Home heater won't turn on

[Nick1994]

I went to click on the heater tonight, not working. At first the fan clicked on for 30 seconds or so but stopped.

I installed a programmable thermostat this last Spring, it has worked great all summer. I purposefully got a Braeburn because the old digital thermostat was also a Braeburn, but wasn't programmable. I'm 99% sure I hooked it up exactly like the old one. But I can't get the heater to kick on. I can hear the thermostat "click" trying to trigger it to turn on but nothing happens now. A/C works fine.

Unit is 5 years old, a "Day & Night" I believe made by Carrier. All electric, no gas. Has been flawless for a little over 5 years.

Before I call out somebody who knows what they're doing, I figured I'd ask here, since maybe someone will know what they're doing, more-so than me. Won't take much! Below is the manual to the thermostat and a picture of how I have it wired.

http://www.braeburnonline.com/sites/default/files/products/manuals/2000 Series Manual.pdf

 

[BalticBob]

Set the T-stat fan switch to "manual" to check that the fan is operational.
Most units will run the heat for a few seconds before the fan engages, but the heater will not stay on if the fan is not running.
Might also check the T-stat batteries, make sure they are good.
Check the electric heat breaker in your electrical panel. Sometimes older style 2-pole breakers will trip one half, and this will not allow heater to operate.
Check any breakers or safety dis-connect switches on the unit to see if they may have been turned off.
Too many other controls/safety devices installed to troubleshoot from Texas!

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: BalticBob
Set the T-stat fan switch to "manual" to check that the fan is operational.
Most units will run the heat for a few seconds before the fan engages, but the heater will not stay on if the fan is not running.
Might also check the T-stat batteries, make sure they are good.
Check the electric heat breaker in your electrical panel. Sometimes older style 2-pole breakers will trip one half, and this will not allow heater to operate.
Check any breakers or safety dis-connect switches on the unit to see if they may have been turned off.
Too many other controls/safety devices installed to troubleshoot from Texas!
A/C works fine, I just clicked it on and it runs great. I'm assuming they run off the same breaker? Batteries are newer Duracells that I put in a few months ago. Clicking the fan switch from Auto to ON makes the fan turn on.

 

[BalticBob]

A/C --- good
Clicking the fan switch from Auto to ON makes the fan turn on --- good
Batteries are newer Duracells that I put in a few months ago --- good
I'm assuming they run off the same breaker --- bad

The A/C and heater should have separate breakers.
Check the breaker box, and make sure ALL the breakers are on.
Sometimes they look on, but may be in the tripped position.

 

[BalticBob]

If you are not familiar with electrical breakers ........
if it is tripped, turn it to the "OFF" position, and then to the "ON" position.
You will feel a solid click when turning it on or off.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: BalticBob
A/C --- good
Clicking the fan switch from Auto to ON makes the fan turn on --- good
Batteries are newer Duracells that I put in a few months ago --- good
I'm assuming they run off the same breaker --- bad

The A/C and heater should have separate breakers.
Check the breaker box, and make sure ALL the breakers are on.
Sometimes they look on, but may be in the tripped position.
Looks like 1 breaker to me. Here's a picture of the breaker box. The heater and A/C is an all in one unit, that's how they are in Phoenix. We usually don't have separate furnaces.

 

[sleddriver]

Should be a relay (contactor) that controls your heat strips. If it's dead or not properly wired, you'll have no heat when the t-stat calls for it. I'd recheck your t-stat wiring again.

 

[mk378]

The white wire should generally be on terminal "W" of the thermostat. Did you ever test heat mode after installing this thermostat?

Connecting the red wire to the white wire engages heat mode. With some electric furnaces the thermostat also needs to power up the green wire to start the fan. On gas and other electrics, the fan is controlled locally at the furnace and will start automatically some time after turning on the burner with the white wire. That is handled with a "gas" vs "electric" configuration switch inside the thermostat.

Standard thermostat wiring for simple systems (not heat pump):
Red -- Common live wire, switched to one or more of the others to make stuff happen.
White -- Heat (fuel burners or electric element)
Green -- Interior fan
Yellow -- A/C compressor

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I assume your system is a heat pump rather than separate AC and furnace, which is why it's on a single breaker. Did you test the thermostat to confirm that it works in both AC and heat mode when you installed it?
Did you keep the old thermostat to swap back in and test it?
Since your fan did turn on at one point, I'd suspect the unit rather than the thermostat, but without actually testing it there's no way to know for certain. There are ways to bypass the thermostat for testing, but that's something a knowledgeable repair tech should do, not a college kid swapping out thermostats.

 

[BalticBob]

All good advice, let us know the problem when you get it working.
One area you may check....the T-stat wires are small, and can be broken if tightened too much on the T-stat terminals.
Rare, but it does happen. The original T-stat installer may have done this.
Look at the wires on the T-stat terminals, and make sure they are securely connected and not loose or damaged.

 

[Nick1994]

I can't remember if I tested the heat earlier this year when I replaced it. I might have just been happy once it started blowing cold air again, it was getting hot in the house in the meantime.

I'll call out an A/C guy. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[cheech279]

Is yours a Payne heat pump? There's no wire going to the B terminal, which tells the reversing valve to switch to heat mode. Could that be the issue?

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
I assume your system is a heat pump rather than separate AC and furnace, which is why it's on a single breaker. Did you test the thermostat to confirm that it works in both AC and heat mode when you installed it?
Did you keep the old thermostat to swap back in and test it?
Since your fan did turn on at one point, I'd suspect the unit rather than the thermostat, but without actually testing it there's no way to know for certain. There are ways to bypass the thermostat for testing, but that's something a knowledgeable repair tech should do, not a college kid swapping out thermostats.


I concur. Sounds like the thermostat is sending the signal to the furnace. It's the furnace that has a problem. If the furnace starts up and quickly shuts off, it's sensing a problem with itself. My gas fired furnace did this and I had to clean the flame sensor. I'm assuming this unit is electric?

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
I'm 99% sure I hooked it up exactly like the old one. But I can't get the heater to kick on.

Unit is 5 years old, a "Day & Night" I believe made by Carrier. All electric, no gas.

No gas = no furnace. OK. However, "electric" doesn't tell the whole story. Heat pump? Electric heat? Single or multi-stage?

According to your photo, your t-stat is a "2000NC". The manual indicates
Quote:
Model 2000, 2000NC: Compatibility with low voltage single stage gas, oil or
electric heating or cooling systems, including single stage heat pumps; can
also be used on 250mv to 750mv millivolt heating only systems.

• Model 2000, 2000NC Terminations: Rc, Rh, B, O, Y, W, G, C


The above indicates you have single-stage heat/cool and may have a SSHP.

Just below this a chart is shown. Also see manual pp. 14 & 15.

Finally, it's good practice to trim bare copper wire length so that none is exposed when terminated in a wiring block.

Stay Warm.

 

[EA82]

I see 2 potential problems. 1. If you have a Straight cool unit the white wire should be on W. 2. Since the fan is not running you have to program the thermostat for electric heat instead of gas, common problem. Thermostats come factory programmed for single stage AC with gas furnace. It shows it on your thermostats link you posted about the Gas/EH and C/F calibrations. I wouldnt leave the heat on because the heat strip could be energized without the fan running which could cause a fire and run your electric bill up.

 

[Nick1994]

A/C guy just left. It needed an extra jumper wire for W & Y behind the thermostat for some reason.

Had him go on the roof and check the unit out since it hasn't been looked at in about 3 years. Everything turned out great.

Was only $78 so I gave him a $20 tip.

Thanks for the help guys