Calibrating Ecobee Ultimate Guide!

Ecobee has revolutionized home automation by introducing thermostat, lighting, camera control, and much more. But with the quickly advancing technology, you might get stuck at some points while using Ecobee. A common question raised by most is, “Why does my Ecobee say “calibrating”?”.

We will clarify all your issues and queries related to Ecobee in this article.

Why does my Ecobee say “calibrating”?

Keeping that in mind, when your Ecobee says “calibrating”, it means it is getting accurate readings from your home. Specifically, the temperature in your home is being calculated by your Ecobee. This process mostly takes place after your Ecobee is installed or is rebooting.

While your Ecobee is in the calibration process, you cannot use your heating or cooling system. This can pose inconvenience in case your Ecobee keeps restarting.

You should also know that if the screen says “calibrating” even after 20 minutes of installation, you probably wired the thermostat wrong. In this case, you should remove the thermostat and check the wiring. All the wires should be in the correct terminals and should be pressed down.

How long does it take Ecobee to calibrate?

It takes between 5 to 20 minutes for Ecobee to calibrate. This can happen when Ecobee is installed or when it reboots. Calibration is the process where your Ecobee’s temperature sensor is working on taking a precise reading of your home’s temperature.

The calibration should not take more than 20 minutes. Most users complain that it takes more than 20 minutes, in fact up to 12 hours. This is not a normal occurrence and can be because of an error. If this happens, then you can unplug your device and modem and then power it on again. If you still face problems, then you should contact the customer service.

How do I calibrate my Ecobee?

Calibrating your Ecobee and getting the accurate temperature of your home is a pretty easy process. Follow the steps below to do so:

1. Press the menu button (three horizontal parallel lines on the bottom left corner of the screen).
2. In the ‘Main Menu’, scroll down and go to ‘Settings’.
3. In the ‘Settings’ screen, tap the ‘Installation Settings’.
4. Then, tap on ‘Thresholds’.
5. The ‘Thresholds’ screen will lead to the ‘Temperature Correction’ settings, tap on that.
6. Now, change the temperature according to your preference.

Why does my Ecobee keep restarting?

If your Ecobee keeps on restarting, it might be due to: an issue with the wiring, i.e. the wires are installed incorrectly, are loose, or are damaged, the HVAC unit might need cleaning or servicing, or the furnace might be overheating.

Your Ecobee restarting all the time can be extremely frustrating, preventing you from using the heating and cooling functions. But chances are that the above three reasons are the ones causing the problem.

How to stop the Ecobee from restarting?

Here’s how to solve the above mentioned problems and stop your Ecobee from rebooting again and again.

1.      Wiring issue

In order to function properly, Ecobee thermostats require 24 volts of A/C power through R (red) and C (blue or black) wires. Both the wires should be connected properly to the HVAC control board and the back of the thermostat.

The following issues can disrupt the normal functioning of the wires. We’ve added their solutions next to them! (make sure to turn the power to the HVAC system off before carrying out the solutions below).

Loose connection of wires to the terminals

Reconnect the wires to the terminals. Make sure that the tab next to the terminal is pressed down completely, thus indicating that the wire is perfectly connected.

Improper wire splicing

Spliced wires are very dangerous as they can lead to fires. Therefore, hire an electrician to replace the old spliced wires with new ones.

Corrosion of wires

Remove the corroded wire from the terminal. Scrub it thoroughly with a wire brush. If it doesn’t work, then use 3 tablespoons of baking soda mixed in a cup of warm water and rub the mixture into the wire with a toothbrush. Once the fizzing of the mixture stops, the corrosion will be gone.

2.      Cleaning or servicing of the HVAC unit

Over the time, the HVAC unit can get dirty and form buildup which needs to be cleaned. However, cleaning the HVAC unit should be done by an HVAC technician.

Excessive buildup can lead to overheating of the furnace. The heat exchanger and the condensing coil often get dirty in such cases.

In your air conditioner, condensation will lead to excess water buildup, causing the unit to turn off, thus rebooting the thermostat.

To solve this issue, empty the drain pan then clean it to avoid further buildup of water. Keep a look out for clogging of the drain pipes as well.

3.      Overheating of the furnace

Furnaces contain an auto shut down feature which comes into action whenever overheating is observed to prevent fires. When the furnace temperature sensor is triggered, the HVAC system may turn off the power to the thermostat, causing a reboot due to the loss of connection.

In order to prevent this triggering process, turn down your heat set point by a few degrees. Plus, avoid running the heat over long periods of time.

If your furnace isn’t running on high degrees but is still overheating, it might need to be cleaned up. Clean the dirty filters by following the steps below:

• Keep a look out for the filters every 3 months to ensure that they aren’t clogging up.
• Clean the dirty filters with water and let them dry fully before putting them back into the furnace.
• Every 6 to 12 months of use, replace the filters with new ones.

How do I stop my Ecobee from calibrating?

There can be numerous reasons behind your Ecobee calibrating. To stop it from calibrating, try to power cycle it by restarting your Ecobee and your modem. Check your wiring to see if they are in the correct terminals. Get your HVAC cleaned or get a professional service done. You should also check the troubleshoot settings which are mentioned above.

The maintenance of your Ecobee is very important. It is wise to get a professional service done every now and then. Moreover, make sure that you install the device correctly and none of the wires are damaged.

How do you calibrate Ecobee humidity?

Getting rid of humidity in your homes, especially if you live at a rainy location, can drastically improve the cooling quality. Fortunately, Ecobee offers this. Follow the steps below to calibrate Ecobee humidity:

• Tap the menu button (three horizontal parallel lines on the bottom left corner of the screen).
• In the menu screen, tap on ‘Settings’.
• Next, tap on ‘Installation Settings’.
• Then, tap on ‘Thresholds’.
• Tap on ‘A/C Overcool Max’.
• Set the ‘A/C Overcool’ to 5 Fahrenheit. This will allow your air conditioner to overcool and decrease humidity.

You also have to make sure that you have the correct fan settings.

• Tap the menu button (three horizontal parallel lines on the bottom left corner of the screen).
• In the menu screen, tap on ‘System Cool’.
• Then, tap on ‘Fan’.
• Leave your fan settings to ‘Auto’, if they are different then set it to ‘Auto’.

If you do not have a dedicated dehumidifier, then you can avail the one in your Ecobee.

• Tap the menu button (three horizontal parallel lines on the bottom left corner of the screen).
• In the menu screen, tap on ‘System Cool’.
• At the end you will see ‘Dehumidify using AC’.
• Tap it and then tap ‘On’.
• Set your preferred humidity level.

Can you calibrate Ecobee sensors?

Yes! You can definitely calibrate your Ecobee sensors. This can help the communication issue between the thermostat and the sensor. You can calibrate Ecobee sensors by power cycling them. Removing the batteries from the sensors will lead to calibrating.

• Take off the circular cap placed on the back of the device.
• Next, take out the batteries and set the device aside for 30 minutes.
• Put new batteries back in the device and stand near the thermostat sensor.
• Ecobee will then detect the sensor and ask if you want to register it. Tap on ‘Yes’ and the pairing process will start.
• You can also change the name or label of the sensor.

Should I set my Ecobee to auto?

Yes, you should! By setting your Ecobee on auto, you can benefit from its adaptive technology. This will help maintain the perfect temperature, especially in milder climates and between seasons. When you set it on auto, you will get two set points on the screen: one will be for cooling and the other for heating.

How do I set my Ecobee to auto mode?

Enabling the auto mode on Ecobee is fairly easy.

1. Press the menu button (three horizontal parallel lines on the bottom left corner of the screen).
2. In the ‘Main Menu’, scroll down and go to ‘Settings’.
3. In the ‘Settings’ screen, tap the ‘Installation Settings’.
4. Then, tap on ‘Thresholds’.
5. Select the ‘Auto Heat/Cool’.
6. Then select ‘Enable’.

Once this is done, you can activate the auto mode by tapping on the system found by the thermostat icon. You can also do this by tapping on the main menu, then system, then HVAC.

Concluding my thoughts on calibrating Ecobee!

Ecobee is a great home automation device which can help keep your home cozy and perfectly cool at all times. It uses great technology (such as the calibration mechanism) and is also very user-friendly. All that you need to know about it, you know by now. It is a great investment and can really revolutionize your temperature maintenance.

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