Vivint Thermostat Not Turning On AC: How to Fix

Is your Vivint thermostat not turning on your AC? I experienced the same problem recently and was able to get it fixed after trying several troubleshooting steps.

In this post, I’m going to walk you through some handy tips to resolve this issue with your Vivint thermostat. Let’s get started.

In short, if your Vivint thermostat isn’t turning on your AC, go to your circuit breaker and switch it off and back on. Then, ensure that the AC is connected to a working power outlet.

If the AC doesn’t turn on after you’ve tried these tips, keep reading for more details on how to resolve the problem.

Flip On Your Circuit Breaker

Did the power go out recently? Then, your circuit breaker might have flipped off.

Your circuit breaker supplies power to all the devices in your home. So, if the breaker is off, your AC and thermostat won’t work.

Walk to your circuit breaker and check if it is turned on. If the breaker is off, flip it back on.

Now, go back to your room and wait for the thermostat to reboot and turn on the AC.

If the AC stays off, continue to the next tip.

Ensure Your AC is Connected to a Working Power Outlet

If your Vivint thermostat isn’t turning on your AC, the air conditioner might not be connected to power.

First, check that you’ve plugged the AC into a power outlet. Then, make sure the switch on the outlet is flipped to the On position.

If the AC still doesn’t turn on, the power outlet might be faulty. To rule out this possibility, you’ll need to test the power outlet.

Here’s how to do that:

Unplug the air conditioner from the outlet and plug in your phone charger.
Then, connect your phone to the charger.
Now, check if your phone is charging.
If your phone doesn’t charge, the outlet is problematic. Connect your air conditioner to another outlet. Ensure that this outlet is working.
But if your phone starts charging when you plug it into the outlet, move on to the next step.

Change the Batteries in Your Thermostat

If you’ve been using your Vivint thermostat for a while, the battery might be low. Using weak batteries with your thermostat can affect the device’s functionality. This is because the batteries provide most of the power in the thermostat.

If your thermostat’s batteries are weak, you’ll need to change them. Your thermostat requires 4 AA batteries to work properly.

Here’s how to replace the batteries in your Vivint Thermostat:

Open your thermostat’s cover. The cover is often located at the front of the thermostat.
You’ll see the battery compartment.
Remove all the batteries from the thermostat.
Insert your four new AA batteries. Ensure you place the batteries in the correct position.
Replace your thermostat’s cover.

After changing the batteries in your Vivint thermostat, the device should be able to turn on the AC. If the thermostat doesn’t switch on your air conditioner, proceed to the next step.

Power Cycle Your AC

If your Vivint thermostat can’t turn on the AC, the AC might be malfunctioning. A quick reboot should resolve this problem.

To power cycle your AC, unplug the device from the power outlet. Then, wait for 5 minutes before reconnecting the AC to the outlet.

If the AC doesn’t turn on after you’ve rebooted the device, check out the next tip.

Reboot Your Thermostat

Your Vivint thermostat may encounter a functional error while loading its settings. This error may affect its performance, thus making the thermostat unable to turn on your AC or regulate your room temperature.

You can resolve this problem by rebooting the thermostat.

Follow these steps to power cycle your Vivint thermostat:

Remove the thermostat’s front panel.
You will reveal its battery compartment.
Take out all the batteries.
Then, wait for 5 minutes. This will give the thermostat enough time to discharge all of its power.
Now, re-insert the batteries into their compartment.
Close the thermostat.

Once your thermostat is back on, it may switch on the air conditioner. But if the air conditioner is still off, try the next step.

Empty Your AC Drain Line and Disable the Safety Switch

The AC works by collecting hot air from the furnace and cooling it before releasing the air into your home.

While the air conditioner circulates the air through its system, dust may emerge from the air and get stuck in the AC drain line. Eventually, the dirt from the air may accumulate to a large quantity and clog the drain line.

As soon as the AC drain line is clogged, the safety switch flips on to prevent the entry of air into the AC. Once the safety switch is on, your AC will go off. The air conditioner won’t turn back on until you unclog the drain line and disable the safety switch.

Here’s how to empty your AC drain line:

Flip your circuit breaker off.
Find a long stick.
Then, locate the drain line.
You should find the drain line outside your house.
Remove the cap on the drain line.
Use the stick to push the dirt outwards of the drain line.
Pour some water into the drain pipe. This will soften the trash for vacuuming.
Now, use a shop vac to pull out the dirt in the drain line.

After cleaning the drain line, you’ll need to disable the HVAC safety switch.

Follow the steps below to disable the safety switch:

Open the vent in your HVAC system’s compartment.
Search for the pipe that comes out from the furnace.
You should see the safety switch in the center of the pipe.
Apply some force to it to turn it off.
Close your HVAC system.
Now, flip on your circuit breaker and wait for your Vivint thermostat to turn on your AC. If the thermostat doesn’t switch on the AC, continue to the next tip.

Factory Reset Your Vivint Thermostat

If your thermostat doesn’t turn on your AC after you’ve tried all the steps above, you may need to factory reset the thermostat.

A factory reset will remove all the glitches and settings on the thermostat that might affect its functionality. After the factory reset, your thermostat should be able to turn on your AC.

Here’s how to factory reset your Vivint thermostat:

Go to the front of your thermostat.
Press and hold the side button on the device for 3 seconds.
In the options that appear, click on Down.
Next, tap on Installer. This will highlight the option.
Select RESET.
Then, press the side button again.
Give your thermostat a few minutes to complete the factory reset.

After factory resetting your thermostat, set it up and wait for the device to turn your AC.

The AC should start cooling your home now.

Wrapping Up

Before applying any tip here, check if your circuit breaker is turned on. You should only try the other steps if you realize that your breaker is already on.

If your AC stays off after you’ve followed all the tips here, contact Vivint Support.

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