Common Totaline Thermostat Problems and How to Fix Them
Totaline is renowned for its wide range of thermostats for your home and business. They do a great job in controlling your home’s heating and cooling system for improved comfort and energy efficiency. Totaline features three basic configurations each having different sets of instructions for use.
This guide will explore some of the common Totaline thermostat problems and how they can be solved.
Touch Screen Button Doesn’t Function
If the touch screen button of your thermostat doesn’t function, remove the cover and press the reset button at the bottom left corner. Accurately touch the three target centers on the screen when prompted to recalibrate the touch screen.
Unit Running Backwards
If your thermostat is heating on cool demand and cooling on heat demand, the heat pump setting is wrong. Go to step 3 on your thermostat setup and change the heat pump settings. If it is a commercial heat pump, you don’t need a heat pump thermostat, so step 3 should be turned off.
Clock Losing Time
This is caused by the furnace tripping on the high-temperature limit or other safety limit and your thermostat doesn’t have batteries (drawing all power from the C-Wire). If the temperature limit is exceeded, it shuts off the 24VAC to the thermostat and the burner. If the stat loses power, the clock stops. Homeowners will hardly notice a problem because the furnace blower remains on.
When the temperatures are within the limits, the burner will come on, and the power to the stat will be restored. To correct this problem you need to find the cause of high temperature. The cause might be due to dirty filters.
Resetting Your Thermostat PIN
If you forgot your pin and cannot unlock the thermostat begin by removing the cover plate. Press the reset button at the bottom right corner when you see the “touch to reset button” message. Your pin will be erased and the thermostat will unlock.
Batteries Die Rapidly
If batteries die rapidly in your wireless thermostat chances are that you are using the regular alkaline batteries. It’s advisable to use the AA lithium batteries as the alkaline batteries cause erratic thermostat operation. It is also important to check the status of your backlight. If they are ON then chances are that your batteries will run down very rapidly. If you want to keep the backlight on, call an expert to wire the thermostat such that it draws power from the C Line.
Display Shows “PF” When Starting Cooling Or Heating
This error message will only show when there is no common wire. If the message persists and there is a common wire check for bad connection, broken wire, short connection, or continuity. If the equipment is a cool only, heat only or heat pump you MUST have a common wire.
If the equipment is gas/electric, the start will work without a common wire. However, if it goes blank when heating or cooling add a resistor at the equipment side between W and C.
No Display During Heating
The thermostat display will most likely go blank if the furnace is tripping on the high limit. The furnace breaks the R leg to the thermostat and shuts off the burners. This way the thermostat has no power but to go blank. The solution to this problem is checking the cause of the limit trips.
Fluctuating Temperature or Partial Display
Partial display or fluctuating temperatures result from a poor connection between the thermostat and backplate. This is mostly because the backplate is fixed against an uneven wall. To fix this problem, loosen the screws that attach the backplate to the wall, allowing it to flatten out. You should then snap the thermostat back onto the backplate.
Thermostat Doesn’t Respond To Room Temperature Changes
Your thermostat will likely not respond to room temperature when there is air passing over the temperature sensor from the wall behind the thermostat. This problem can be solved by insulating the hole behind the thermostat with an insulating material or spray foam.
Temperature Inaccurately Calibrates The Thermostat
If the temperature inaccurately calibrates the thermostat, enter the installer setup by pressing the FAN key for ten seconds. Adjust the option 13 to your desired offset value which is usually (between +5 and -5 degrees).
Buttons Don’t Work
The likely reason why a thermostat button doesn’t work is that the keypad is locked. To unlock the keypad use this sequence: Mode, Copy Previous Day, Set Time/Temp, and hold. If you want to disable this feature enter the installer setup by pressing FAN for 10 seconds and set the option 18 to Off.
Thermostat Doesn’t Turn on Heat or Cool
If your thermostat doesn’t turn on the heat or cool you should check the house code on the receiver and the thermostat. They have to match. The house code on the thermostat is set in the setup step 4 while the receiver is set using dip switches.
The setup step 3 (zoning) should be set to no. It also important to check batteries – thermostats work best with AA lithium batteries, alkaline work correctly.
Temperature Setting Doesn’t Change
If your temperature setting doesn’t change have the heating and cooling temperature set to acceptable ranges. The heating temperatures should be between 4.5 to 32°C and the cooling temperature between 10 to 37 °C.
READ ALSO: Best Thermostat With Humidifier Control
Cool or Heat is Flashing
If your heat or cool feature is flashing the compressor protection feature is probably engaged. You have to wait for at least five minutes for the system to restart safely.
Setup Can’t Go Past Step 2
If your thermostat setup can’t get into the advanced setup or can’t get past step 2, get into the setup with any of the four-button thermostat; (Mode and override or hold mode and fan) for seven seconds. If you hold it for two seconds you only get to step 2 that is why you need to hold it for seven seconds.
Temperature Inaccurate
For inaccurate temperature calibrate the thermostat. On the four-button mode on the thermostat press mode and down for two seconds and the display will light up. Press the mode button, the room temperature will appear. You can use the up and down button to adjust the temperature. Press on the mode button.
For the 8 button models with a door, press the hold and fan mode for 5 seconds and the display will light up. Press up and down at once and the room temperature will appear. Use the up and down key to adjust the temperature. Press on the mode button.