With the blistering summer now in full swing, there’s nothing better than a tall glass of lemonade, a nice cold shower, and a lazy evening spent in your air-conditioned living room. But what happens when the wall-mounted device that tells your AC to start blasting cold air stops working? The ice in your lemonade starts to melt, you’re starting to sweat again after the shower, and your chillax mood starts going down the drain as the heat frustration takes over.

Fear not! We’ve got you covered with 5 of the most common problems and fixes for your NUVE or other smart thermostats. For reference, we’ll be using our AURA Smart Thermostat (Powered by NUVE) in all of the helpful images we’ll include. This tutorial will still help you troubleshoot any NUVE or most smart thermostats, even if it’s not our AURA Smart Thermostat.

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Topics Covered:

• Thermostat is Showing a Black Screen
• AC or Furnace Not Responding
• Temperature Settings Can’t be Adjusted
• AC or Furnace Responding Incorrectly

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Thermostat is Showing a Black Screen

Your Circuit Breaker May Need a Reset

Fortunately, this is a simple issue to identify and fix. First, you’ll want to turn off all of the devices connected to your circuit breaker. Then, locate the electric service panel; it may look like this: 

Once you have opened the door to the service panel, any circuit breaker levers (little tabs on the breakers) that point towards the center of the panel are in the ON positions, and any levers that point away from the center of the panel are in the OFF position. Any that are in between are also considered OFF. Locate the lever that controls the power to the thermostat as well as the heating and cooling system, and switch it to the OFF position (if it’s not already OFF) and then switch it back to the ON position

If the lever stays ON, then the breaker has successfully been reset and you can check to see if your thermostat has turned on. If the lever switches back to the OFF or in-between position, there’s a larger issue at play with the circuit breaker, and you may need a professional to help address the issue. The electricians over at Peak Heating and Cooling are equipped to address all your electrical needs and can even help you troubleshoot your NUVE thermostat, as they have plenty of experience installing them.

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Your Furnace Door May Be Open

As a safety feature, most furnaces will not operate when their sensors indicate their doors are open, and so the thermostat may be responding to that.

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AC or Furnace Not Responding

If your heating and cooling systems don’t seem to be responding to the temperature changes you’ve made on your thermostat, you can test the response by setting the thermostat to a drastically different temperature to start up your AC/furnace.

Set to an "extreme" temperature: Set the temperature much higher than the current indoor temperature. If your furnace turns on within the next 3-5 minutes, you may start adjusting the temperature down to a comfortable level. Repeat the same steps, but set the temperature much lower to test out the AC. If your AC turns on within the next 3-5 minutes, you may start adjusting the temperature up to a comfortable level.
Reset your circuit breaker: If neither of these steps work, you may try resetting your circuit breaker and ensuring the power switch for the heating and cooling system is turned on. Scroll above or click here to see how you can do this.

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Temperature Settings Can’t be Adjusted

If you are unable to set your desired temperature, here are a few steps you can take to fix that:

Keep temperatures within range: Ensure that the heating and cooling temperature settings are within acceptable ranges. (40°F - 90°F)
Engaged compressor protection feature: If the snowflake or sun indicators on the screen start flashing, this means that the compressor protection feature is engaged. Wait for 2-5 minutes to allow a safe restart of the system, preventing compressor damage.

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AC or Furnace Responding Incorrectly

There are a couple of reasons why your AC/furnace may not be working. One reason may not be related to your thermostat at all, instead, it may be caused by issues in your heating and cooling system. For tips on fixing or troubleshooting your AC, check out our How to Fix the Most Common AC Repairs Yourself Homeowners' Guide. For tips on fixing or troubleshooting your furnace, check out our When To Call a HVAC Professional for Furnace Repairs Homeowners' Guide.

Incorrect responses from your AC/furnace could also be an issue related to the wiring of your HVAC system. In cases like this, it’s recommended to call a professional technician, as there are significant risks associated with attempting to repair high-voltage electrical wiring on your own.

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The Verdict

For as convenient and hassle-free a smart thermostat can be, like all electronics, certain problems and conditions can stop it from working. While you can troubleshoot most of these problems yourself in a matter of minutes, sometimes, the best solution is to seek help from a professional. If it turns out the problem lies with your AC/furnace, it may be about time to schedule you HVAC system for a repair or maybe, even time to replace your system with a Peak Series system. In the same way that your car or smartphone may need to be looked at by a professional when problems arise, so does your HVAC system! For a speedy same-day/next-day appointment with a technician, book here with Peak Heating and Cooling.