Now THIS is really strange!

[seadoug]

We had a recent freeze for several days and shortly after our upstairs thermostat completely went blank. I tried unplugging it from the wall and resetting the breaker but nothing worked. The A/C repairman came out today and went up into the attic. There is a small light switch on a post that says "Heat". It had been turned off. Turning it on was all it took to make the thermostat work.

The strange thing is that neither Hubs nor I have been in the attic for months! The repairman said there is no way it could have been tripped during freeze. We have a small screen that is loose in the attic and we think we have the occasional raccoon that gets in there. Could a raccoon have turned it off?! There is truly no other explanation unless we have a ghost.

 

[astralcat]

The first thing that crossed my mind as I was reading your post was that an animal accidently turned it on. But the ghost explanation sounds intriguing.

 

[seadoug]

The first thing that crossed my mind as I was reading your post was that an animal accidently turned it on. But the ghost explanation sounds intriguing.

Well, our house was built in 1999 and we were the second owners so I'm doubtful about the "ghost" thing.

 

[Naturally]

Well, it could be the ghost of a raccoon ya know
Their life expectancy would fit the time frame if a human's wouldn't.
Just trying to do the math

 

[Kaila]

Could it involve that person in your avatar?

 

[EmptyCup]

Or a bird? Could have tried perching on the switch. I’ve seen weirder things.

 

[josephine]

@seadoug, I saw someone standing behind you in your new profile pic. You might want to be careful

 

[Kaila]

@seadoug, I saw someone standing behind you in your new profile pic. You might want to be careful

He's obviously taller and younger than you, Doug,
so could reach a high switch, in an attic, for example.

 

[Murrmurr]

If a racoon had been up there, you'd know it. They shred stuff up for a simple nest, go to the bathroom all over the place, and leave a pungent odor.

Is there a window up there? I wonder if you had a visitor looking to get warm who thought that was a light switch.

edit; just re-read the bit about the screen.

 

[seadoug]

Yes, we have a small screen in the attic that has come loose. I've been looking for a handyman that can fix it with no success.

 

[Murrmurr]

Yes, we have a small screen in the attic that has come loose. I've been looking for a handyman that can fix it with no success.

You might want to nail a piece of 1/4" plyboard over it for now. Leave a gap or drill a few holes in it smaller than the width of a finger if ventilation is absolutely necessary.

 

[RambleTamble]

Maybe this is what happened and the girl accidently turned it off...

 

[Bella]

It was Andy!

 

[MarciKS]

I'm picturing this raccoon wandering around the attic and thinking "i wonder what this does?" LOL

 

[dusty]

Now you're in my shoes---wondering how this thing got moved or something ended up on the floor. Or why at nearly 4am someone knocks on my exterior door with 3 raps...or why the shower head was on one evening and I hadn't used it...or or or
Does seem hard to figure your switch thing out especially up in the attic where you don't use. Put a game camera on a post or nearby and check on it from time to time.

 

[Jules]

During that freezing period were there high winds. Maybe some wires to the switch were jostled.

 

[horseless carriage]

We have a small screen that is loose in the attic and we think we have the occasional raccoon that gets in there. Could a raccoon have turned it off?! There is truly no other explanation unless we have a ghost.

The mask across the face says it all. born bandits!

 

[Aunt Bea]

Now that the thermostat is working, I would flip the switch off and see if it continues working.

It’s far fetched but maybe the thermostat was fine until it went out and somehow needed that switch in the on position to give it a jolt.

Otherwise, I believe that a human somehow tripped the switch and it simply doesn’t ring any bells.

Occam's Razor, the principle that the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions is usually the best one.

 

[hearlady]

We had a recent freeze for several days and shortly after our upstairs thermostat completely went blank. I tried unplugging it from the wall and resetting the breaker but nothing worked. The A/C repairman came out today and went up into the attic. There is a small light switch on a post that says "Heat". It had been turned off. Turning it on was all it took to make the thermostat work.

The strange thing is that neither Hubs nor I have been in the attic for months! The repairman said there is no way it could have been tripped during freeze. We have a small screen that is loose in the attic and we think we have the occasional raccoon that gets in there. Could a raccoon have turned it off?! There is truly no other explanation unless we have a ghost.

Darn varmits!

 

[bobcat]

Yeah, a racoon sounds like the most plausible explanation. It was extremely cold, and they are pretty clever at getting into places, especially when they may be seeking warmth. They have dexterous, hand‑like paws, curiosity about anything sticking out, dangling, or protruding, and a habit of testing objects to see if they move or open. There are plenty of stories of raccoons opening latches, turning knobs, flipping, switches, and unscrewing vent covers.

The curious thing to me is why that switch is up in the attic.

 

[Kaila]

View attachment 485380
The mask across the face says it all. born bandits!

I don't think they're born that way.
I think it's a learned behavior, from their childhoods.
But that's a topic for a different thread.

 

[C50]

Is it a physical switch? Like a light switch or toggle switch? Or a push button electronic switch?

If it's an electronic switch sometimes a power disruption can cause a hiccup, think of your clock radio. I can easily understand the switch needing to be reset after a power fault.

If it's a physical switch I'd blame your husband, typical married couple arguing over the temperature. He probably thought he could be sneaky and shut the heat off without you catching on.

 

[seadoug]

Yeah, a racoon sounds like the most plausible explanation. It was extremely cold, and they are pretty clever at getting into places, especially when they may be seeking warmth. They have dexterous, hand‑like paws, curiosity about anything sticking out, dangling, or protruding, and a habit of testing objects to see if they move or open. There are plenty of stories of raccoons opening latches, turning knobs, flipping, switches, and unscrewing vent covers.

The curious thing to me is why that switch is up in the attic.

The actual A/C units are outside, but the venting is in the attic. So are the two water heaters.

 

[seadoug]

Is it a physical switch? Like a light switch or toggle switch? Or a push button electronic switch?

If it's an electronic switch sometimes a power disruption can cause a hiccup, think of your clock radio. I can easily understand the switch needing to be reset after a power fault.

If it's a physical switch I'd blame your husband, typical married couple arguing over the temperature. He probably thought he could be sneaky and shut the heat off without you catching on.

It's like a light switch that is stuck on a vertical beam. It's just screwed on there. Couldn't be hubs because he spends most of his time upstairs and that's the thermostat that shut off. If anything, I'd be the one!

 

[bobcat]

The actual A/C units are outside, but the venting is in the attic. So are the two water heaters.

Hmmm .... The only thing I can think of is that it's a "kill" switch, so that anyone servicing the heaters, etc... in the attic could control power to the units while testing. Just a guess.