Have you suddenly noticed that the display on your thermostat shows that it is in recovery mode? Recovery mode is a function found on many newer programmable and smart thermostats. Many people wrongly believe that recovery mode indicates that their heating or cooling system isn’t working properly, but the truth is that it is completely normal. Recovery mode can sometimes indicate a problem with your HVAC system, but it is usually nothing to worry about. To understand why, let’s take a closer look at recovery mode, how it works, and what the purpose of it is.
Understanding Recovery Mode and How It Works
Recovery mode is only something that occurs when you have your thermostat programmed to turn on and off at certain times of the day. Most older programmable thermostats don’t have recovery mode. If you set this type of thermostat to turn on and start heating or cooling your home at a specific time, the thermostat will signal the furnace or air conditioner to turn on at exactly that time.
With many newer thermostats, the system will instead enter recovery mode around an hour or so before the set time. Recovery mode means that your heating or cooling system has turned on and begun the process of raising or lowering the temperature. This is done to ensure that the home is heated or cooled to the desired temperature at whatever time it is set for.
Let’s say that you get home at 5 p.m. and you want your house to be heated to 70 degrees Fahrenheit when you arrive. If you have a newer thermostat, it will usually enter recovery mode around 4 p.m. If the indoor temperature is much higher or lower than what the thermostat is set to, the system may go into recovery mode even sooner to ensure that the desired temperature is reached at the set time. Once it goes into recovery mode, it will signal the heating system to begin slowly warming up the house so that the temperature is at exactly 70 degrees at 5 p.m.
If you actually don’t want your heating to start running until 5 p.m., you would instead want to program it to reach 70 degrees at 6 p.m. or even 7 p.m. This way your thermostat will enter recovery mode and turn your heating system on around 5 p.m.
If you have an older programmable thermostat, it won’t signal the heating system to run until 5 p.m. since that is what you have it programmed to. If you wanted to ensure that your house would be warm when you get home, you would instead need to program it to start running around 4 p.m. instead.
What Does It Mean When a Thermostat Is in Recovery Mode?
Again, recovery mode is simply showing that the thermostat has turned on your HVAC system and started heating or cooling your home. If you have your thermostat programmed so that your heating or cooling is off or set to a different temperature during the day while you’re at work and at night while you’re sleeping, it will enter recovery mode once in the early morning and again in the afternoon. These are the only times that you should ever see the thermostat in recovery mode. Once the system has recovered and your home is at the set temperature, it will then switch over and operate in normal mode until the time comes when it is programmed to shut off again or switch to a different temperature.
If your thermostat is in recovery mode time other than just before it is programmed to run, it usually indicates that there is a problem with your thermostat or your HVAC system. The same is also true if you see your thermostat in recovery mode and you don’t have it programmed to turn on at a certain time. If you don’t have your thermostat programmed and it shows recovery mode, it usually indicates that the thermostat is malfunctioning and needs to be either repaired or replaced.
If your thermostat enters recovery mode at different times than what it is programmed to, the first thing to do is check the thermostat settings. One possibility is that there was a power surge or some other issue that caused the thermostat settings to reset. When this happens, you will need to reprogram the temperature settings for when you want the system to turn on and off.
If you have a smart thermostat, you may notice that it is in recovery mode at different times than what you have it programmed to. This is fairly common, and the reason is that smart thermostats will often adjust the settings automatically to improve both the energy efficiency and effectiveness of your heating and cooling. Many smart thermostats also monitor weather conditions and will automatically adjust the settings based on outdoor temperature and humidity.
When the settings change, it can result in the thermostat entering recovery mode at different times. On milder days when the indoor temperature is close to what the thermostat is set to, the system may not enter recovery mode at all and instead simply turn on to normal mode at the programmed time.
Your thermostat should really never be in recovery mode after the time that you have it programmed to. For instance, if it is programmed so that your house is 70 degrees at 5 p.m., the thermostat should exit recovery mode before 5 p.m. If it is still in recovery mode after 5, it usually indicates that there is some issue keeping your furnace or air conditioner from effectively heating or cooling. In other words, your system isn’t producing enough heat or cool air to achieve the desired temperature quickly enough.
Another possibility is that there is some issue preventing your furnace or air conditioner from turning on at all. In either case, you will need to have your system inspected to determine why it isn’t working properly and how the issue can be repaired.
Can Recovery Mode Be Disabled?
Recovery mode simply ensures that your home reaches the desired temperature at the set time, but it isn’t necessary and your HVAC system will still function normally without it. If you would prefer that the system instead turns on at the set time, you can easily disable recovery mode by going into the settings on your thermostat. Turning off recovery mode will ensure that the system only starts at the set time instead of heating or cooling your home earlier.
If your thermostat constantly goes into recovery mode or you have issues maintaining a consistent temperature, the certified technicians at Liberty Comfort Systems can inspect your thermostat and your entire HVAC system to determine the cause of the problem. We offer a full range of residential and commercial HVAC services, including heating, air conditioning, and radiant heating installation, maintenance, and repairs. Our team also specializes in duct cleaning and indoor air quality as well as a range of plumbing and electrical services for customers in Anoka and the surrounding areas. If you have any questions about recovery mode or need your heating or cooling system inspected or maintained, contact us today.
