Vivint Thermostat Not Working After Battery Change? (Easy Fix)

Asking why is the Vivint thermostat not working after battery change? You’ve found the answer!

If your Vivint thermostat unit refuses to work after having the batteries replaced, chances are that you’ve positioned them incorrectly.

There could be some sort of issue with the charge inside of your Vivint thermostat and you may have to reseat the units.

To fix a Vivint thermostat that won’t work after a battery charge, re-seat the batteries correctly and attempt to remove them for 30 seconds. Insert new batteries into the thermostat and perform a factory reset.

Why Does The Vivint Thermostat Not Working After Battery Change?

If your Vivint thermostat refuses to work after a battery change, then chances are that there is a fault with the batteries themselves.

Although you could have placed them incorrectly, replacing the battery units is the first thing that Vivint users attempted when running into this problem.

Here are the potential faults that could have occurred with your Vivint thermostat after the battery change.

1. Incorrect Batteries

If your thermostat was fully functional before replacing the batteries, you could be using incorrect units.

2. Incorrect Battery Position

Having the batteries placed with the wrong electric pole will result in your thermostat not working.

3. Compartment/Terminal Problem

Some of the users report that they’ve identified issues with the battery compartment’s terminals.

4. Problematic Thermostat

Chances are not high, but it’s possible that there is a problem with your Vivint thermostat.

5. Software Problem

Replacing the batteries could have resulted in a software problem with your Vivint thermostat.

After taking a brief look at the following causes, keep reading to learn how to fix your Vivint thermostat that isn’t working after a battery change.

How To Fix Vivint Thermostat Not Working After A Battery Change Issue?

The solutions that are coming up in our guide are designed to consecutively troubleshoot the functionality of your thermostat.

If you’ve identified any fatal problem or fault during the session, make sure to contact a technician instead of doing pointless troubleshooting when your thermostat is simply broken.

Here’s how to fix your Vivint thermostat with easy solutions.

Solution #1 Re-Seat Batteries Correctly

Chances are that you’ve inserted the batteries of your Vivint thermostat incorrectly.

That’s to say because when having the batteries improperly attached, your thermostat will stop working since the electricity withdrawal will become impossible.

Here’s how to reseat the batteries of your Vivint thermostat correctly:

1. Take the front panel of your Vivint out, underneath the screen.
2. Expose 4 of the battery units and eject them.
3. Place the batteries into the compartment again, with the dot facing towards the left.
4. Repeat with the other side of the compartment, with the battery’s dog facing right.

Note: Before hurrying to re-insert the batteries, keep them out for the last 60 seconds, in order for your thermostat to fully discharge.

Solution #2 Clean The Thermostat’s Battery Compartment

If you haven’t cleaned your thermostat’s battery compartment in a while, there’s a chance that dirt is blocking one or more of your batteries from making contact.

In such a case, what you should do is appropriately clean the compartment.

Here’s how to clean your thermostat’s battery compartment:

1. Take out the panel of the batteries underneath the screen of your thermostat.
2. Grab a Q-tip and either drip it into vinegar or lemon juice.
3. Using the Q-tip, collect any corrosion and dirt on the battery’s contact poles.
4. Grab a dry napkin and dry up the compartment.

Note: Don’t insert the batteries while the compartment is still affected by the lemon juice or vinegar.

Insert the units once you’ve dried up the compartment and it is dry on touch.

Solution #3 Use Correct Batteries

There’s a high chance that you’re not using the correct batteries for your Vivint thermostat.

Although the batteries Vivint uses are standard, some models may have different battery specifications, rather than the 4 non-rechargeable AA alkaline batteries.

For this purpose, it’s recommended to have the instructions book of your thermostat and open the book at the required batteries page.

There, you can learn what batteries exactly your thermostat uses and have them replaced.

Tip: Ensure that the new batteries you’re inserting and the old ones look the same.

If your thermostat worked with the previous batteries, it should work with the new ones but of the same type.

Solution #4 Insert New Batteries

If you’ve made sure that you’ve inserted the correct batteries into your Vivint thermostat, perhaps the units are faulty.

If that’s the case, our best suggestion is to insert new batteries into your Vivint device.

We assume that you’re already familiar with how to replace the batteries, so we won’t bother you with that additional information.

Simply make sure that you’re inserting them correctly as we’ve explained in the first solution.

Note: Don’t use any second-hand batteries or units you’ve already used with an alternative device that you know works.

Instead, grab a brand new packet of 4 AA batteries and put them into your thermostat.

Solution #5 Power Reset Thermostat

There’s an easy way to perform a power reset on your thermostat as a final fix against any power issues and blunders.

That is to reset your entire HVAC system through the circuit breaker.

Here’s how to power reset your Vivint thermostat:

1. Go over to your circuit breaker’s box.
2. Locate the lever that has an “HVAC” or “A/C” above it.
3. Pull the switch downwards.
4. After 5 seconds, flip the switch back up again.

Note: Your thermostat will reboot after the following sequence. Determine if it will work after the power reset.

Do I Need To Reset My Thermostat After Changing Batteries?

Not really. Factory reset could definitely help with issues that are software or firmware-related, but shouldn’t have anything to do with the power of the thermostat.

Moreover, if your thermostat doesn’t boot at all, you won’t be able to perform a factory reset.

If your thermostat boots, here’s how to perform a factory reset on it:

1. From the home screen, press the SIDE button for 3 seconds.
2. Hit the DOWN button to highlight the installer and then again, press the SIDE button.
3. Next, highlight RESET and then hit the side button again.
4. Finally, hit the RESET button again and wait.

Note: A restart will follow up on your thermostat after the factory reset is complete and once it is done, your device is going to be reset.

Read Next: Changed Batteries in Thermostat and Now Nothing Works? (Fixed)

Bottom Line:

Thus, to fix a Vivint thermostat that won’t work after a battery change, perform a power cycle and reinsert the batteries correctly. Ensure that you’re using the correct batteries and replace them if needed.

If needed, reset your thermostat’s power from the HVAC switch in the circuit breaker.

Now that you know why the Vivint thermostat not working after the battery change, use our solutions to fix the problem. There’s a chance that your thermostat got faulty and needs replacing or repairing.