How To Fix Ecobee Thermostat Not Turning On

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

The ecobee Smart Thermostat is a simple, stylish way to control your heating and cooling throughout your home. This guide will help you troubleshoot the wiring and other electricity problems that can cause your thermostat not to turn on, click without turning on, or reboot constantly.

Thermostat Setup
If you are looking to setup your Thermostat for the first time, we offer a more complete guide to assist with that process.

• How to Set Up an ecobee Smart Thermostat

Professional Installer Option
In most cases, if your thermostat is having power problems, it points to issues with wiring or the furnace itself.

This guide will help you diagnose these problems, but if you do not feel comfortable making changes, you can call a professional installer to diagnose and repair the issue for a fee. Ecobee offers a service on their website to refer you to a qualified technician in your area.

• Ecobee Find A Pro Service

Danger High VoltageThe wires in your thermostat can carry between 12 and 240 volts. Always be certain you've turned off the source power as well as the breaker before checking or touching any wires!

Wiring Diagram

If you are confident in your installation, and simply want to quickly double-check the wiring on your ecobee thermostat, use the two common examples below that cover most installs.

HVAC System With C-Wire

HVAC System Without C-Wire Using PEK

2. Check Breaker and Heater Power Switch

If too much power is drawn, or a lightning strike happens nearby during a thunder storm, your home's breaker can flip. It's often fine to flip it back and continue.

If a breaker flips repeatedly or often, it is a sign of serious electrical problems in your home. To avoid damage, loss, injury, or death, contact a professional electrician if this is a common occurrence with no other source (such as an electrical storm).

1. Check if the breaker in your home's breaker box is flipped for the heater, air conditioner, or other device you're having problems with.
   

1. Flip the breaker back on.
2. Wait at your breaker box for 30 seconds, to make sure it does not flip back quickly.
   

1. Allow your thermostat an additional minute to finish starting back up.
   

1. Try adjusting the temperature to ensure it's functioning properly.If the breaker flips shortly after the heater or air conditioner turns on, there is a serious problem with your HVAC system. You will need to contact an HVAC technician or electrician in your area to diagnose and resolve the problem.

3. Heater Overheating

Your home heater has a sensor that can tell if the heater is getting too hot. This is a safety feature; if it trips, it means there is some aspect of operation that has a problem and needs attention.

While many aspects of this will require a professional, there are a number of items you can check yourself.

• Clogged or Dirty Air Filter
• There is a filter on your furnace that must be changed or cleaned regularly. If it's clogged with dirt, your furnace will have to work a lot harder to pull air, and become hotter.
• A quick check, change, or cleaning of your filter may be all you need to do.
  

• Furnace running for long periods of time
• If your furnace is running constantly because the temperature has been increased or set very high during a cold snap, it could end up too hot. Wait for it to cool down, and set the temperature lower.
• If this is a consistent problem, it indicates there is a deeper problem with your furnace, and will need to be serviced by an HVAC technician.

4. Check Furnace Fuse

There is a small fuse on your furnace to protect the electronics from surges. This fuse can blow during an electrical storm or power surge. While the location will vary, it is usually somewhere you can get to easily.

Power Off For SafetyBe certain the power to your furnace is off, preferably at the circuit breakers in your home, before touching any fuse or wire.

There are two types of fuse that are most common, a purple 3-amp, or orange/tan 5-amp. Both are very inexpensive (less than $2.00) and usually quick to check and replace if needed.

3 Amp Fuse

5 Amp Fuse

Fuses with different amperage are not interchangeableDifferent fuses are for different tasks, the amperage rating is not an indication of how 'good' the fuse is, but rather it's chosen for the internal circuitry and other power considerations. Do not replace a fuse with one of a different amperage in this application.

You should be able to clearly see the small wire in the window between the two legs of the fuse. If it's black or you can see the wire has broken, that means the fuse has blown and needs to be replaced.

Blade-type ATO fuses are commonly used in automobiles, and may be in the auto section of a big-box store.

5. Check Condensate Drain

Air conditioners, by design, end up condensing water out of the atmosphere. This water is collected in a drip pan or sent down a tube to a drain. If the drip pan fills or the tube clogs because of mold, algae, or dirt in the line, a small switch will trip and turn off your air conditioner to prevent damage from it overflowing.

This drain may be entirely outside, or may be integrated with your heater system.

If you're able to locate the drain system, check the following:

• Make sure the drain pan isn't full, and there's no water damage around it.
• If possible, check to be sure the drain line is clean and free of debris.
• If you see the water sensor, make sure it isn't damaged.

6. Continued Problems

After these checks, if your ecobee thermostat is still turning off or rebooting, it indicates a deeper problem with the wiring, heating, or HVAC system.

Professional Installer Option
Ecobee offers a service on their website to refer you to a qualified technician in your area that can review and fix your system for a fee.

• Ecobee Find A Pro Service