The air conditioner is an 11 year old Rheem controlled by the original SaverStat, Maple/Chase electronic thermostat 0960T/096T-1 for a 24 VAC. The batteries in the thermostat are good. I have reprogrammed it a number of times. I have removed the thermostat cover and pushed the reset button more than a couple of times. I have gone to the main house breaker box and turned the AC breaker off and back on to make sure it is not the trouble. When I engage the fan switch on the thermostat the fan works. I have also tried both the program and manual switch positions. Anyone know of anything else I could try?

If I decide to replace this thermostat with another one... what would be a good/comparable unit? I understand that Maple/Chase is no longer in business.

I don't have enough information to be sure that the thermostat is the problem, however if you are sure it is the thermostat, change it. Those maple shade stats are not my favorite. Replace it with a Honeywell. Hunter thermostats are available at Lowe's etc. for less money, but I have been doing this for 25 years and nothing beats a Honeywell.

I prefer white-Rogers, but that's my opinion, Honeywell does make some good products though.

This problem may or may not be in the thermostat, so far all I know for sure from what you have told us, is that you have 24 volts to the thermostat. Remove the thermostat, pull the red, yellow, and green wires off, twist them all together, (be sure to shut off power to the furnace), turn power back on, the furnace blower and a/c should come on, if so you have a bad thermostat, replace it. If you get nothing, the problem is somewhere else.