How to Install a Programmable Thermostat?

While it may involve some wires, perhaps a bit of drilling and electronics, installing a programmable thermostat may be the best thing you can do nowadays to save a lot of energy in your home. In this article, we will give you some basic tips that you should know if you plan to install a programmable thermostat by yourself. However, most of these devices come with their own instruction manuals, and the tips here aren’t meant to directly replace the procedures provided for by the manufacturer of your programmable thermostat.

First, you need to turn the power off via the main electrical panel. You might have been advised to turn off the power of either the room or the whole house. Let’s not risk anything and turn everything off in the electrical panel. This will ensure the safety of everyone who’s at home.

Next, you have to remove the cover and control panel of your current thermostat from the wall. Most models allow these peripherals to be removed from the wall almost instantly by a snap-off mechanism. Set these aside, along with its other accessories as you may find use for them if anything goes wrong with installing a new one.

After you have placed the cover and control panel aside, you will need to label the wires you find in accordance to their current position (trust us on this) and carefully remove them one by one. Nowadays, you might find that your new programmable thermostat comes with sticker labels which you can wrap around the wires from the wall.

Then, you will need to remove your old thermostat plate. As you do so, make sure that the wires do not drop back into the wall. This could be a huge hassle if it happens. So, try taping them on the wall to prevent them from falling. After safely removing it, you can now attach your new programmable thermostat to the wall. The new model’s plate will most likely be different from the old one, so you may have to drill new holes. Don’t worry about using the right tools though, as the instruction manual will often indicate what size of drill bit to use, the drywall anchors to be placed, etc.

Arguably the most challenging part of this process is to reattach the wires according to the labels (that’s why we told you to label them earlier, so as to save a lot of time) on your new programmable thermostat. Depending on your temperature system, you may have several wires to attach, so be prepared to break a sweat. After doing this, you can attach the new control panel and cover of your programmable thermostat.

Finally, you are now ready to turn the power back on and set the preferences of your new programmable thermostat. Use the instruction manual that comes with your device to do so. If you followed our guide (and your instruction manual) to the letter, you should be done in around 20-30 minutes. Congratulations! You can now program your thermostat to make your home automatically warm or cool whenever it suits your needs.