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Common Questions About Heating, Ventilation and Cooling
How to replace a thermostat?
In general, a thermostat is an easy item to replace. Here are the specifics for changing a thermostat:
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- Ensure that the power to the heating and cooling system is shut off at the main service panel, and then remove the cover plate of the old thermostat. (Note that some thermostats, such as the newer programmable ones, have the cover plate fused to the thermostat body.)
- Detach the body of the thermostat from its base (the part attached to the wall, similar to a face plate). Do this by loosening the mounting screws for the thermostat body.
- Disconnect the low-voltage wires attached to the screw terminals on the thermostat base. Make sure to label which wire goes where, for later reference.
- Now its time to remove the thermostat base. Before you start loosening the mounting screws for the base, it would be wise to tape the low-voltage wires. Once the thermostat base comes off, those wires can easily fall into that hollow space of the wall.
- Its time to put on the new thermostat. First, start by threading the low-voltage wires through the new base. Fasten the thermostat base to the wall using the screws included in the package.
- Attach the wires to screw terminals on the thermostat base. There should be instructions included in or on the package that show how to make the proper connections.
- Before attaching the new thermostat body to the base, its a good idea to check the transformer for any loose connections or potentially dangerous conditions, such as cracks on the wire casings. The transformer, the device that powers the thermostat, is generally situated either inside the furnace entry panel or close to the heating and cooling system.
- The final step involves placing the batteries in the thermostat body, and then attaching the body (and the cover plate, if necessary) to the base. Now its time to turn on the power and set the new thermostat to the settings you want.