Honeywell Thermostat Says Waiting For Equipment? – (Easy Fix)

Wondering why the Honeywell thermostat says waiting for equipment? Keep reading!

The Honeywell thermostat is the best option for complete control over your home appliances.

However, some users become confused when the thermostat displays a wait message on the display, which in most cases is persistent and sometimes glitches out there indefinitely.

The Honeywell thermostat displays the “Waiting for Equipment” message for 5 minutes to stop the HVAC system from restarting too early after a shutdown.

In case this message persists for more than 5 minutes you need to perform a thorough troubleshooting!

Let’s continue to unwrap!

Honeywell WiFi Thermostat Says Waiting For Equipment?

The Honeywell thermostat displays a “Waiting for Equipment” message for a short period to avoid damage to the compressor from starting too quickly.

However, some other factors can cause the wait message to keep appearing on the thermostat display so let’s learn more!

Note: It’s crucial to identify the root causes of the Honeywell thermostat before troubleshooting!

• The thermostat is not getting power from the HVAC
• The issue with the Honeywell thermostat wiring setup
• There is a wiring issue with your furnace or A/C unit
• Faulty thermostat batteries or malfunctioning panel
• HW issue with the thermostat or surrounding equipment

Now when knowing the possible causes, let’s troubleshoot the Honeywell thermostat!

Honeywell Thermostat Says Waiting For Equipment – Fixed!

If your Honeywell thermostat says “waiting for equipment” for too long or even indefinitely, the steps below would help. We also recommend applying the solutions in consecutive order!

1. Reset the Main Circuit Breaker!

When the Honeywell thermostat cannot detect the equipment, it displays the “waiting” message hence, we can assume what’s causing it.

There is a chance that there is a power issue in your home or with the thermostat, furnace, or AC system, which is causing all of this fuss!

• Simply reset your HVAC circuit breaker to refresh the power to devices!

Here is how to reset the circuit breaker:

1. Switch off the thermostat by pressing a Ring Button from the device.
2. Head over to the circuit breaker location and find the fuse of the HVAC.
3. Turn OFF the circuit breaker by flipping the switch to the “OFF” position.
4. Also, ensure that the wires connectors of the thermostat are connected.
5. Then wait for about 3 minutes and turn the circuit breaker back “ON“.
6. Turn on the Honeywell thermostat and check for the “waiting” message.

Reminder: Don’t forget to wait for about 5 minutes to ensure that the message will not go away as it normally should.

2. Check the Thermostat’s Voltage!

If resetting the breaker did not resolve the “waiting for equipment” message, the Honeywell thermostat may have a voltage problem.

It could happen due to a short circuit, or faulty or loose wiring connection that you can easily identify by an inspection and performing a test.

Here is how to check for the power to the Honeywell thermostat:

Step#1 Dissemble The Thermostat

1. Turn off the thermostat Power Supply from the HVAC Breaker.
2. Take out the thermostat Display Screen from its base!
3. (Tip) You can take a picture of the current wiring allocation.
4. Disconnect all the wires from the thermostat connectors.
5. Inspect the wire strips and ensure that they have no fault.

Step#2 Test The Voltage To Thermostat

1. Take a Multimeter and set it to the AC voltage mode to perform a test.
2. Touch the multimeter probes to the R and C (or Rc and C) terminals.
3. Ensure that the voltage reading should be between 24 to 30 volts AC. 
4. If there is a voltage other than 24 to 30, re-check the wiring for damage.

Step#3 Reassemble The Thermostat 

1. Reconnect the Rh and Rc thermostat wires to their connectors in the base.
2. Also, reconnect the other wires to their appropriate terminals as well! 
3. Make sure that all the wires in the base are properly attached.
4. Lastly, reconnect the thermostat screen properly back in its base.

Once you are done with the above steps, then turn on the power to your thermostat and check whether the “waiting for equipment” message still comes on or not.

If yes, keep reading!

3. Inspect the Wiring & Connections!

Check to see if there is a problem with your furnace or AC system because if the Honeywell home thermostat says waiting for equipment, it could be due to a wiring issue.

This is why the thermostat is still unable to turn on your AC system and still displays the “waiting” message.

Note: You need to check the wiring of your home Furnace and AC system!

Here is how to check the wiring for Furnace and AC:

1. Turn off power to the furnace and the main AC unit. 
2. Remove access panels from the furnace or air handler. 
3. Inspect the wiring for any loose or damaged connections. 
4. Also, check the wirings for any signs of corrosion or wear.
5. Then inspect the wiring from the furnace or air handler. 
6. Also, use a Multimeter to test for the wiring voltage. 
7. Replace any damaged or disconnected wiring connections.

Important: Work with the Honeywell thermostat’s wiring only with the stopped power supply to avoid shock damage!

4. Replace the Thermostat Batteries!

If your Honeywell thermostat runs on a battery, there is a good chance that you have a battery problem, which is causing the “waiting” message.

Even when the device is receiving voltage, the batteries often cause power fluctuations, especially when they are weak.

• All you have to do is to replace the batteries in your Honeywell thermostat!

Here is how to replace the batteries in the Honeywell thermostat:

1. Flip over the HVAC circuit breaker to the OFF position.
2. Remove the screen cover from the Honeywell thermostat.
3. Find the battery compartment from the back of the thermostat. 
4. Install 2 x AAA batteries into the battery compartment.
5. Reconnect the screen cover back onto the thermostat base.
6. Flip over the HVAC circuit breaker to the ON position.
7. Test… 

Note: It is important to replace the batteries in the Honeywell thermostat every year!

5. Factory Reset the Thermostat

In case the “waiting for equipment” message is persistent even after everything that you’ve tried so far, perhaps the reason is software-related.

One of the best ways to deal with any software blunders is to perform a factory restoration process on your Honeywell thermostat (if possible).

Alert: This process deleted all Honeywell thermostat settings!

Here’s how to perform a factory reset on the Honeywell thermostat in easy steps:

1. Press the Menu icon on the thermostat display.
2. Then scroll down to “Thermostat Information”.
3. Next, record the “Date Code” and go back.
4. Then, go to “Installer Options” and enter the code.
5. Next, insert the Honeywell thermostat password.
6. Finally, tap on Reset and choose Factory Reset.

Note: The factory restoration process shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds and the thermostat will definitely restart when the process is over.

6. Replace the Control Panel

There is a chance that the control panel of your Honeywell thermostat is malfunctioning and that’s why it is not getting the full voltage from your HVAC system.

Well, this is the perfect scenario for the “waiting for equipment” message that is not going away soon!

Here is how to replace the control panel in the Honeywell thermostat:

1. Turn off the power from the A/C line to the thermostat.
2. Take off the cover plate from the Honeywell thermostat.
3. Take a picture of the thermostat control panel wiring.
4. Disconnect the wires from their respective connectors.
5. Then unscrew the control panel from the mounting plate.
6. Remove the old control panel by gently pulling it off.
7. Install the new control panel and ensure to fit it properly.
8. Reconnect all the wires to the new control panel connectors.
9. Reconnect the cover plate to the thermostat and test.

Check to see if the “waiting for equipment” message still appears on your thermostat!

Need More Help – “Waiting” Message Still There!

If you’ve tried every troubleshooting step in our guide and you’re still getting the “waiting for equipment” message, your Honeywell thermostat hardware could be faulty.

There are two options – contact the local merchant for a warranty replacement or service your thermostat.

Tip: Contact Honeywell Officials for further assistance and help!

Quick Recap:

Whenever your Honeywell thermostat says waiting for equipment, reset the main circuit breaker (fuse), test the voltage of the thermostat, and replace the thermostat batteries.

In case that doesn’t help, check the furnace and AC wiring connections for any faults!

Read Next: Why Is My Honeywell Thermostat Heat Not Working On Auto?