Installing My Own Thermostat - Good Idea?

Lots of online DIY blogs will give you tips for installing a new thermostat in your home by yourself. Aspects of installing a new thermostat, like attaching the new base to the drywall, are simple for most homeowners with a bit of experience with a drill and drywall anchors. Other parts of thermostat installation, though, involve complexities like electrical wiring that you probably don't want to learn from watching a video or reading a blog post, nor should you, for safety reasons.

Wiring Components

When we install a new thermostat for you, we turn off the power that feeds the HVAC system, just like we do when performing many maintenance tasks. We also know which wires to connect to the new thermostat. It might seem simple when a contractor discusses it in a video, but once you get it off the wall your wires might be different colors. You also might see other problems, like corrosion, that you don't know how to deal with.

Connecting to the Furnace

If you have a heat pump, then the wires in the wall are the only wires you need to connect. If you have a separate furnace, however, an additional wire needs to be connected in the furnace. Most blogs will tell you to call HVAC contractors for this step.

The Outdoor Sensor

This is probably the easiest component of installing a new thermostat, because the new sensors wirelessly connect to your new one. But you still have to know where to put it (like on the north side of your house) and it has to connect properly. If you run into any problems getting them to link up, you'll be calling us for assistance anyway.

Many home improvement projects are DIY appropriate. Despite what online blogs say, we don't think installing your own thermostat is one of them.

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