Whether you are intending to buy a Sensi smart thermostat or already have one, it’s essential to have insights on how you can fix and keep your Sensi thermostat up and running successfully.
A faulty Sensi thermostat would mean you are struggling to maintain the right temperature in your house. And that would definitely lead to sticky sweaty summer days and very cold winter nights in your home.
This explains the reason why it’s essential to have a basic knowledge of Sensi thermostat troubleshooting to maintain the right temperature for your needs.
Getting yourself a Sensi thermostat is an important decision because it can save you a lot of money. The smart thermostat can help you better regulate the temperature inside your home.
However, a problem with your Sensi thermostat is inconvenient when you need heating or cooling in your house. There are several issues that can disrupt your thermostat from operating properly. Many problems tend to be a little more complicated.
This article discusses some common Sensi thermostat problems and how you can easily troubleshoot them.
Sensi Smart Thermostat Problems and How to Troubleshoot Them
1.0 Sensi thermostat not connecting to Wi-Fi
Sometimes it’s not strange to see your Sensi thermostat go offline from time to time. Whenever this happens, an error message appears, stating, “The thermostat is offline,” indicating that there is something wrong with your network.
Sometimes this is because of poor network signals or low batteries on your thermostat preventing the device from connecting seamlessly with your mobile app.
How to fix: Replace batteries if low
- To resolve this problem, first check on your thermostat batteries if they are okay. If you notice the battery indicator in the top right corner of your Sensi thermostat is half-full, this shows that you should replace the batteries.
- Whenever the batteries go low, the Wi-Fi connection goes offline to preserve power, therefore, sending your thermostat stops connecting to Wi-Fi.
How to fix: refresh your router
- If you verify that the batteries are okay, check your internet connection to ensure it functions properly. You can simply do this by simply browsing on your smartphone to see if it’s connected to the Wi-Fi network.
- If the Wi-Fi connection is experiencing problems, restart your router to refresh the network. You may also consider moving your router closer to the thermostat if you notice the distance between them is a bit far.
How to fix: resolve compatibility issues
- If your Sensi thermostat’s firmware version is not compatible with your router’s firmware, this will hinder the Wi-Fi connection with your thermostat. To fix this issue, check the manufacturer’s website for firmware updates and follow instructions to update your router’s firmware. Also, update your Sensi thermostat’s firmware to ensure it has the latest features. This would enable the thermostat to seamlessly accept Wi-Fi connection from your router network.
Sensi Thermostat display button not responding
In certain cases, you’ll experience that your Sensi thermostat display button is not responding (not functioning). However, you can easily resolve this problem without the need to call an HVAC expert.
How to fix:
- First check if you’ve accidentally enabled the keypad lock feature on your thermostat. Some users accidentally enable this feature.
- When you enable this feature, your keypad won’t work properly until you disable it. Therefore, before you assume that something is wrong with your thermostat or its keypad, check to see if the keypad lock feature is enabled so that you turn it off.
- However, despite turning off the keypad lock feature, you may notice that your thermostat’s display buttons are still not working. You can address this problem by resetting your thermostat.
- To soft reset your Sensi thermostat, remove the unit from the power and also remove its batteries. After removing the batteries, the screen will go blank. Now wait for 10 seconds and then put the batteries back in. Then, put the back in and wait for a few minutes for the thermostat to reset. After a few minutes the display buttons should be back and active.
- If the problem persists, then conduct a factory reset to your thermostat. But this will erase all previous settings. So ensure to reprogram it after conducting the reset.
Sensi thermostat app not functioning
Sometimes you also experience that your Sensi thermostat app stop functioning suddenly. This would mean that you won’t control your thermostat remotely. This problem may occur because of the presence of minor bugs in the app.
How to fix:
- Go to the app settings in your smartphone, and then find the Sensi app. Once you locate the app, click on it and go to the storage section. You will then see an option to either clear all app data or clear the app cache.
- First try to clear the app cache and then open the app again to check if that fixes the problem. If it doesn’t, clear all the app data. That should resolve a thermostat not functioning due to software bugs.
Sensi Thermostat schedule not working
A Sensi smart thermostat lets you schedule the heating and cooling of your home to make it more energy-efficient. However, sometimes this convenient feature may not function as expected.
How to fix:
- You can address this issue by refreshing the schedule feature. You can also remove the schedule from your thermostat and then add it again.
- But if the problem persists, perform a factory reset to your thermostat. However, this method will erase the basic configurations but clear out the programming bugs in the device.
- So you’ll have to create new settings of your thermostat again and test if the schedule feature is working. It will definitely work because the factory reset is the most efficient method if you follow instructions right.
Sensi Thermostat not turning on AC
Your Sensi thermostat is a critical component of your AC (air conditioning) system. The thermostat is responsible for regulating the temperature of your home and turning the system off and on as needed.
However if you notice that your thermostat is not turning on your AC system, there are several causes for this issue.
Dead batteries
- Dead batteries could be the reasons why your thermostat fails to turn your AC system. How to fix: Replace the batteries in the thermostat and check if the system turns on.
Incorrect thermostat settings
- Incorrect thermostat settings could also be another reason why your thermostat is not turning on your air conditioning system. If your thermostat is not set to the correct temperature or mode, then it won’t turn on the AC system. How to fix: check the thermostat settings and adjust them as required.
Tripped circuit breaker
- If the circuit breaker of your AC system has tripped, the system won’t turn on. This can occur if the AC system is overloaded or if there is a power surge. How to fix: reset the circuit breaker for your AC system and try turning it on again.
Dirty air filters
- Air filters are normally designed to remove dust, dirt and other debris from the air before it’s circulated through your AC system. If the air filters become clogged, they can restrict the flow of the air through the system.
- This condition would definitely cause your air conditioning system to malfunction. How to fix: simply replace the dirty air filters with clean ones. Change filters every three months to prevent recurrence of the problem.
Faulty wiring
- If the wiring between your AC system and your thermostat is faulty, then the system may not turn on. This can occur if the wiring has become damaged or old over time. How to fix: you may need to contact a professional HVAC expert to inspect and repair wiring.
Faulty thermostat
- Also if your thermostat is faulty, it won’t turn on your air conditioning system. This can happen if you’ve not installed your thermostat correctly or if the device has become damaged over time. How to fix: replace the Sensi thermostat with a new one.
Compatibility
- Lastly, if your Sensi thermostat is not compatible with your air conditioning system, it won’t turn the system. How to fix: ensure your thermostat is compatible with your AC system. Also check the manufacturer’s specification to verify that the thermostat is compatible with your AC system.
Sensi Thermostat blank screen
If your Sensi thermostat screen turns blank nor the screen goes off, the problem could be caused by no power, low batteries, or other problems.
Any time your Sensi thermostat screen turns blank, it could be because of reasons such as: you’ve not powered on the thermostat, the circuit breaker tripped off, the thermostat is dirty, the thermostat has damaged or loose wires or the thermostat is too old.
Check if power is on
- It could be that you’ve not powered on your thermostat power switch. This would make the thermostat screen blank. How to fix: locate the power switch on the thermostat, and turn it on.
Check a tripped breaker
- A power outage may also cause your thermostat breaker to trip off. However, when the power comes back, your thermostat won’t turn on. How to fix: locate your breaker in the breaker box, switch it back on if it’s off. However, if the breaker does not turn on, try the following step.
Reset breaker
- The role of the circuit breaker is to ensure that power flows in your thermostat. If your thermostat experiences problems, its screen won’t turn on. How to fix: Reset the breaker to resolve this problem. To do so, turn off the breaker, and then turn it on again. In this way, you will have reset your breaker. Check if your thermostat turns on.
Check the voltage in your thermostat wire
- If your thermostat wires lack the required voltage, they won’t pass power to the device, and therefore your thermostat screen won’t turn on.
- How to fix: Use a voltmeter to check if there is constant voltage through the wire. To do the test, set the voltmeter AC, and then check the voltage between the wire terminals. Then, put a test probe on the power wire. Once you record the voltage and see that it’s below 20VAC, you will need to replace the wires. The new wires should be above 20 VAC for them to turn on your thermostat screen.
Check for any dirt in your thermostat
- Dirt is an enemy to the functionality of thermostats. Clean your thermostat once every winter season. Remove any dirt, dust, spider webs, and debris. Dirt normally coats inside a thermostat and interferes with the mechanical and electrical functioning of the device.
- Use a soft cloth to clean. The soft cloth should not contain liquids. Liquid spills will cause more damage to your thermostat. Use a smooth brush to clean the inner parts of your thermostat.
Clean clogged air filter
- Dirt often causes clogs in the air filter of your HVAC system. When the air filter is clogged, your air conditioner system will fail to blow cool or hot air to your room.
- If the accumulation of dirt is too much, this will cause the entire HVAC system to stop functioning. As a result, it won’t turn on.
- How to fix: check if the air filter is dirty and try cleaning it. If the HVAC system does not function after cleaning it, contact an expert to assess the system because grime could have slipped through it. If the system still does not work, it means you will have to replace the air filter. It is recommended you replace the filter after every three months.
Check if the wires are loose
- Loose wires cannot pass power to your thermostat. If that is the case, your thermostat screen won’t turn on.
- How to fix: So you’ll need to open your thermostat and check for any loose wires and tighten them. To check the wires inside, power off your thermostat and remove the batteries. Once you access the wires, check corrosion within them. Replace wires with corroded parts.
Check the batteries
- Your Sensi thermostat has batteries that assist them whenever there is a power outage. Your thermostat will stop functioning when there is no electricity and you’ll not lose your settings.
- However, sometimes your thermostat could fail to turn on during a power outage. That means the batteries might have run out of power or not energized, and therefore the thermostat not working. How to fix: Replace the batteries and check if the issue is solved.
System incompatibility
- Also, the cause of your thermostat screen turning blank could be due to system incompatibility. Installing your new Sensi thermostat to an incompatible HVAC system would render the device not turning on. How to fix: before you install your Sensi thermostat, ensure you consult with an expert to know if it’s compatible with your HVAC system.
Faulty thermostat
- If your thermostat screen turns blank, it also could mean that the device has become old. There is no thermostat that lasts forever. A Sensi thermostat can last up to about eight or ten years. However, the functioning of your thermostat depends on how you use your device. How to fix: if you think your thermostat has served you for quite long, it’s time to replace it.
Contact Sensi customer support
- If you’ve tried all the above solutions but the problems still persist, then it’s time to contact Sensi customer support. If your thermostat’s warranty is still valid, Sensi will consider giving you a new thermostat as a new replacement. If not, they will repair your device or give you special guidance to solve the issue.
My Final Thoughts
This article looked at the major issues that might disrupt your Sensi smart thermostat from working properly. Understanding how you can troubleshoot these issues will not just save your time, but ensure that you’re able to get a better response out of your thermostat.
All the problems highlighted are not difficult to fix. You will be able to get excellent response from your Sensi thermostat by following the above steps.
In any case, if you doubt your ability, contact the Sensi customer support center. They will take charge of your situation.