Ecobee Heating Instead Of Cooling? (Here’s How to Fix!)

When Ecobee heating instead of cooling, most users rush to conclusions immediately!

The Ecobee thermostat is a great option for personalized temperature control for your home but sometimes causes issues with the temperature.

Heating instead of cooling is not necessarily a serious failure with your system, so relax, and continue to unwrap…

If your Ecobee thermostat blows hot air instead of cool air, it may indicate a connection issue between the HVAC and thermostat. Check and secure all wiring connections to the correct terminals.

There’s more so keep reading!

Why Ecobee Turns on Heat Instead of Cool?

There are many factors that can prevent your Ecobee thermostat from turning on heating such as Ecobee wiring issues, HVAC system problems, and incorrect configuration.

Let’s see…

✅ Temporal bug: Your Ecobee thermostat might only need to be power cycled.

✅ Incorrect settings: Your thermostat is set up to the wrong temperature settings.

✅ Incorrect wiring: Wires are loosely connected to plugged into the wrong connector.

✅ Faulty reverse valve: The reversing valve is configured on incompatible settings.

✅HVAC system fault: HVAC system-related headaches such as a refrigerant leak.

That’s all so, let’s troubleshoot!

How to Fix When Ecobee Heating Instead of Cooling?

Tip: Try all of the solutions in chronological order!

1. Check the Thermostat Settings

There is a chance that your thermostat is set to incorrect cooling mode or temperature and this is why the unit is blowing the heat instead of cooling.

No need to worry at all, you only need to simply inspect your thermostat settings and configuration.

Here is how to configure the settings of the Ecobee thermostat:

1. First, wake up the thermostat.
2. Go to Main Menu > Settings.
3. Then, tap on the Preferences.
4. Navigate to the Heating Range.
5. Adjust the option and then save.
6. Navigate to the Cooling Range.
7. Tweak the setting and then save.

You can also configure and adjust the other preferences on your Ecobee thermostat accordingly and then reboot your thermostat.

How to Reboot the Ecobee Thermostat?

1. Turn off the thermostat’s circuit breaker.
2. Then, disconnect the unit from its base.
3. Wait for about 5 minutes for a soft reset.
4. Then, put your unit back into the base.
5. Turn on the thermostat’s circuit breaker.

Note: Make sure your Ecobee thermostat is not running on a weak battery!

2. Inspect the Thermostat’s Wiring!

Typically, the thermostat causes temperature problems when there are issues with the wiring of the unit.

If you have recently changed or upgraded your Ecobee thermostat then it’s a good time to inspect your thermostat wiring to ensure that the wires are plugged in the correct terminals. 

Here is how to inspect the wiring of the Ecobee thermostat:

1. Disconnect the thermostat from the power source!
2. Then, tightly grab and pull off the unit from its base.
3. Finally, inspect the thermostat wiring connections:

• For Conventional System: Ensure orange (O) wire is plugged into a W terminal.
• For Heat Pump: Ensure orange (O) wire is plugged into an O/B terminal.

Also, check the other wires to ensure that they are securely plugged into their terminals. When everything is in order, then simply plug your thermostat back into its base and turn it on to test.

Tip: We recommend unplugging and securely replugging all wires separately for justification!

3. Check the O/B Reverse Valve Settings

If you have a heat pump set up, then there is a small reverse valve device that energizes the heat pump to switch between the heating and cooling modes.

However, over time the reverse valve gets stuck or becomes malfunctioning and that’s why the thermostat turns on heat when cool is needed and vice versa.

The Solution?

• Switch your Ecobee thermostat heat pump settings between cooling modes!

How to Adjust the Ecobee Heat Pump Settings?

1. First, wake up the thermostat.
2. Go to the Main Menu section.
3. Then, find and press Settings.
4. Press on Installation Settings.
5. Tap on the Equipment option.
6. Then, tap on the Heat Pump.
7. Select O/B Reversing Valve.
8. Switch the current cooling mode.  

Info: If after switching the heat pump mode to the opposite mode and your Ecobee thermostat still turns on the heating instead of cooling, then the reverse valve is faulty!

4. Calibrate the Temperature Readings!

There is a chance that your Ecobee thermostat temperature sensor is calibrated to inaccurate temperature readings compared to your room temperature.

In those cases, that would be the reason why it is causing the heating issues, so tweak the temp settings to ensure accuracy.

Here is how to correct the Ecobee temperature:

1. First, wake up your Ecobee thermostat.
2. Tap on the Menu and go to the Settings.
3. Find and enter the Installation Settings.
4. Then press on the Threshold option.
5. Choose the Temperature Correction.
6. Adjust the Ecobee temperature readings.

In case that doesn’t help, continue reading further!

5. Check for *Auto Heat* or *Cool Mode*

The next step is to check the threshold for Auto Heat / Cool Mode because this feature is set by default on mostly all Ecobee thermostats.

If this mode is enabled on your unit then there is a chance that your HVAC is either set to Auto or Heat mode, causing a conflict in the user’s input.

There are two ways to solve the conflict:

• Simply disable the Auto Heat / Mode option.
• Set your Ecobee HVAC system to Auto mode.

Here is how to check for the Ecobee thermostat Heat/ Cool Mode:

Step #1 Check for Auto Heat / Cool Mode 

1. Enter the unit’s Settings option.
2. Tap on the Installation Settings.
3. Then navigate to the Thresholds.
4. Tap on the Auto Heat / Cool tile.
5. Finally, choose Disable or Enable. 

Important Note!

• When you disable the Auto Heat / Cool Mode, your thermostat doesn’t automatically switch between heating and cooling; instead, it follows your configured settings. 

• If you have enabled the Auto Heat / Cool Mode then you need to check your HVAC settings and make sure it is set to Auto instead of heating or cooling.

Step #2 Check Ecobee HVAC Settings

1. Turn on the thermostat.
2. Go to the Main Menu.
3. Then, tap on the System.
4. Next, tap on the HVAC.
5. Select the Auto option.

When everything is configured then give your thermostat some time and then test whether the unit will turn on the heating or cooling system.

Tip: In case of complications, go to Thresholds > Heat / Cool Min Delta and slightly tweak the adjustment for the temperature difference for HVAC Auto mode.

6. Reset Your Ecobee Thermostat

If your Ecobee thermostat is still turning on the heating instead of cooling when the temperature settings and calibration are correctly configured it’s possibly a bug.

All you have to do is factory reset your thermostat to restore your unit to its default settings.

Note: Resetting the Ecobee will more likely resolve the software-related problem!

Here is how to reset the Ecobee thermostat:

1. Wake up your thermostat.
2. Then go to the Main Menu.
3. Scroll and tap on Settings.
4. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
5. Choose the Reset All option.

Note: Once the reset process ends then you can set up your Ecobee thermostat in the app by clicking on the “Let’s Get Started” button.

7. Check for Hardware Damage!

It’s necessary to take a good look at your Ecobee thermostat and HVAC system, before drawing your final conclusions.

The heating instead of cooling might be an indication of any pipe cracks, damaged sites, and of course HVAC system malfunction.

If needed, reboot the entire system and inspect all factors involved, and try to spot where the fault is.

Know that it’s quite useless to attempt resolving hardware matters yourself so if you notice any seek help!

Still, Heating Instead of Cooling?

In case nothing in this guide helped you solve the issue, then it is possible that your HVAC has a refrigerant leak problem or something else affecting the performance.

So, the next best step is to contact a professional technician or Ecobee Support for help. Best of luck!

Reminder: Don’t forget to check your Ecobee thermostat’s warranty for free servicing!

Quick Recap:

If your Ecobee is heating instead of cooling, first, check the thermostat settings such as temperature, cooling, calibration, O/B reverse valve, and Auto Heat / Cool mode. Also, inspect the thermostat wiring, reset the circuit breaker or factory reset the thermostat.

For more Ecobee thermostat solution guides such as this one, visit our blog!

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