Can a Low Battery in Your Thermostat Affect Your Air Conditioner?

Although it’s one of the smaller components of your cooling system, your air conditioner’s thermostat controls your home’s comfort. It’s designed to read your home’s current temperature and tell the system when to cool or heat the area to reach your desired or set temperature.

However, if your thermostat has a low battery, it can prevent your system from running as effectively as it should.

Do All Thermostats Use Batteries?

Many programmable and manual thermostats use batteries as a power source, while some modern programmable and smart thermostats are hardwired into your electrical panel. However, even programmable thermostats that are hardwired usually have backup batteries.

When Should You Replace Thermostat Batteries?

Even though batteries can last anywhere from eight to 12 months, you should replace your thermostat’s batteries twice a year to ensure your thermostat always has power.

The best times to change your thermostat batteries are alongside your spring AC maintenance and fall heating maintenance. If you combine replacing your thermostat batteries with your other tune-up tasks, you’re less likely to forget!

If your batteries get low or die before your next tune-up, your thermostat should alert you.

What Happens if a Thermostat Battery Dies?

A low or dead battery in your thermostat can significantly affect your HVAC system in the following ways:

• Your programmed settings won’t be saved in the event of a power outage or if the battery dies.
• Your thermostat display may go blank to preserve battery power, preventing you from adjusting the thermostat.
• Your HVAC system will not turn on when the thermostat battery is dead.

Benefits of Upgrading to a Smart Thermostat

Replacing your battery-powered manual or programmable thermostat with a hardwired, Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat comes with a range of benefits:

• If your schedule unexpectedly changes, you can adjust your home’s temperature from your phone, so your home is cool and comfortable no matter when you arrive.
• You can monitor your home’s temperature while out of town.
• If you get hot or cold in the middle of the night, you can adjust the temperature without ever getting out of bed.
• You can learn more about your energy usage with reports and personalized suggestions to reduce your monthly costs.
• You’ll receive helpful reminders when it’s time to change your air filters or schedule other maintenance on your system.
• You’ll never need to change a thermostat battery again!

Keep your home’s HVAC system running efficiently with Grapids Home Services’s routine HVAC maintenance and smart thermostat installation. Get started by calling us at (616)-453-1099 or contact us online.