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I am waiting for the technician to arrive in 48 hours but the thermostat seriously does not raise the temperature - it raises some but not much. It has been sitting at 61 half of the day while it is set at 70. Outside temp is 30 degrees.

The thermostat is new. I think the wire in the back is loose. What are some signs of loose wire?

The heating system is boiler operated and has three zones. One zone for bedrooms, one for living room/kitchen and one for basement. The affected zone is the bedroom. The thermostat guy came today and said he would not know how to work with it because it is operated with a boiler. He tried to open it and he broke it. That’s all he did then he left. Shame on that company

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  • While the signs are similar, safety depends on the type of thermostat. If this is a low voltage (e.g., 24V) thermostat - typically several wires in one cable that goes from the thermostat down (or up) to the HVAC equipment - then it is safe to take off the thermostat and inspect/adjust the wires. But if it is a line voltage thermostat (120V or 240V, typically between 2 and 5 wires in one or two cables going to the main breaker panel and (typically) baseboard heating then it is very dangerous to mess with the wires unless you turn off the power at the panel first.
    – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
    Commented Dec 2, 2022 at 5:44
  • "the thermostat seriously does not raise the temperature. " Does 'seriously' means it raises it some but not enough? Or, does it not work at all?
    – Steve Wellens
    Commented Dec 2, 2022 at 5:46
  • It raises some but not much. It has been sitting as 61 half of the day while it is set at 70. Outside temp is 30 degrees.
    – Samira Bahrainy
    Commented Dec 2, 2022 at 6:12
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    If the heat is working but isn't raising the temperature sufficiently, it's unlikely to be a loose wire to the thermostat. Since the thermostat is new, it's probably not the problem. That leaves the heater(s) not producing sufficient heat.
    – DoxyLover
    Commented Dec 2, 2022 at 8:31
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    First things first: What sort of heating system is it and is it running? Blaming the thermostat is easy because that's what you see. Given that it's new, you might be right, it could be a loose wire, or more likely some of the settings are off. If electric furnace and it's running, could mean a burned out element or clogged filter. If a heat pump, could be low on refrigerant. If the system is running and not bringing your house up to set point, it could mean you have insufficient insulation for cold weather. Tell us more and we'll give better answers.
    – George Anderson
    Commented Dec 2, 2022 at 15:41

2 Answers 2

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Give them a tug.

There are many types of connectors involved with low-voltage wiring, but the two most common are spring inserts and simple screws. Either can be easily checked by just pulling gently on the wire. It'll be immediately apparent if there's not a solid attachment.

A more scientific approach would be a continuity test, but you'd need either a return path or very long test leads. You can also check for voltage, which gives some indication that there's a connection of some sort.

Thermostat wires can often be accessed by pulling the unit off its base plate. Furnace wires are usually behind the lower (fan compartment) cover. Take caution with the latter as there's also high voltage in that area. Consult your manuals for both.

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Based on the update that it is a boiler with 3 zones and 2 zones work correctly and the third does not, that points to one of two possibilities:

  • Thermostat

The thermostat is not properly calling for heat, which could be a loose wire or some other thermostat malfunction.

The good news is that this is almost certainly a low voltage (24V) thermostat, so taking it off and checking the wires for loose connections is a reasonably safe thing to do.

  • Boiler

The zone controller in the boiler is not working properly or a valve is not working properly, or something is clogged somewhere so that insufficient (or none at all) water makes it to the bedroom zone.

You may be getting to 61 degrees from partial heating (e.g., a partially clogged pipe) or from the other zones.

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  • 1
    Or there's a failed pump, or a closed valve, rather than a clog.
    – keshlam
    Commented Dec 4, 2022 at 3:14

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