[Ranger1227]

How do you know if a thermostat is bad. Our house seems cold yet the thermostat says the this 72. We put a thermometer near it and it shows 68. Furnace is working. Any ideas would be appreciated

 

[roughneck]

Could have a draft coming out of the wall penetration affecting the reading.
What thermostat is this?

 

[Ranger1227]

White Rodgers. It is a wall in the interior of the house. No drafts

 

[roughneck]

Could be inaccurate then.
Make certain it’s not a draft from within the wall. It’s actually a very common issue. You can’t tell unless you take the thermostat off the wall.

 

[Ranger1227]

I checked the furnace and there is a red light flashing once every 20 green flashes or so. It is an American Standard high efficiency system

 

[beenthere]

Even though its on an inside wall, still could be a draft in the wall. As they had to drill a hole in the plate to get the thermostat wire up to the thermostat.

Could just be the thermostat isn't accurate.

Some thermostats can be offset to match the house temp, check your owners manual.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

I would think a draft of cold air from anywhere to the stat would normally make the stat read lower than actual room temperature rather than higher. Also the accuracy of thermometers in the price range we deal with aren't always that great. If there was a 2° + : - accuracy in manufacturer that differential is easily obtained.

 

[beenthere]

Not all drafts are cold air drafts.

Could even be a supply run to the upper floor is in that stud bay.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

It's pretty much a guessing game without details.