What to do if your wireless home thermostat isn’t working
There’s nothing worse than coming home on a winter’s evening to a cold house and realising that your heating hasn’t come on. So what to do?
Well, the reality is a heating problem is unlikely to be a technical problem with your thermostat. Wireless home thermostats are built to last and there are relatively few parts to go wrong.
But if you do think your wireless thermostat is not working, or you just want to discount it as the source of the problem, here are a few things to try. These tips apply to our smart thermostats, but if you have a different kind, it’s still worth giving them a try. Same goes if you have a wireless multi zone or underfloor heating thermostat.
How to fix your wireless thermostat
1. Check your internet connection
As with most problems, the right solution is often the simplest. Smart heating uses a thermostat with a wireless remote sensor that connects to the receiver and works via an internet connection. So a good start is to check if your home WiFi isn’t working. It’s the most common reason why your Hive thermostat is not connecting.
2. Update your app version
Have you got the latest version of the Hive app on your phone? It’s another common reason why your Hive thermostat isn’t working, because the instructions you’re putting into the app might not register on your thermostat. To check you have the latest version, visit the app store and look for an ‘update’ button.
3. Look at the service status page
Go to status.hivehome.com to see the status of the Hive app and website. This will tell you if there are any problems with Hive’s services.
4. Put new batteries in your smart thermostat
If none of the fixes above help, it’s time to take a closer look at your Hive thermostat. Sounds obvious, but have you checked the batteries? When they’re low, you should get an alert and the screen may not work. Here’s how you change them:
Press the tab on the base of the thermostat to remove it from the wall.
Open the back plate of the thermostat and replace the four AA batteries.
Close the back plate and re-hang. This will restart the thermostat which should help establish a connection to the wireless thermostat receiver.
5. Check no one’s moved your hub
Your thermostat is connected to your smartphone via your Hive Hub. Where you put your hub can make a big difference to how effectively it works. So it’s worth checking it hasn’t been knocked over, moved or put in a cupboard. Why your wireless thermostat is not working could be as simple as that.
6. Reboot your hub
To do this:
Switch the hub off at the wall socket and then switch it back on again.
Give the hub 5-10 minutes to reboot and then go to the dashboard in the app and refresh the page.
For a more detailed look at rebooting your Hub, read our step-by-step guide.
7. Reboot your receiver
This is a bit more complex, but still something you can do yourself:
Switch the boiler off at the isolation switch (normally near your receiver next to your boiler).
Switch the boiler back on. The status light on the receiver will flash pink/amber then green.
Hold the central heating button down on the receiver until the status light flashes pink. Release the button then press and hold it again until the status light is double flashing amber.
To reconnect the receiver to your hub, put your hub into pairing mode by selecting 'Install devices' in the Hive app menu. Tap 'Add another device' then 'Go', which will start the hub’s search. Leave the hub searching until the receiver status light changes to a single flash of amber.
Hold down the 'back arrow' button and the 'menu' button on the thermostat at the same time (these are the bottom left and bottom middle buttons below the silver dial). Keep pressing these buttons until the thermostat display says 'Welcome, searching'.
When you see 'Search' disappear from the screen, the receiver status light will turn green. The thermostat will then take you through a welcome tour.
Wait five minutes and then go to the dashboard in the Hive app and refresh the page. The ‘offline’ message should no longer be showing for heating. Once you see an inside temperature display on your thermostat again, try to turn the heating on.
If the heating turns on and the 'status' and 'central heating' lights are green, you’re done!
Still not up and running? Don’t panic!
There’s no need to call a plumber or buy a replacement wireless thermostat just yet. You might find the answer as to why your Hive thermostat is not working on the support section of our website.
