Ecobee Not Turning On The A/C
You’ve come to the correct place if your Ecobee isn’t turning on the air conditioner anymore. It might be perplexing, not to mention annoying, if your Ecobee was previously operating and suddenly stops.
However, there are a few simple approaches to troubleshooting this before giving up. For a variety of reasons, your Ecobee may cease turning on the air conditioner:
Your Ecobee is not configured in such a manner that it will activate your air conditioner. The air conditioner is not draining properly, causing it to shut down completely to prevent damage.
Continue reading to learn how to troubleshoot the root sources of your Ecobee not turning on the air conditioner.
The Ecobee Is Not Connected To Your Air Conditioner.
The fact that your Ecobee isn’t set up to switch on your air conditioner is one cause.
It’s also worth mentioning that air conditioner compressors frequently have a minimum compressor cycle off time.
This implies that the compressor will be turned off for at least five minutes if your air conditioner is simply turned off. Your Ecobee won’t be able to turn on the air conditioning during this time.
The Air Conditioner Is Not Draining Effectively.
Generally, your HVAC system will discharge water in one of two ways: via the drain pain or through the drain tube.
Regardless of the approach, if the water level becomes too high, the air conditioner will automatically cut off to prevent the absorption of moisture into the HVAC unit.
Unfortunately, your Ecobee might be unable to override this shut-off procedure in certain instances.
If you have a chronic water drainage problem with your ac unit, your Ecobee may have difficulty turning the unit on when it needs to.
As a result, as part of routine maintenance, you must inspect your air conditioner’s draining system at least once before the start of the springtime season.
Fixing A Full Drip Pan
After shutting off the HVAC unit’s electricity, check to see if the drain pan is full. You’ll probably need a torch to see this.
To clean it, completely remove the pan from the bottom of the HVAC unit.
Then, you can remove the drain pan and clean it with mild soap and water before reinstalling it.
Regularly cleaning the detachable drain pan will help you remain on top of HVAC maintenance and prevent water, algae, or mold from accumulating and eventually causing your air conditioner to stop operating.
Fixing A Drain Line Blockage
A blockage in your drain line may also be producing drainage troubles, resulting in your air conditioner not reacting to your Ecobee. You can unclog your AC drain line yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
If you want to do it yourself, you may vacuum away obstructions by attaching a vacuum hose to the end of your AC drain, which is usually located on the outside of your property.
Then, pour bleach down to remove difficult clogs, but only in the summer when moisture trickles down to rinse out the bleach.
Maintenance Should Be Done On A Periodical Basis.
It would be best if you cleaned your air conditioner at least once a year to keep it from shutting down repeatedly and not reacting to your Ecobee.
If you don’t want to clean it, a professional can inspect and prepare your HVAC system for the summer.
Finally
The most typical reasons for the Ecobee not turning on your air conditioner are that it is not configured to do so, that the drain pan is overflowing, or that the A/C drain line is plugged.
There is a do-it-yourself solution for each of these problems. However, if you are still stuck after performing these solutions or your A/C is still not operating properly, you might have to consult a professional.
Ecobee Is Not Turning On After Installation
Please verify the following if your ecobee3 lite does not switch on after installation:
- Are all of your cables correctly placed into the Thermostat’s terminal blocks? Please make sure they’re in place by tugging on them.
- Check that the R wire is exclusively connected to the Rc terminal. The Ecobee will not power on if the wire is in the Rh terminal.
- Check that your electricity is switched on at the circuit breaker.
- Some HVAC equipment has a safety switch that turns off the power of the cover panel that is not properly closed. Ascertain that it is.
- If you used the Power Extender Kit, make sure the R cable is exclusively connected to Rc. Check that the G wire is correctly put into the terminal.
- Please verify the AC voltage between Rc and C (or Rh and C) using a multimeter to confirm it is 24V.
Ecobee Thermostat Troubleshooting Instructions For Freshly Installed Thermostats
If a new Thermostat isn’t turning on, check the likely options listed below.
● Is the Ecobee properly installed on the backplate?
Frequently, the problem is mere that the Thermostat is not accurately positioned on the backplate.
First, check that the linked wire are not overhanging and interfering with the Thermostat’s ability to make the proper contact. Once the Thermostat is properly positioned, you should detect a click.
● Examine the Wires for Any Loose Connections
Ecobee thermostats, with the exception of the ecobee3 light, mandatean R or Rc or Rh wire to operate. Attach this power line to the unit’s Rc connector.
If it’s attached, give it a little pull to confirm it’s securely in place. The lever present on the terminal’s edge should likewise be pushed down.
● Is a C Wire present?
To activate the Ecobee Thermostat, a C wire is required. So, first, examine to verify if a wire has been attached to the Thermostat’s C terminal.
If you’ve not already done so, look for an extra wire in the thermostat wiring bundle. If you are able to find one, attach it to the HVAC system’s C terminal and the Thermostat’s equivalent C terminal if you do have one.
However, if you do not have an extra wire but there are wires designated R, G, or Y, a Power Extender Kit will be required.
See the next troubleshooting procedure if you installed these, and the Thermostat somehow doesn’t turn on.
● Is your Power Extender Kit correctly installed?
Several heating systems may require a PEK for the ecobee3 Lite, ecobee4, or Ecobee smart thermostats.
If you’ve installed a Power Extender Kit but the thermostat yet won’t turn on, the first thing you should do is inspect the wiring.
The C-wire from the Power Extender kit unit must be attached to the C-terminal on the HVAC Unit control board in order for it to provide power to the thermostat.
● Examine Your Voltage
If you are confident that all of the wirings is correct, there might be a voltage issue.
If you’re familiar with dealing with a voltmeter, you can troubleshoot voltage problems by ensuring that the voltage difference between the Rc and C-Wires is 24VAC. It may be less, and the Thermostat won’t turn on.
If there is no voltage or if it is less than this amount, perform the following tests.
- Certain HVAC systems include a protection switch that disables power if the device cover panel is left open.
- Examine the fuse on the main furnace board; it should be a 3amp or 5amp fuse. If the fuse has blown, replace it
- Inspect for fault conditions on the C-wire; if the Thermostat makes a clicking sound, a C-wire shortcircuit is oftentimes the culprit. Try a different wire as the C-wire and check whether it fixes the problem.
Troubleshooting Advice For Previously Operating Ecobee Thermostats
If the Ecobee Thermostat was previously operating and then suddenly stopped working, this typically signals a power breakdown between the Thermostat and the HVAC heater.
Additional causes and solutions to try to resolve this are listed below:
A Blown Fuse
A blown fuse might be the source of the problem. When you open the HVAC unit control center, you will notice either an orange 5amp fuse or a purple 3amp fuse.
Take care to ensure none of these have blown. If they are, they must be replaced.
Tripped Circuit
Verify to see whether the circuit in the breaker box that activates the HVAC unit is not being tripped.
The float switch has been tripped.
Examine your furnace’s switch, condensation pump, and drip bowl to confirm that there is no obstruction or extra water. Clearing the clog or draining the extra water should cure the problem.
The temperature sensor has been triggered.
The temperature sensor might be tripped if the furnace overworks.
This might be due to the furnace operating for an extended amount of time, or it could be due to a reduction in airflow, which prevents the furnace from cooling adequately.
Make sure the air filters aren’t clogged. Cleanse the filters if they are clogged with dust or other material.
There may be dirt on some other furnace systems if the filters seem clean,
If it’s a furnace problem and you don’t notice any obvious problems, you should call a heating professional to look into it more.