How to Install a Thermostat in three Steps

Save money on your energy beak

Fourth dimension

An hr or less

Complication

Beginner

Cost

$51–100

Introduction

Save a lot of money! Learn how to remove your old thermostat and install a new programmable thermostat—with no rewiring required.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • Clothespin
  • Tape
  • Wall anchors

You can reduce your home'due south heating and cooling costs past near 15 pct with a programmable thermostat. Information technology automatically keeps the temperature at a comfortable level when you're home, simply switches to an free energy-saving level when you're away or asleep. Programmable thermostats are available from home centers and hardware stores. The higher-priced models provide more programming options.

Programmable thermostats will work with almost gas or oil furnaces and central air conditioners. Nonetheless, rut pumps, electrical baseboards, and a few other systems require special features. Read the package to make certain the programmable thermostat you buy is compatible with your heating and cooling organization. If you lot are unsure, call your local utility or a heating and cooling contractor.

Should you get a Wi-Fi thermostat? Click here to find out more than.

Project step-by-step (3)

Step 1

Remove the erstwhile thermostat

removing thermostat

To begin, turn off power to the heating and cooling systems at the main console. Then remove the sometime thermostat. If your old thermostat contains mercury, you'll see a small drinking glass tube with a shiny silver ball inside. Mercury is toxic. Take this type of thermostat to a chancy waste disposal site.

In that location will be anywhere from two to five wires hooked upward to the old thermostat. Label the thermostat wiring with marking tabs using the messages on the erstwhile screw terminals as reference. If your new thermostat doesn't come with marking tabs, use masking tape. Remove and discard the onetime thermostat.

Step ii

How to Hook Up a Thermostat: Install the mounting plate

mount new thermostat

Clip a clothespin to the cable so it doesn't slide downwards within the wall cavity; and then level the new mounting plate in position and mark the mounting spiral holes. Drill 3/16-in. holes, insert drywall anchors and screw the plate to the wall.

If the thermostat has back-up batteries, insert them before wiring the new thermostat.

Step 3

How to Hook Up a Thermostat: Hook upwards the wires

install new thermostat

Screw the organisation wiring to the screw terminals on the new thermostat using the letter labels as reference (strip the wires dorsum if necessary). These letters are standard; hook them upwardly to the same terminals on the new thermostat. Snap the thermostat to the mounting plate.

The thermostat may need to be configured to your heating organisation. It may also come preprogrammed, merely to maximize savings, set information technology upwards according to your schedule. Consult the instructions that come with the thermostat for system adjustments and programming. You lot won't save energy if the thermostat isn't programmed correctly.

Originally Published: November 29, 2022