Emerson Thermostat Blinking flame Icon [Causes and Fixes]

Are you feeling perplexed by the blinking flame icon on your Emerson thermostat? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! In this guide, we look at the possible causes and fixes behind a flashing flame symbol.

The blinking flame symbol icon on an Emerson thermostat mainly indicates that auxiliary heat is operating. Other various causes for this issue include the activation of the compressor lockout feature, thermostat set to Auto cooling and heating.

PS: Note that the blinking flame on a honeywell or other thermostat models may mean that delay mode is active.

Let’s take a look at more emerson thermostat symbols and their meanings below

Emerson thermostat flame icon meanings

Type of icon display	Meaning
Flame icon blinking	Aux or Emergency heat is operating
Both snowflake and flame icon flashing	Compressor lockout feature is operating
Both snowflake and flame Icon solid display	Cooling and heating mode is in Auto mode
Solid flame icon	System is in heat mode

Flame icon blinking (Aux or Emergency Heat is Operating)

The blinking flame icon could indicate that the auxiliary or emergency heating system is currently in use.

This typically happens when the primary heating system is unable to meet the desired temperature, and the thermostat activates the backup heating system to compensate.

It’s a normal behavior during colder weather conditions or when there’s an issue with the primary heating system.

Both snowflake and flame icon flashing (Compressor Lockout)

The compressor lockout feature prevents the air conditioner’s compressor from starting immediately after turning off.

This delay is designed to protect the compressor and increase its lifespan. If the thermostat detects that the compressor should be locked out for a certain period, it may flash both the snowflake and the flame symbol to indicate that the cooling mode is temporarily disabled.

You can manually set the compressor lock out to on or off. If you set compressor lockout to on it will cause the thermostat to wait 5 minutes before turning on the compressor if the heating or cooling system loses power.

It will also wait 5 minutes minimum between cooling andheating cycles.

As I said , thi his is intended to help protect the compressor from short cycling. Some compressors already have a time delay built in and do not require this feature.

Your compressor manufacturer can tell you if the lockout feature is already present in their system.

When the thermostat compressor time delay occurs it will flash the Snowflake and Flame

Icons for about five minutes.

Both snowflake and flame Icon solid display

If you set your thermostat to heat and cool your space automatically, a solid snowflake and flame icon will display on the thermostat.

If set to “Auto” mode, a thermostat will automatically switch between heating and cooling based on the temperature settings and the ambient temperature.

Solid flame icon (System is in Heat Mode)

If your thermostat is set to the “Heat” mode, the solid flame icon will display and indicate that the heating system is active.

In this mode, the thermostat will only activate the heating system to warm up the space and maintain the desired temperature.

FAQ

How long does the compressor lockout feature last?

The duration of the compressor lockout feature is about 5 minutes.

If 5 minutes elapses and you still see the snowflake and the flame symbols flashing, there could be another issue with your thermostat or HVAC system causing this behavior.

Start with resetting your thermostat before going into other troubleshooting procedures.

Here is how to reset an Emerson or white Rodgers thermostat

Can a malfunctioning sensor cause the flame icon to blink on my Emerson thermostat?

Yes, a malfunctioning sensor can potentially cause the flame icon to blink on your Emerson thermostat.

A faulty sensor may not accurately detect the temperature, leading to incorrect readings and triggering the thermostat to activate or deactivate the heating system inappropriately.