Honeywell Thermostat Blank Screen: How to Fix
If your Honeywell thermostat has gone blank and you’re looking for tips to fix it, this post is your go-to resource.
In the following paragraphs, we explain the reasons behind this issue and how to get your thermostat back in order. Let’s get started.
If your Honeywell thermostat suddenly goes blank, here are some reasons behind this issue:
- Low battery power.
- The thermostat wires aren’t connected to the proper terminals.
- Your circuit breaker tripped.
- Your HVAC system and thermostat’s wires have come loose.
- Issues with the power source.
- Your furnace is turned off.
- Your Honeywell thermostat’s panel isn’t pressed in properly.
For details on how to troubleshoot these issues, keep reading.
Honeywell Thermostat Blank Screen: How to Troubleshoot
So here are some troubleshooting steps to try if your Honeywell thermostat screen has gone blank:
1. Replace the Batteries in Your Thermostat
Blank screen issues with thermostats are usually traced to low/completely drained batteries.
If your (battery-powered) Honeywell thermostat suddenly goes blank, chances are the batteries are low or drained completely.
So, you’ll need to replace the batteries to get your thermostat back on. Most battery-powered Honeywell thermostats use 2 AA or AAA alkaline batteries. Check the old batteries in your Honeywell thermostat to determine the correct replacement batteries for the device.
If you’ve got the new batteries, follow the steps below to replace the old batteries in your Honeywell thermostat:
- Pull out the thermostat’s battery compartment from the side of the device.
- Remove all the old batteries in the compartment.
- Insert the new batteries, placing the positive and negative sides in the appropriate positions.
- Now, put the battery compartment back.
Your thermostat display should work fine now. If not, continue to the next step.
2. Turn on Your HVAC System’s Circuit Breaker
When a power surge occurs in your home, your HVAC’s circuit breaker may trip. As a result, your Honeywell thermostat will shut down, and the screen will go blank.
So, if your Honeywell thermostat screen suddenly goes blank, go to your electrical panel and check whether the HVAC system’s breaker is still turned on. If not, switch the breaker back on.
The circuit breaker for HVAC systems is usually labeled HVAC, AC furnace, or heater, depending on the type of HVAC you are using. Find the right circuit breaker and turn it on. You can turn on your circuit breaker by moving it to the ON position.
If the circuit breaker didn’t turn off, turn it off yourself and then turn it back on to power cycle your HVAC system.
This should fix the blank screen issue with your Honeywell thermostat. If not, continue to the next step.
3. Connect Your HVAC Wires to the Right Terminals
If your Honeywell thermostat displays no information on the screen after you’ve just installed it, chances are the wires are not connected properly.
That is, you might have connected the wires on your HVAC system to the wrong thermostat terminals during installation, hence the blank screen.
To fix this problem, check that you have installed your HVAC wires in the appropriate thermostat terminals.
Here’s how to do that:
Turn off your HVAC system’s circuit breaker to avoid electrical shock. Next, detach the thermostat from its base to reveal the HVAC wires.
Most circuit boards contain 5 wires. However, your circuit board may only have 4 wires. Usually, the five wires are labeled with the following letters:
- W (for heating),
- G (for fan),
- Y (for cooling),
- Rh (for heating transformers like a furnace or heat pump),
- Rc (for cooling transformers like air conditioners).
If your HVAC wires are not labeled, you may have to check your control board to determine the appropriate wires for each terminal on your thermostat.
Just like your HVAC wires, the terminals on your Honeywell thermostat also bear the letters—W, G, Y, and R.
Remove the connected wires and insert them into the appropriate terminals. Some Honeywell thermostats contain only the R wire, while others contain Rc and Rh wires. If your thermostat only has an R terminal, insert both Rh and Rc wires into the R terminal and screw the wires into the terminal.
After inserting each wire in its correct terminals, remount the thermostat on the circuit board.
Next, switch on your circuit breaker. Your Honeywell thermostat screen should turn on now. But if not, continue to the next step.
4. Get an HVAC Technician to Inspect Your HVAC and Thermostat’s Wiring
Your thermostat or HVAC system’s wires might loosen if you didn’t attach them properly during installation. And this may cause your thermostat screen to go blank.
So, if your Honeywell thermostat screen has gone blank, loose wires could be the culprit.
To fix this, get an HVAC expert to inspect your thermostat/HVAC wiring and fix them properly.
Pinched or burned wires can also cause this issue, so ask your HVAC technician to inspect any wiring issues and get them fixed.
5. Check Your Power Source
Your thermostat screen may stay blank even after your HVAC technician has confirmed that the thermostat/HVAC wires are properly connected. In that case, your power source might be faulty.
As with HVAC system wires, you may not be able to detect a problem in your power source if you are not a professional. Besides, electrical wires can be dangerous. It’s best to consult your electrician if you suspect that your power source is faulty.
6. Turn On Your Furnace
Your Honeywell thermostat generates most of its power from a low-voltage transformer on your furnace.
So, if your furnace is turned off, your thermostat won’t work properly. This might be the reason your thermostat screen has gone blank.
If your thermostat display is off, turn on your furnace. But before you switch on the furnace, you must close the furnace door first. Your furnace may not turn on if you leave its door open.
After you’ve closed the furnace door, turn on your furnace switch. The furnace switch is usually mounted on a wall beside the furnace.
If your furnace doesn’t turn on after you’ve flipped on the furnace switch, your furnace’s circuit breaker might be off.
Go to your electrical panel and search for the breaker, which has the word ‘furnace’ labeled beside it. Then, move the lever on the breaker to the ON position to turn it on.
If you can’t find this label on any circuit breaker, you may need to flip several circuit breakers until the furnace turns on.
Your Honeywell thermostat screen should turn on once the furnace is working.
7. Press in Your Honeywell Thermostat’s Panel Properly
Usually, when you mount your Honeywell thermostat to its base, the device’s panel clicks in immediately. However, you may fail to press in the panel properly if you mount the thermostat in a hurry.
If you don’t press in your Honeywell thermostat correctly, the screen may not turn on. If your thermostat screen remains blank after you’ve mounted the device, press in your panel properly. You can do this by pressing the panel and holding it until you hear a clicking sound.
The Honeywell thermostat’s panel is the area around the device’s screen.
If you don’t hear any click when you press your Honeywell thermostat’s panel, it may not be the reason for the blank screen issue.
8. Get a New Thermostat
If your Honeywell thermostat screen still stays blank after you’ve tried all the tips in this article, your thermostat may have reached the end of its lifetime. And you may need to buy a new thermostat.
Most Honeywell thermostats last for about 10 years. If you’ve been using your Honeywell thermostat for over 10 years when the screen goes blank, get a new thermostat.
Wrapping Up
To recap, if your Honeywell thermostat screen suddenly goes blank, you can fix this problem by replacing the batteries. If that doesn’t help, power cycle your thermostat circuit breaker and inspect your HVAC/thermostat wiring.
If the problem persists, consider replacing the thermostat or contact Honeywell Customer Support for help.
You may also like to see how to troubleshoot heating, AC, and battery replacement problems in Honeywell thermostats.