Why is it that things go crazy when you go on vacation......

I am presently on Florida visiting family. A friend who is feeding my cat mentioned that my house was cooler this morning. Since she was at work, I texted my neighbor to go over and check my thermostat.

Sure enough, the house was at 49 degrees. I left the thermostat set at 63 degrees while away. First thought was thermocouple on furnace went, but on the thermostat it said " battery low" which caused the furnace not to kick on. This is a programmable thermostat with batteries.

My sister and brother in law are going over tonight to change the batteries, but what gets me is why and how your furnace, thermostat, other things just KNOW that you are away and decide to stop working!!

Just coincidence, really, but have been thinking of getting a "Nest" thermostat, but have read that sometimes it doesn't work properly. I go to Florida at Christmas and in March for a week both times. I worry about the heat going off. Any thoughts on good, reliable wifi thermostats that you have used?

The thermostat bbq knows because it has been spying on you. These new devices, tv's, phones, computers, all that stuff gathers info on you and sends it to the big tech companies who sell it everywhere. The idea that you have privacy is along gone.

If you want real control go back to the old style equipment.

Batteries are cheap. Maybe just replace the batteries before leaving in Dec and Mar.

I also am gone a lot and think about the temperature. Heat going off and water lines freezing.

I check the temperature and if it going to get cold I actually drain my water lines when I leave for any period of time. Done it enough that it takes me about 10 minutes. Shut water off at the meter, open a valve to let water drain from lines, use pancake compressor and blow out all the water lines in the house, Put RV antifreeze in traps, toilet tanks and bowls. Done. No worry

Richard, I don’t have a smart thermostat I just have a regular programmable one so I don’t think anyone is spying on me at this point. I only go for a week so draining the system would not be feasible as I have lots of house plants, and a cat so that would not work.

Put the Lime in the Coconut.

Ask your HVAC Company about eliminating the need for

batteries by adding a third wire. (Thermostat to Board)

Another vote for no battery, or get it powered from the air handler, now is the battery changer going to find the book if they are willing to do the program?

Well, my brother-in-law went over and changed the batteries but no luck. Then he went downstairs in my basement to look at the furnace and the pilot light was out. He tried to start it but no luck. It's probably the thermocouple.

I called my plumber and he will be there in the morning. Fortunately the weather has been above freezing during the day. I have a little ventless gas heating stove in my living room that my brother-in-law got started. At least it will take the chill off of the house until the plumber comes tomorrow.

I don't know if the extinguished pilot light had anything to do with the thermostat or not, but the fact that my brother-in-law could not keep the pilot light going seems to me that that was the culprit.

Note to self:

Make reservations

Pack bags

Change battery in stat

Lock door.

Jo, I think it's the same reason a tenant who has a problem for several days waits until Saturday night on a holiday weekend to call needing an immediate fix.

That's why we have family/friends/trustworthy neighbors check on our houses. They are complex and any number of things can go wrong.

You can make a "Travel Prep" checklist that remind you to do A - Y, but then Z happens and you didn't think to check that. So your BIL stops by once every few days to find out that Z happened and take basic stop-gap measures until you can be reached.

That's not a problem, cell phones work in FL. I'd call my HVAC company and have them get the heat going. Than go back to fishing!

I have got rid of all thermostats with batteries. They are nothing but trouble. If the unit is empty in winter, a battery going dead is a disaster.

Jo,

The low battery indicator is just that - the battery is low. It does not mean that the thermostat does not work. If the low battery indicator is on, you need to put new batteries in the thermostat as soon as possible (not a midnight emergency). The batteries have enough power to continue operating the thermostat - we do not know how long.

The low battery indicator is like the "low fuel tank" light on the car. You can keep driving for a little while and do not have a crisis.

If you changed the batteries before you left, the furnace would still have quit. The batteries do not have any effect on the thermo couple.