You know what we hate at Koopman Lumber? Wasting hard earned money. That’s why we’re looking today at a quick way to save some significant cash year-round with digital thermostats. They are one of the hottest products on the market for improving home energy efficiency. “But Koopman Lumber, I’ve never dealt with electrical work!” you say. Never fear! We’ve written this blog with you in mind and can guarantee this is as simple as can be.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30 Minutes
Supply List:
- New digital thermostat
- Screwdriver
- Drill
- Screw Anchors
- Masking tape
- Pencil
- Torpedo Level
- Safety Glasses
If you have an older home, chances are you’re very familiar with the image on the right. These old analog thermostats have been a mainstay in heating people’s homes for years, but in today’s efficiency-conscious market, they don’t quite make the cut. Between inflated heating bills from inaccurate readouts and forgetting to turn your thermostat down and wasting all that valuable heat, these analog thermostats can hinder any homeowners efforts to increase energy efficiency.
Digital thermostats feature two significant improvements that will make your life simpler. First, they provide a more accurate readout, which is less likely to be either misread by you or just be plain wrong. To give you an idea of just how important this is, consider the following example. A thermostat that is off by 3 degrees will increase your heating bill by between 3-7% throughout the winter! That can mean hundreds of extra dollars for some people.
Second, digital thermostats allow you to program them. No more worrying about changing the thermostat every time you leave the house! Just tell the thermostat the temperatures you want the house to be at a specific time, and viola, it’s done! What a simple and efficient way to save money.
Let’s dive into how to replace your old analog thermostat!
STEP ONE: BUY A DIGITAL THERMOSTAT
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Back? Okay let’s start!
STEP TWO: SHUT OFF POWER TO YOUR FURNACE
STEP THREE: REMOVE THE OLD THERMOSTAT
STEP FOUR: LABEL THE WIRES
![Thermostat Terminals](https://web.archive.org/web/20160511162028im_/http://koopmanblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Thermostat-Terminals-300x154.jpg)
When you unscrew the wall mount, you should see several wires running to the back of the old thermostat. With a piece of masking tape, label each wire according to its terminal. If you’re unsure of what that means, take a look at the photo on the right. See how each wire goes to a set screw? And how each screw has a letter next to it? These are the terminals. This is a significant step because you will need to attach the wires to the correct terminal later! Once you’re done labeling use a screwdriver to disconnect the wires. Then take another piece of masking tape and secure the wires to the wall, so they don’t slide back down behind the wall.
Note: There may be extra wires that aren’t in use and that’s OK, simply disregard them!
STEP FIVE: MOUNT YOUR NEW THERMOSTAT
If you hit hollow space behind the wall, use the plastic anchors included with the new thermostat. Note: Anchors are important for protecting your wall. They give the screw a secure hold where it won’t eat through your drywall or plaster with the threads and quickly loosen.
STEP SIX: REWIRING
STEP SEVEN: INSTALLING THE FRONT
STEP EIGHT: START USING YOUR NEW THERMOSTAT!
WRAP UP
Congratulations! You’re now the proud owner of a digital thermostat! Your home and your heating and cooling bills will thank you for this upgrade in due time. If you have any question or hesitations about this DIY, reach out to us online at Koopmanlumber.com, or at one of our many store locations! We hope you enjoy your new thermostat as much as we enjoy ours!