Honeywell Thermostat Screen Not Responding: Fixes to Try
Is your Honeywell Thermostat screen not responding? You are not alone! That seems to be one of the common problems with Honeywell thermostats and other brands.
However, it doesn’t mean your thermostat is faulty whenever this happens. Sometimes, the screen may stop responding when the batteries are low or bad, or when the circuit breaker trips off.
So if your Honeywell thermostat screen is not responding, you want to keep reading as this post contains valuable information for you. Let’s head right into it!
Tips to Troubleshoot ‘Honeywell Thermostat Screen Not Responding’ Issues
When your thermostat screen goes blank and is not responding, it becomes near impossible to program your heating and cooling settings and also view the current temperature in your home. Sometimes, this issue doesn’t require an HVAC expert, so you can attempt to fix it yourself. And here are some troubleshooting steps to try if your Honeywell thermostat screen is not responding.
1. Replace the Batteries
When your Honeywell thermostat screen stops responding or creating fading digits, the first place to look is the batteries. The batteries may be drained out or bad, causing the screen not to respond as well as it should. This is especially true if your thermostat is running completely on batteries.
A quick fix: replace the batteries and get your baby back in shape. However, make sure you replace all the old batteries with newer ones. Trying to mix the old batteries with a few new ones will still leave your screen as dead as before.
2. Check for Any Loose Wire
This is another common reason the screen of many Honeywell thermostat users stops responding. There may be a loose wire on the back of your thermostat, and your thermostat needs all wires properly connected before it can communicate well with the screen. However, you can fix this on your own too—no special skill or technical know-how is required!
To check for any loose wire at the back of your thermostat, remove its cover. Next unscrew the system from the wall, and you will see a bundle of thin wires located just at the back of it. Check to see if any of these wires are loose, so you can put them back in place. You should get your screen working properly again after fixing the loose wire.
3. Check If the Circuit Breaker Has Tripped Off
Most HVAC systems come with their own circuit breaker, and during a power outage or power surge, the circuit breaker can trip off. When this happens, it can cause your Honeywell screen to refuse to respond. So, check the circuit breaker to be sure it is not tripped. If it’s tripped, manually flip it off and then on again.
4. Reseat the Touchscreen Cable
Remove the unit from the wall and carefully remove the casing that covers the touch screen. Now, move the tabs on either side simultaneously and outwards to remove the circuit board. You will find two small ribbon cables plugged into the circuit board. Be careful with these because they are very fragile.
One of the cables is marked for the touch screen while the other for LCD. There are two small tabs on either side of the cable. Slightly pull it up and back to ensure it is fully seated. This should bring back the display screen but don’t forget you need to be extra careful with the cables because they are fragile.
5. Get a New Thermostat
This may not be the solution you expect to see, but that is likely going to be your only option when you have tried everything mentioned above, and nothing seems to work. It shows that your Honeywell thermostat may be faulty and so you will need to replace it with a new one.
And on the one hand, you may want to have an HVAC technician examine the faulty thermostat to see if it can still be fixed. If not, you should get a new thermostat.
You may also read our article about fixing a Honeywell Thermostat that stops working after replacement and how to pair your thermostats with Vivint Smart Home System.
Related Problems/FAQs
Why Is My Honeywell Thermostat Screen Blank?
There are several reasons for this. If your thermostat runs on batteries, maybe your batteries are dead. But if it is wired into the house’s electrical system, it might be some wiring issues causing your thermostat screen to go blank. Check the steps highlighted above to fix it.
How Do You Reset a Honeywell Thermostat When the Screen Is Blank?
As mentioned, one major reason the Honeywell Thermostat screen goes blank is when the batteries are drained out and can no longer supply power to the screen. Your batteries may drain out without notice—especially if you have been away for too long.
To reset the thermostat even when the screen is blank, you will have to replace the batteries. Remove the cover on the wall unit and replace the batteries. The display should come back on immediately after you replaced the batteries.
Final Words
Though some cases of a ‘thermostat screen not responding’ may require a replacement, it doesn’t happen all the time. You could easily fix the bug yourself sometimes.
As you can see, I have highlighted the likely causes of the issue in this article and how you can fix the bug when it happens.