Whenever a Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 68°, it could be caused by an applied lower temperature limitation or a bug.
So, to understand what causes the problem and how to approach the issue in consecutive steps, keep reading further into our guide!
If your Honeywell thermostat’s cooling setting won’t go below 68°, perform a power cycle on the device and replace the inserted batteries. In case you’re still facing the issue, then clean the air filters, disable any limitations, and inspect the thermostat’s HVAC system.
Let’s review the problem with your Honeywell thermostat in depth!
Why Won’t My Honeywell Thermostat Go Below 68°?
Apart from the potentially applied temperature limiter, there could be other causes resulting in the locked-in temperature of the thermostat.
It is also possible that hardware components have caused the problem, such as clogged air filters or issues with the installed A/C devices.
Let’s review all of the possible causes for the Honeywell thermostat problem:
- There’s an applied temperature limiter to the thermostat.
- The outdoor temperature is way too high for cooling.
- The air filters of the Honeywell thermostat are clogged.
- One of the A/Cs in the Honeywell system disconnected.
- There’s a problem with the HVAC system compressor.
- The software of the Honeywell thermostat is bugged.
Honeywell Thermostat Won’t Go Below 68 On A/C – Easy Fix!
Tip: Follow our instructions in a consecutive order to fix the issue faster!
1. Power Cycle the Thermostat
The problem can be potentially caused by a temporal software/hardware issue with the Honeywell thermostat.
To resolve any problem impacting the proper software or hardware functionality of the device, it is recommended to apply a power circulation process!
Note: The power cycle does not erase any thermostat settings!
Here’s how to power cycle the Honeywell thermostat in easy-to-follow steps:
- Power off the Honeywell thermostat with the side button.
- Next, access the battery compartment of the thermostat.
- Eject the batteries of the thermostat from the compartment.
- Wait for 40 seconds while the batteries are disconnected.
- Re-install the batteries into the compartment of the device.
Tip: Change the Thermostat Batteries!
If you haven’t replaced the batteries of the Honeywell thermostat in a while, now is the best time to do so.
Insert two AA or AAA batteries inside the thermostat, based on the model and type of Honeywell device.
Ensure the batteries are inserted into the correct position before closing!
Note: The batteries of the thermostat must be inserted accordingly to the electrical poles!
2. Bypass Applied Temperature Limiter
The primary reason why the Honeywell thermostat won’t start cooling below 68° is due to an applied temperature limiter.
There is an easy way to deactivate the limiter and start using the Honeywell thermostat’s cooling regime much below 68° so here you’ll learn exactly what to do!
Follow these instructions to bypass the temperature limiter on the Honeywell:
- Press the “Set” button on the menu that will appear.
- Use the up/down button to adjust the limiter.
- Press the “Next” button to remove the lower limiter.
- Once the limiter is adjusted, press “Done” and exit.
About the Honeywell Temperature Limiter!
Pressing the “Fan” and “Up” buttons on the thermostat lets you adjust the lower and highest temperature margin limiter.
Thus, if you’ve set the lower temperature margin above 68°, you will not be able to set the thermostat to cool anything below the scheduled temperature.
The temperature limiter is absolute and cannot be cheated!
Thus, if any schedules on the Honeywell thermostat attempt to lower the cooling temperature below 68°, the operation will be automatically stopped.
Note: The temperature limiter settings reset by themselves after a factory or a system reset!
3. Clean the Honeywell Air Filters
If the air filter is clogged, your Honeywell thermostat can’t go below 68°, unless the filters are cleaned and reinstalled.
To fix the problem, you must maintain the air filters and make sure the airflow of the Honeywell thermostat is in an operational state.
How to Access the HVAC Air Filters?
Navigate to the HVAC compartment of your installation and locate the furnace as well as the compressor.
Looking at the bottom part of the furnace, you should see the vent openings as well as the attached air filters that shouldn’t have any dust or debris accumulation.
How to Clean HVAC System Air Filters?
Follow these steps to clean the air filter of the HVAC system:
- Grab a compatible screwdriver for the screws on the vent.
- Uninstall the air filter and take it out carefully from the slot.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to suck out all of the dust and debris.
- Soak the filters in lukewarm water for even better cleaning.
- Then wait until the filter dries up and install it in the system.
Alert: If the air filters are damaged in any way, consider replacing them as soon as possible!
4. Hard Reset the Connected A/C Devices!
It is possible that the HVAC system is unable to cool above 68°, due to unfunctional A/C’s in the system.
To verify that each of the units connected to the system is working properly, you must apply a Hard Reset to the devices, which will reboot their services and hopefully help!
Here’s how to hard reset an A/C device in easy-to-follow instructions:
- Locate the power button on the A/C device.
- Then, hold the power button for 15 seconds.
- Wait until the A/C shuts down completely.
- Unplug the power cable from the wall outlet.
- Wait for 60 seconds and plug back the A/C.
Tip: While the A/C is unplugged from power, inspect all of the equipment and cables!
5. Factory Reset the Honeywell Thermostat
In case the cooling system still won’t go below 68 degrees, performing a factory reset on the Honeywell thermostat should resolve the problem.
The factory reset is one of the most powerful methods, but be aware that all content, settings, and schedules will be erased as a result.
Note: To start the factory reset, you must access the thermostat’s battery compartment!
Follow these steps to perform a factory reset on the Honeywell thermostat:
- Unmount the Honeywell thermostat from the wall mount.
- Remove the battery compartment cover from the device.
- Eject the batteries from the thermostat for 10 seconds.
- Attention – insert the batteries, facing the wrong way!
- Wait 20 seconds with the batteries wrongfully installed.
- Now eject the batteries and install them the correct way.
- Close the cover of the battery compartment and test.
Alert: The thermostat will not be active while the batteries are inserted incorrectly!
6. Reset the Main Circuit Breaker!
A proven solution for issues with your HVAC system, A/Cs, compressor, and thermostat is to reset the power from the circuit breaker.
You must turn off the power to the thermostat first and then deactivate the power flow to the HVAC compartment, the furnace, and the compressor.
Here’s how to reset the HVAC system through the circuit breaker:
- First, navigate to the breaker panel in your home.
- Open the cover and find the HVAC switch or fuse!
- Flip the switch downwards or unscrew the fuse.
- Wait for 60 seconds and turn the power back on.
- Once the power is restored, test the thermostat.
Alert: Note that resetting the circuit breaker will erase the set heating/cooling temperature!
7. Wait for Outside Temp to Drop!
No matter how well-designed your cooling system is, all technologies may sometimes tremble before the unforgiving summer temperatures.
If it is too hot outside, your HVAC system might be unable to reduce the inside temperatures below 68 until the environment becomes cooler.
Wait until the outside temperatures decrease slightly and attempt to set the thermostat’s cooling way below 68°.
This way you will determine whether the cooling problem is related to a malfunction with the thermostat or the environment outside is too hot.
Note: The outdoor temperature should be twice above what you want to cool inside!
Need More Help?
In case your Honeywell thermostat is faulty, try to claim your warranty from the local supplier or contact Honeywell Customer Support for additional assistance. Best of luck!
Quick Recap:
Hence, if the Honeywell thermostat won’t go below 68°, power cycle the unit and replace the batteries with a fresh pair.
After that, check if the air filters are clogged, clear them and if the problem is still there, conduct a factory reset on the Honeywell thermostat.
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.