This is a good time to check the batteries in your home's thermostat.

[MineralMan]

Just saying. It's cold out there. People forget those batteries. HVAC techs fix a lot of "no heat" calls by putting new batteries in. Might as well replace them yourself and save the cost of a service call. Just saying...

[gab13by13]

1. Good advice,

Changed mine along with smoke detectors and CO detector.

What's with the price of batteries, wow.

[Locrian]

2. ah the dreaded LOBAT error

(low battery) - my wife asked me: "what is LOBAT"?

Also check your furnace filter: Your furnace will be working overtime - no reason to make its life harder with a dirty / restricted filter.

[MineralMan]

8. Also good advice.

I wrote all of the content for several HVAC company websites a few years ago. In doing that, I talked to a lot of technicians to help me learn more about that business. Got lots of good tips.

[MineralMan]

9. Funny!

[W_HAMILTON]

3. How long do they normally last?

We just had a new thermostat installed, and even though I think the old one was wired, I'm not sure how this new one was set up. I tried calling my HVAC company, but I forgot a lot of places are off today due to this being Christmas weekend. If they did use a thermostat with batteries rather than the wired connection, how long do the batteries normally last? And what sorts of batteries are they usually? Just like normal AAA or AA or some of the weird kinds that are shaped like a coin?

[MineralMan]

5. I don't know, frankly.

If yours is any sort of "smart" thermostat, it probably has its own batteries. Mine uses AA batteries. I don't know about yours. If you can't find where to look, do a Google search for the brand and model you have. You can find a user's manual for any thermostat ever made, pretty much. It will be a pdf file you can read in your browser.

My normal thing to do is replace batteries in devices like that once a year. I don't pay much attention to them other than that.

[gab13by13]

7. Mine takes 2 AAA batteries, if I remember right,

they last pretty long there isn't much drain on them, at least 6 months, probably longer. Looking at MM's post, they may be AA.

I just looked at mine they are AA.

[qazplm135]

10. Almost two years now

No lobat.

[Elessar Zappa]

4. Good advice.

I was embarrassed once when my heat went off and I called a tech, all for him to tell me that I needed new batteries. Doh!

[MineralMan]

6. That's the most common reason for "no heat."

We forget stuff like that all the time, I guess.

[Shermann]

11. This is especially important when leaving the house vacant for a while

Been there, done that.

My current thermostats have external power, so that's no longer a risk.

[Niagara]

12. I'm responding now before your OP is locked over some odd reason.

Every Halloween, we replace all batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. We should purchase new smoke alarms for next year however as I'm not sure how old they are. When we get this completed, I'll be writing the date of purchase on the back of the new smoke alarms.


Both the furnace filters are also replaced. (We own and live in an entire duplex).


We cover the central air units and the outdoor grill. We make sure the hose is unplugged from the outside spigot, very important preparing for freezing temperatures.


Speaking of negative freezing temperatures, we let the water slowly drip from a few faucets to prevent the pipes from freezing.


Our home's thermostat is vintage, so we don't have to replace the batteries in that as of yet.

[dalton99a]

13. Kick