Installing a Thermostat in Your Home

Installing a Thermostat in Your Home

The kitchen may be the heart of any home, but the thermostat is certainly what keeps everyone happy in that home. Whether you are upgrading to a smart home setup or just working with a new AC or furnace, you can install a new thermometer with ease by following a few steps. You do not need to be a professional maintenance worker to execute this DIY-friendly project.

Assemble Your Tools

When executing any DIY project, you always want to have your tools ready and waiting so that you are not scrambling to find something mid-project. To change your thermostat, you need:

A screwdriver set, or multi-bit screwdriver Masking tape A pen A digital camera or the camera on your phone Drywall anchors (as needed)

Once you have your tools, assemble them on an easy-to-reach surface near your thermostat.

Turn Off the Power Source

You should never begin any electrical work in your home until you have turned off the power sources involved. Go to the breaker box in your home and flip off the breakers that supply the furnace and the air conditioning units. Make sure that you test to ensure that the power is off, as well. Adjust the temperature on the old thermometer by more than 10 degrees in both directions and see if either unit turns on. If not, you are golden and can proceed.

Remove the Old Faceplate

The next step is to remove the faceplate from the old thermostat. Most faceplates just pop off. You can typically find a slot on the side of the unit or a latch that you can use to remove the faceplate. You should now have access to the thermostat's wall plate and should see the wiring and wall screws.

Label the Wires

This is maybe the most critical step in the thermostat installation process, but easy to execute. First, use your camera to take a photo of the wall plate and wiring. You can use this as reference if there is any confusion down the line. Your new thermostat may also provide wire labels. Use either your wire labels or the masking tape and pen to label each wire.

Remove the Wires and Old Thermostat

Once you have labelled the wires, you can remove the wires from the old thermostat. You may need a screwdriver to loosen screws holding the wires in place. Some units may have clips holding the wires in place. In those cases, all you need to do is open the clip and pull the wire out. Next, use your screwdriver to remove the screws holding the wall plate onto the wall.

Install Drywall Anchors

If your new thermostat has the same layout as your old one, you can skip this step. In some scenarios, the screws that hold your new wall plate in place may be in a different place than on your old thermostat. If this is the case, install drywall anchors into your wall before screwing in the new wall plate. To do this, drill a hole the diameter of the anchors, then hammer the anchor into the wall until it is flush with the wall. Screw the new wall plate into the wall.