Trane Home Mobile App. The FAQs at the end of the article might also answer some of the questions you still have.
Difference between using a Trane thermostat in Auto Mode and Manually
Auto Mode
When your Trane thermostat is in Auto Mode it means, in simple terms, the following:
- Your heating and cooling systems are automatically turned on by the thermostat to bring the temperature in your home to your preset levels and then shut off when the specified temperature has been reached.
- Your HVAC fan turns on automatically only when your HVAC system is heating or cooling air. As soon as the thermostat reaches the set temperature the fan shuts off until it is needed again.
- Your thermostat can switch between your HVAC cooling and heating systems to activate whichever one is needed to reach the preset temperature.
Generally speaking, you save on your energy bills if your Trane thermostat is set to Auto Mode because the HVAC system is only running when needed.
Thermostat on manual functioning
If the schedules on your Trane thermostat are disabled, or your thermostat is set to manual functioning you have to manually set the desired temperature on the thermostat screen. You use the “Up” and “Down” buttons to set the temperature.
In principle, when your Trane thermostat is functioning manually the heat or cool mode will continue to heat or cool your home until you manually turn it off. When your thermostat is on manual, your HVAC system doesn’t follow any set schedule.
The full range of modes possible on your Trane thermostat
To understand the difference between Auto Mode and manual functioning better, let’s have a look at the full range of mode possibilities on your Trane thermostat. There are three possible settings, namely Cool Mode, Heat Mode, and Auto Mode and some thermostats offer an “Off” option.
Cool Mode
If your Trane thermostat is in Cool Mode, your cooling system only turns on automatically when the temperature in your home rises above the preset temperature. When the right temperature has been restored, the system will stop working until it is needed to lower the temperature again.
Usually, you’ll put your Trane thermostat in Cool Mode during the summer months. During summer, you most probably won’t need your HVAC system to activate the heating system.
When you put your thermostat in Cool Mode you actually put it in “Semi-Auto Mode.” It automatically keeps the temperature within the parameters you’ve set for the cooling system. It is, however not fully automatic as it will not activate the heating system when heat is needed. You’ll have to manually change the thermostat’s mode from Cool Mode to Heat Mode to activate the heating system.
Heat Mode
The Heat Mode provides the same “Semi-Auto Mode” functions for the heating system as what the Cool Mode is providing for the cooling system. With your thermostat set to Heat Mode, your heating system will only be activated when the temperature in your home falls below the preset temperature. Just as with the Cool Mode, the system will stop working when the right temperature has been reached and will only be activated again when it is needed to heat the home to the set temperature.
Your Heat Mode is best for the winter months when chances are small that you’ll want your cool system to be activated. But as with the Cool Mode, the Heat Mode doesn’t provide the fully automatic thermostat function as it will not activate the cooling system when cool air is needed. You’ll have to set the thermostat manually in Cool Mode to activate the cooling system.
Auto Mode
If your thermostat is in Auto Mode, the heating or cooling modes will be automatically activated when needed according to both the heating and cooling schedules. In other words, when your Trane thermostat is in Auto Mode the Cool Mode and Heat Mode will function as described above, and the thermostat will change automatically between the two modes when needed.
It is important to remember that the benefit of using your Trane thermostat in Auto Mode, is that the “automated” thermostat tells your HVAC system to only run when it is necessary. It automatically turns on either your furnace when the home starts to fall below the desired temperature, or the air conditioning if the temperature is going above the desired and set temperature. Thus, you don’t waste energy having the fan and devices working all day and night.
Off mode (Manual mode)
Some Trane thermostats offer an “Off” Mode option. If your thermostat is in Off Mode you are not using your HVAC system to control your home’s temperature. You manually turn on the heating or the cooling system and choose the temperature you need in your home. If this is one of the mode options your thermostat is offering you, all you have to do to change to Manual is to select the Off Mode.
If you don’t have this option, you can still change your thermostat to manual functioning by following the steps I provide below.
How to change your thermostat’s mode from Auto Mode to Manual
Simply put, if your Trane thermostat is automatically following your enabled time and temperature schedules and also change automatically from Cool Mode to Heat Mode when necessary, your Trane thermostat is in Auto Mode.
If you disable all the schedules, you have to put your Trane thermostat manually in either the Cool Mode or the Heat Mode and you also have to set the temperatures manually. The Heat or Cool Modes will continue to heat or cool your home until you manually turn it off.
How to disable settings and Auto Mode by using the thermostat screen
It is quite easy to change between Auto Mode and Manual on your Trane thermostat screen. Different Trane thermostat models might have small differences in the method, but in principle, the procedure stays the same. Follow these steps:
- Press “menu” on your Trane thermostat screen.
- Select “Schedules & Presets” from the menu.
- By tapping the “On/Off” toggle at the bottom of the screen, you can disable schedule settings. Because the thermostat may take a few seconds to apply the change, wait about a minute before exiting. It is normal if the screen goes black during this waiting period. Sometimes it also displays the message “Please wait.”
- Press Home to exit.
If you’ve disabled all the schedules, your thermostat can only be managed manually – no schedules will be followed.
To reactivate Auto Mode, follow the procedure as described above again and enable the schedules by tapping the “On/Off” toggle when you come to step 3 and set your thermostat on Auto Mode.
How to disable settings and Auto Mode on the Trane Web Portal
If you are usually using the Trane Web Portal follow these steps:
- Log in to the Trane Home Web Portal.
- Select the home whose thermostat you wish to set. (If you have multiple homes).
- Select “Climate” from the menu on the screen.
- Choose the thermostat you wish to modify.
- Click “Menu” and then select “Settings.”
- Click “Schedule On/Off.”
- To disable the settings select “Off,”
- Click “Apply.”
Remember, if you’ve disabled all the schedules your thermostat can only be managed manually – no schedules will be followed, and you’ll have to use the thermostat’s screen for your manual inputs.
To reactivate Auto Mode, follow the steps as described above again and enable the schedules by selecting “On” when you come to step 7 in the procedure.
How to disable settings and Auto Mode with the Trane Home Mobile App
- If you are using the Trane Home Mobile App, log in.
- Select the home whose thermostat you want to set. (If you have multiple homes.)
- Choose the right thermostat.
- Tap “Settings.”
- Select “Scheduling” and toggle “Schedule Settings” to “Off.”
Again the reminder: If you’ve disabled all the schedules your thermostat can only be managed manually – no schedules will be followed, and you’ll have to use the thermostat’s screen for your manual inputs.
To reactivate Auto Mode, follow the steps as described above again and enable the schedules by toggling “Schedule Settings” to “On” when you come to step 5 in the procedure.
FAQs
Q1: What is the main reason why I should put my thermostat on Auto Mode?
A1: The main reason for setting a thermostat to Auto Mode is that it will result in more energy-efficient usage because the fan will run only when it’s required.
Q2: Is it cheaper to keep my home at a constant temperature?
A2: Usually, when you keep your home at a constant temperature your HVAC system runs constantly to meet it. In other words, your furnace or air conditioner keeps on running when you’re asleep, at work, or out of the house. This wastes energy.
Conclusion
Although it is possible and relatively easy to change your Trane thermostat from Auto Mode to Manual and vice versa, it is usually recommended that it is better to keep your thermostat in Auto Mode. You save on your energy bills if your Trane thermostat is set to Auto Mode because the HVAC system is only running when needed. Your HVAC devices are also not running continuously and thus have a longer life.
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