A West Jordan customer in a 2020-built home called us about performance issues with their relatively new HVAC system. Their two-stage furnace and two-stage AC weren’t operating properly — running constantly at full capacity rather than modulating, producing high energy bills and uneven comfort. Another contractor had told them the equipment needed replacement.
This case study documents how a smart thermostat reconfiguration resolved the issue without any equipment work.
Customer Situation
- Home: 2020-built West Jordan two-story, approximately 2,400 sq ft
- Existing equipment: 4-year-old Trane two-stage furnace and AC; Honeywell smart thermostat installed by previous contractor
- Symptom: Equipment running at high capacity continuously, no modulation; high energy bills; uneven comfort
- Previous contractor recommendation: Equipment replacement ($14,000+ quote)
Diagnostic Visit
Equipment inspection:
– Furnace operating normally — combustion analysis within spec
– AC operating normally — refrigerant charge correct
– All measurements verify equipment functional
Thermostat inspection:
– Honeywell T6 Pro Smart thermostat
– Equipment type configured as “single-stage” — incorrect for two-stage equipment
– Staging settings disabled
– Recovery settings aggressive (causing immediate high-stage activation)
Diagnosis: Thermostat misconfiguration causing equipment to always operate in single-stage equivalent (full capacity) rather than two-stage modulation.
Reconfiguration
Work performed (45 minutes):
- Reconfigured thermostat for two-stage equipment
- Enabled staging — stage 1 activates first, stage 2 only if stage 1 can’t satisfy
- Adjusted recovery rate to allow modulation
- Set proper staging timer (20 minutes before high-stage engagement)
- Verified two-stage operation across multiple thermostat calls
Cost: $99 diagnostic visit, no additional charges (configuration only)
Customer Outcome
One-month follow-up:
- Equipment now operating in stage 1 for ~75% of run time
- Stage 2 only engages during recovery from setback or peak demand
- Quieter operation (stage 1 produces less noise)
- More even temperature distribution
- Electric bills approximately 25% lower than previous month
- Gas bills (winter follow-up) approximately 18% lower
Customer saved $14,000+ by avoiding unnecessary equipment replacement that wouldn’t have solved the actual problem.
What This Case Study Demonstrates
- Diagnostic before replacement — always verify equipment is actually failing before recommending replacement
- Smart thermostat misconfiguration is a common source of “equipment problems”
- Two-stage equipment requires proper thermostat configuration to deliver intended benefits
- Honest assessment — saved customer from unnecessary major expense
- Significant operational improvement from configuration change alone
Equipment Issues?
If your HVAC system isn’t performing as expected in West Jordan, call (385) 250-0687 for honest diagnostic before considering replacement.
- Phone: (385) 250-0687
- Address: 4454 Manhattan Ct, West Valley City, UT 84120