Get with the program: installing a programmable thermostat

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-By Lisa 

It took exactly 24 minutes from trying to remember where the breaker box is to dancing in a celebratory manner in the cool surge of air coming from my floor vent. I, ladies and gentlemen, installed a programmable thermostat. By myself. In one fell swoop I decimated societal gender stereotypes -- and got a little greener. (Husband merely acted as photographer for the occasion.) This project involves electrical equipment and breaker boxes and screwdrivers and copper wiring. It feels complicated. However, here at STSL we are in the business of demystifying. Here’s how all it went down (in a shockingly easy way) and why you can totally handle this. 

The programmable thermostat box tells me that I am going to save up to 33% on my energy bill. That’s fantastic. Not to mention the reduction of my environmental impact and the fact I feel so cool for successfully doing this kind of home improvement. I found thermostats for as little as 30 dollars, but we bought a slightly more expensive model, because it matches the one on our upstairs heat pump system (apparently, matching thermostats holds some value to Husband.) I also knew that one was easy to program and so I purchased the Honeywell Programmable Thermostat. However, the price of the thermostat really didn’t matter, because our lovely town of Charlottesville, VA does a programmable thermostat rebate. If you are in Charlottesville, go here for more info. After a five minute trip to the Downtown Mall and filling out one simple form - and don’t forget to take your receipt - the entire cost of the thermostat is credited to the utility bill within a couple weeks (plus the cost of the installation, should you chicken out - which of course you are not going to do.) If you live elsewhere, be sure to ask if your town does a similar refund; it seems like most do now. 

There are 11 simple steps. (And of course this will change with the type of thermostat you get and of course you should use the manual that comes with the thing, but this is just to convince you that it’s super easy.) Let’s do it. 

   1. Turn off the power to the system. That’s your breaker box. Mine was in my garage. I was not very familiar with it, so it took a moment to figure out the hand written connections to each breaker that were on the door and find the tiny little numbers that were engraved on the outside of the individual breakers that corresponded. Once located, I just switched off the ones that corresponded with the AC unit. There was a nice reassuring cur-chunk sound that told me it shut down. 

 2. Remove the old thermostat from the wall plate. Just had to squeeze the outside of the thermostat and pull. 

 

   3. Label the wires. The kit came with sticky labels that go around the outside of the wires to keep them organized. You put on the sticker that corresponds with the location the wire went into. Husband later pointed out that the Y sticker went on the yellow and the W sticker went on the white, which escaped me and my laser-like electrical project focus. But, helpful to know, should you get them mixed up. Undo the little screws that hold the wires in place and pull wires from the wall plate. Husband was then instructed to keep his helpful hints to himself because I had this under control. 

4. Separate the new wall plate from the new thermostat. Not much to say here. It required squeezing and pulling. 

5. Insert the reference card. These are the instructions for operation that slide into the back. No brainer, people. 

 6. Mount the wall plate. Unscrew to remove the old wall plate and put the new one on. This can require drilling into the wall, which is the only slightly tricky bit. (See, I said “bit” which is funny because that is the end part of the drill. HA! Eco-friendly home improvement humor!) If you need to - drill, baby, drill. I managed to side-step this part, because the holes with my old thermostat matched up and I could just use those. But whatevs-- we have come this far we ain’t scared of using some stupid old drill, right? (though carefully and with protective eye gear…) 

 7. Connect the wires. Shove the wires into the holes that correspond with the labels that you put on. G to G, R to R, and tighten the screws to hold them in place. 

 

8. Install batteries. Duh. 

 

 9. Install thermostat onto wall plate. Push. 

 

10. Turn power back on. Back to the garage. You flipped ‘em one way before. Now flip ‘em back. 

 11. If you have a single stage heat and cool – you’re done! Bask in the glory that is Handy You. (If you have a heat pump, it’s a little different, but just as simple, so make sure you know which you have and whether you have gas, electric or oil heat. Also, know if you have a regular or high efficiency furnace. I had no clue about such things, but it says right on the front of the furnace manual.)

March on down to your utility billing office, thermostat receipt in hand, and get your rebate for being awesome. Be sure to tell them that you installed it yourself, just so that they understand the full extent of your awesomeness.

For more from Lisa, check out www.justherejustnow.com

Comments

[Jason]

Thank you for informative article with photos!

[Simplifying the Simple Life]

Jason - you are very welcome! Glad you found it helpful!
Thanks for reading,
~Lisa

[Vivan Lantry]

This is really going to help a lot of home owners out there who want to save money. Installing programmable systems like that thermostat you've installed is going to optimize your home's heating and cooling system in such a way that it runs only when it's needed. It's cool that you're able to install this by yourself, by the way.

[confused and angry]

so what do you do if your dumb boyfriend didn't label the wires how do you tell which ones go where?

[Santo Badenoch]

Wow! I want this one for my apartment. This handy tool is perfect for hotel rooms and the like, as it helps promote efficiency and reduce the need for manpower.