Ecobee is one of the top-rated smart home automation systems and provides energy-saving and comfort in modern smart homes.
As impressive as their smart thermostat may be, problems may occur if your fan runs 24/7.
You are probably wondering what the problem is and how you can fix it.
Here are 6 reasons why your ecobee is running when it shouldn’t:
- Your smart recovery feature is faulty.
- Your fan is set to run when your HVAC is off.
- Your heat/cool dissipation feature is set incorrectly.
- Your fan runtime is set too high.
- Your ecobee/PEK is installed incorrectly.
- Your HVAC is at fault.
Keep reading as I discuss further the reasons your ecobee is running when it shouldn’t.
I’ve also compiled 6 ways to address the issues.
1. Your Smart Recovery Feature Is Faulty
One of the great aspects of your ecobee thermostat is that it learns how long it takes to get your home to the desired temperature.
It collects data on how your HVAC performs relative to the outside temperature, and over time, it predicts when to start warming or cooling your home according to your schedule.
The ecobee uses the data to adapt to when you’re home, away and when you sleep.
Initially, when your ecobee learns your preferences, it may start heating or cooling too soon, causing your fan to run when it shouldn’t.
Sometimes inconsistent schedules may confuse your ecobee system and result in your fan system starting when you don’t need it.
If your ecobee is running the fan all the time, you may disable this feature using your thermostat settings or your app.
This is a fairly easy process you may access in your ecobee settings, and you should follow the steps below:
- Select the Main Menu and choose the Settings option.
- Select Preferences.
- Select either Heat Smart Recovery settings or Cooling Smart Recovery settings.
- Choose the Disable Option.
Check out: Why Is My Ecobee Flashing Yellow? (How To Fix It Instantly)
2. Your Fan Is Set To Run When Your HVAC Is Off
Most HVAC systems offer a setting that allows the fan to run even when the AC is not heating or cooling your home.
Often, people choose this setting if their home or business is stuffy and they prefer a constant circulation of air, even when the HVAC isn’t actively heating or cooling.
Users achieve this fan option in their ecobee thermostat by choosing the On setting rather than the Auto setting.
Auto-selection ensures the fan only runs when your HVAC is actively heating or cooling. To change this setting, follow these steps:
- In the Main Menu, select the Settings option.
- Select the Fan option.
- Under the Fan options, choose the Auto function if your ecobee is set to Off.
3. Your Heat/Cool Dissipation Feature Is Set Incorrectly
Heat/Cool Dissipation Time is the setting where ecobee controls the fan runtime after your HVAC reaches the right temperature.
In its factory Auto mode, your fan will run for 30–45 seconds after it meets your heating or cooling requirements.
The ecobee offers this function to ensure that all the heated or cooled air is used from inside the ducts and moved into your living space before the HVAC reaches its desired temperature.
If you set the dissipation feature to 0, the fan switches off automatically when your HVAC is no longer actively heating or cooling.
Otherwise, your fan will continue to run for the selected setting time selected on your ecobee.
You may set the fan to switch off automatically by following these steps:
- In the Main Menu, choose Installation Settings.
- Then, select the Threshold option.
- Choose the Heat/Cool Dissipation Time option.
- Set the dissipation time to 0.
4. Your Fan Runtime Is Set Too High
If your ecobee is version 4.6.25 and above, your fan might just be a hold setting error.
The newer firmware provides you with an option to time your fan holds instead of having to toggle between the On and Auto fan settings.
It’s a simple mistake to toggle your ecobee settings from automatic shutdown to the on setting which will run your fan continuously.
This new setting was to ensure ecobee users had more control over their settings to personalise their ecobee experience.
You have an option to hold your fan to set durations ranging from 15 minutes to indefinitely or until you cancel the hold specification.
To check if your hold settings are the reason why your ecobee keeps running, follow the steps below:
- Select the Quick Changes menu icon (the little gear with 3 lines under it).
- Select the Fan Hold option.
- Select your desired fan run time.
5. Your ecobee/PEK Is Installed Incorrectly
If you installed your ecobee yourself or someone who lacks experience installed your ecobee, your fan runtime might be due to a wiring fault.
People often make use of a Power Extender Kit when they install their ecobee systems, and the PEK could be the reason why your ecobee cant relay information to your fan.
If you have tried all the options on your ecobee system settings and your fan is still running 24/7, you might need to hire a professional to ensure that you wired everything correctly.
You may find your fan problems are a simple wiring fault and not a serious hardware issue.
If you aren’t well versed in electrical wiring systems please don’t attempt to rewire your system without professional guidance.
6. Your HVAC Is at Fault
If you have no luck correcting your fan runtime on your ecobee settings, your HVAC system might be at fault.
If you have exhausted all possible setting problems with your ecobee you will need to turn your attention to a possible hardware fault with your HVAC system.
There are a number of reasons your HVAC might cause your fan to run continuously, and the most common reasons are as follow:
- Your relay switch is stuck or faulty. If the relay is stuck or damaged, it could block your thermostat from sending a signal to the fan.
- Your HVAC has a short circuit. If there’s a short circuit in your AC, your ecobee thermostat commands won’t get relayed to the system. So if you shut your fan off in your settings, the command won’t affect your fan’s continued operation.
- Your outside temperature is too high. Your HVAC may not be powerful enough to achieve your desired settings and runs continually to try and reach your required temperature.
- Your HVAC System size is too small for the size of your home, making your system run continuously in order to achieve your desired temperature settings.
Learn more: How accurate is the Ecobee humidity sensor?
ecobee FAQs
Why Does My Auxiliary Heat Keep Running?
You might find your system runs on even after you seem to achieve the correct temperature, but this shouldn’t be a point of concern.
Your AUX Heat Minimum Settings are set to 5 minutes by default.
Your auxiliary heat cycle will continue running because of its default set time. After that, it’ll turn off. That’s perfectly normal. This time delay protects your AUX heat from short cycling and potentially damaging your system.
How Do I Know if My ecobee Thermostat Is Working?
Your ecobee will present an icon on your main screen to show that your thermostat is working. A snowflake indicates cooling operation and the flame represents heating activity.
If your ecobee stops running, these icons lose their color and become greyed out. An icon without color indicates your thermostat isn’t operational.
You might also want to know: 7 Steps To Find Your Ecobee Registration Code (How-To)