When you discover your Braeburn thermostat is not cooling your home anymore, you usually want to fix the problem as soon as possible. However, the problem might be that you don’t know where to start troubleshooting because you don’t know what all the possible reasons for the issue are.
Braeburn thermostat not cooling can be due to incorrect thermostat settings, loose wiring, depleted batteries, tripped circuit breakers, and clogged filters. Fortunately, you can troubleshoot most of the issues yourself if you follow a system as discussed in this article.
In this article, I’ll discuss the most common reasons why your Braeburn thermostat is not activating the cooling procedure in your home. For this discussion, I’ve divided the reasons into two main groups: Reasons related to a possible Braeburn thermostat fault or setting, and reasons more related to other HVAC and AC aspects. In the discussions, I’ll also recommend ways how to fix the problems.
Summary of possible issues
| Possible Problem/Issue | How to rectify – briefly |
|---|---|
| Reasons related to a possible Braeburn thermostat fault/setting. | |
| The thermostat is not in “Cool Mode”. | Set mode correctly. |
| Wiring issues. | Connect loose wires and tighten all connections. |
| Battery issues. | Replace with new batteries. |
| Installed in the incorrect place. | Reinstall in a better location. |
| Aspects not necessarily directly related to a thermostat fault or setting. | |
| Power supply / Tripped circuit breakers. | Turn breakers on. |
| Clogged AC filters | Replace filters. |
| Malfunctioning AC motor / Condenser unit. | Let the electrician replace fix/replace it. |
Reasons related to a possible Braeburn thermostat fault/setting
A) Thermostat is not in “Cool Mode”
Most thermostats, including Braeburn thermostats, must be set to “cool mode” to activate the cooling section of an HVAC system. So, when your Braeburn thermostat is not cooling your home, the very first thing to do is to check the mode setting on your thermostat.
The mode your thermostat is set to, is displayed on your thermostat’s screen. If it shows “Off” or “Heat” your cooling system is turned off at the thermostat. To activate the cooling function, switch the thermostat to “Cool.”
After you’ve ensured that the thermostat is set to “cool,” you can test whether the thermostat will activate the cooling system. With the arrows on your thermostat’s screen, set the temperature 3 or more degrees lower than the current temperature in your home. If this has been the only “fault” with your Braeburn thermostat, your cooling system will work now.
Don’t worry if it is not starting immediately. Your Braeburn thermostat might be fitted with a compressor short cycle protection and this could cause a 5 minutes delay before the cooling system kicks in.
If it starts working within about 5 minutes, you know that the thermostat communicates with the AC and you can set the temperature you want your home to be. Remember, if your required temperature is lower than the current temperature in your home, the cooling will not turn on before the home’s temperature is lower than your set temperature.
B) Wiring issues
Loose wires on your Braeburn thermostat can be the reason why it is not cooling. If you’ve installed a new thermostat and the cooling has not been working since then, there is a great possibility that you’ve connected the wires incorrectly.
So, if your thermostat won’t turn on the cooling system one of your troubleshooting steps is to check for loose wires or incorrect wiring.
To do this, you have to access the wiring terminal block on your Braeburn thermostat. Usually, you have to remove the thermostat cover. Because you are going to work with wires carrying current (although it might be low current), you have to cut all power to the thermostat. The easiest is to turn the thermostat’s circuit breaker off. If the circuit breakers in your home’s circuit breaker box are not labeled, put all the circuit breakers off to be safe.
When the power is off, remove the thermostat and ensure, with the help of the wiring diagrams in your thermostat’s user manual, that the heating and cooling stages are connected to the correct terminals. If you see any loose wires, reconnect them to the correct terminals.
If you detect loose wires but are not sure how to repair the wiring, call your HVAC technician for advice.
If all wires are connected and tightened again, put the thermostat back in its holder and put the circuit breaker(s) on again. If the cooling starts to work, you’ve successfully solved the problem!
C) Batteries depleted
Low thermostat batteries can also be the reason why a Braeburn thermostat is not cooling. If your model runs on battery power and you’ve changed batteries more than a year ago, the chances are great that a fresh set of batteries might solve your problem. Even if your thermostat is hard-wired to the wall and your HVAC unit, low batteries can still cause problems such as prohibiting the thermostat to turn on your cooling.
Braeburn thermostats use two “AA” non-rechargeable alkaline batteries which can be found at the back of the thermostat. Remember, never mix old batteries with new ones. If you replace batteries, replace both.
Before replacing your Braeburn thermostat’s batteries you have to turn off the power supply to the thermostat. Then remove the thermostat from the wall by gently pulling it from the base. Remove the old batteries and install the 2 new “AA” alkaline batteries. Ensure that the “+/-“ symbols are correctly positioned. When the batteries are in place, gently push the thermostat back onto the sub-base.
Turn on the thermostat again and ensure that it’s set on “Cool.” If the thermostat is still not cooling you have to keep on troubleshooting.
D) The thermostat was installed in an incorrect place
Your Braeburn thermostat might be receiving an incorrect reading of your home’s temperature and “think” your home doesn’t need any cooling. Usually, a situation like this can develop if your thermostat is not installed in the correct position in your home.
If your thermostat is located near windows or outside doors which are kept open often, the outside temperature influences your thermostat’s readings. Also, if the thermostat is located close to a room notable temperature fluctuations, such as your laundry room or kitchen, incorrect temperature readings might be experienced.
To rectify this problem you have to relocate your Braeburn thermostat. Find a place in your home where the home’s temperature can be read correctly. Then you’ll have to uninstall your thermostat and reinstall it in the new location.
This is a rather “radical” solution because the wiring in your home’s walls will most probably also have to be moved when relocating your thermostat. And you’ll most probably need a qualified electrician to assist you. Therefore it is recommended that you consider this option only when the fault couldn’t be rectified in any other way.
Aspects not necessarily directly related to a thermostat fault or setting
A) Power supply and tripped circuit breakers
When a thermostat is not receiving power, it can’t function. The problem is that you might think your Braeburn thermostat is receiving power while it is not. When the thermostat’s LED is not blank, you may think that it is powered. However, the LEDs and programming units of the Braeburn thermostats use batteries as the power source and can seem “active” even when the thermostat is not receiving any power.
To test whether your thermostat is connected to the power supply, you can do the following checks:
- Set the temperature on the thermostat as low as possible and turn the “Fan” switch from “Auto” to “On.” If you don’t hear the sound of the blower or notice a temperature change in the room within about 20 minutes, your thermostat may not be powered.
- A more reliable method is to remove the cover and mounting plate of the thermostat. (Before removing the thermostat, ensure that you’ve turned the power to the thermostat off.) Disconnect the red wire (R) and the green wire (G) and plug them in again after swapping. Return the thermostat to the holder and put on the power. If you hear the fan running, it means that your thermostat is receiving power.
The most common reason why your Braeburn thermostat is not receiving power is that its circuit breaker has tripped. To turn it on, press it down completely and then press it up until it clicks into position. If the thermostat starts to cool the home, you’ve solved the problem.
If the circuit breaker keeps on tripping there is another problem with your HVAC system and devices. Call out an electrician to find and fix the problem.
B) Clogged AC filter
AC filters filled with debris can cause inefficient cooling and clogged filters can cause the cooling to stop completely. Find the filters and check their condition. If they are dusty and greyish brown, you’ll need new filters.
Look in your user manual for the correct filters to purchase and replace. This might solve your problem
C) Malfunctioning AC motor or condenser unit
If the cooling doesn’t turn on, it might be that the thermostat is trying to turn on the cooling but the AC motor is not charged and can’t turn on. An HVAC technician can check if the capacitor that charges your AC motor is faulty, and if so, replace it. The technician can also check whether the condenser unit’s wires are still intact because loose condenser wires can also be a reason why the AC is not turning on.
Conclusion
There are several reasons why your Braeburn thermostat is not cooling. Fortunately, you can troubleshoot and fix the issues to a great extent yourself. I hope that this article makes it easy to troubleshoot if you ever encounter cooling problems with your thermostat.
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