Your Pro t701 thermostat has suddenly stopped working, and you urgently want it fixed. You now wonder whether you would be able to find the fault and, if so, whether you will be able to fix the problem yourself.
Troubleshooting on your non-programmable Pro t701 is easy to do yourself. The most common reasons why it is not working include a power loss, incorrect settings, depleted batteries, and loose wires. Usually, these problems can also easily be solved by yourself.
In this article, I’ll discuss the most common reasons that might have caused your Pro t701 thermostat to stop working and provide guidelines on how to determine the exact cause. Depending on the cause, you might be able to fix the issue yourself. Please note: For this article, I’ll always refer to the t701 model, which is hardwired and is also equipped with AA batteries.
How do you know your Pro t701 thermostat is broken?
There are signs signaling to you that your Pro t701 thermostat is damaged or broken. The most common signs are:
- Your HVAC system doesn’t turn on. You usually detect this when your home stays either cold or hot, depending on the outside temperature.
- Your air conditioner or heater keeps on running non-stop.
- You get different temperature readings in the different rooms in your home.
- There’s no response when you change the temperature settings.
How to troubleshoot your Pro t701 thermostat
Although you can follow the troubleshooting steps in the order discussed in this article, you can actually attend to the different aspects in any order that will be the most convenient for you.
Step 1 – Check your thermostat’s settings
Your Pro t701 thermostat has three mode options, namely “Heat,” “Cool,” and “Off.” If you select “Heat” you turn on the heat mode, and when you select “Cool” the air conditioner will start working when needed. If “Off” is selected, you turn off both heating and cooling. Check that your thermostat is set on either “Heat” or “Cool.”
The fan switch has to be set to either “On” or “Auto.” If no option has been selected, your thermostat might stop working.
Step 2 – Check the power supply
If the thermostat’s circuit breaker has tripped, your thermostat will not work. It might have tripped as a result of a power surge. Check the circuit breaker, and if it is tripped, turn it on again, and your problem might be rectified! To turn a circuit breaker ON, press the switch completely down and then up until you hear it clicks into position.
If the circuit breaker trips again immediately, there is an electrical fault somewhere in the system. If you are not a qualified electrician, call your HVAC technician or electrician for help.
Step 3 – Reset your Thermostat
With programmable thermostats, I always recommend that you use the resetting feature of your thermostat as a last resort when nothing else has rectified the problem. I do that because after your thermostat has been reset to the factory settings, you have to reprogram the thermostat again.
With a non-programmable thermostat, there is no programming that will be lost when you reset the thermostat. And as resetting the thermostat often fix the problem of a t701, it is good to reset your t701 early in the troubleshooting process.
You reset your t701 thermostat using power cycling. To power cycle the thermostat, you have to remove it from the sub-base against the wall. Remember to ensure that, for safety reasons, no electrical current is flowing to your thermostat and HVAC system before you remove your thermostat from the sub-base. The easiest is to turn off the circuit breaker to your system. If your home’s circuit breakers are not labeled, turn them all off.
After you’ve removed the thermostat, remove the batteries from the battery holder. Wait 10 seconds and then replace the batteries and place the thermostat back on the sub-base.
After you’ve put the thermostat back, turn the circuit breaker(s) on again. To test whether you’ve fixed the problem, set your thermostat to the lowest temperature (if it is summer) or the highest temperature (if it is winter) and wait about 20 minutes. If the temperature has changed, your thermostat is working. I the temperature doesn’t change, you’ll have to troubleshoot the other aspects as well.
Step 4 – Replace the batteries
If resetting your thermostat hasn’t fixed the problem, replace the old batteries with a new set. The Pro t701 thermostat uses 2 AA non-rechargeable batteries. (Don’t use lithium rechargeable batteries.) Never replace only one battery. You always have to replace both batteries.
To access the batteries, follow the same procedure as discussed in Step 3 above. When you’ve removed the existing batteries, insert the two new ones and put the thermostat back on the sub-base again.
Also, follow the same testing procedure as explained in Step 3 to determine whether your thermostat is now working.
Step 5 – Check the wiring
Loose or corroded wiring can stop your Pro t701 from working. Check the wiring on your thermostat after you’ve removed the thermostat from the sub-base in the same way as explained in Step 3 above. Gently pull each wire to determine whether it is secure. If not, tighten it again. If you detect any corrosion on the wires or terminals, remove the wire, clean it, and put it back again.
After you’ve put the thermostat back again and turned on the power, and it is still not working, there might be problems with your HVAC’s wiring. If you are not a qualified electrician, call your electrician or HVAC technician to come and check the wiring to all the devices and switches.
Step 6 – Relocate your thermostat
Sometimes, when your thermostat doesn’t keep your home at the temperature you’ve set, it is more of a “thermostat-related” problem than a thermostat problem per se.
There are sensors in your t701 to detect the temperature and then adjust the heat or cooling provision accordingly. If the environment where your thermostat is located is not typical of the rest of your home, your thermostat will not detect the correct home temperature.
If the thermostat is, for instance, next to a window or door which is open often, the temperature your thermostat is detecting is influenced by the outside temperature. Also, if it is near your kitchen, the temperature detection might be influenced,
To rectify the problem, move the thermostat to a “temperature neutral” place like your living room.
Also, I am attaching a video below, hope that’s helpful;
“Normal” features that let you wonder whether your thermostat is faulty
The following two things might cause you to worry about your thermostat, but they are normal features of your Pro t701 thermostat
1. The heating or cooling system keeps on running
If the heating or cooling system keeps on running for about 5 minutes after the system has been turned off, you don’t have to worry. This happens because of a feature that keeps your heating or cooling system active for about 5 minutes after you’ve turned off the system.
2. There is a delay before the heating or cooling comes on
This happens because the Pro t701 thermostat has a built-in delay to protect your HVAC system against short cycling. Generally speaking, the delay should not be more than 5 to 7 minutes. After the delay, the heating or cooling turns on.
Conclusion
Because the Pro t701 is a non-programmable thermostat, its troubleshooting procedures and the fixing of issues are relatively easy and can be done by the homeowner.
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