A digital thermostat is a programmable device that controls heating and cooling temperature settings. While this type of thermostat works off the same concept as a traditional thermostat, there are some advantages. For one thing, digital thermostats are convenient. Since you can set temperatures for different days and even times of day or night, you do not have to worry about manually making adjustments. In addition, digital thermostats are as mentioned, programmable so the thermostat does all the work. Best of all, digital thermostats reduce the cost of monthly utility bills.
With today’s challenging economy and energy costs on the rise, it is time to take finances into your own hands by making decisions that would provide a comfortable home but without costing a fortune. Although you have a number of options, conserving energy is one of the easiest ways of achieving this goal. By setting the digital thermostat, the home’s interior would be maintained whether at home or away.
Installing a Digital Thermostat
Although you could hire someone to install a digital thermostat for you, installation is something you could do without much effort simply by following a few guidelines. The first thing would be to choose the type of digital thermostat wanted and from there, gather the necessary tools to include a screwdriver (Phillip’s or flat-head depending on the screws that come with the thermostat), a level, wire strippers, and pencil. Once you have everything organized, you could get started with the installation process.
Start by removing the existing thermostat. Most can be taken off by popping off the front cover and then loosening a single screw underneath but this depends on the style. Now, before you go any further, make sure the electricity for the air conditioning unit and furnace is turned off at the breaker box. With this, one or both units would not come on accidentally by touching wires but this also makes the installation process safer.
As you look at the inside of the old thermostat, you would see a glass tube filled with mercury, a silver liquid. Mercury is a very toxic substance so you want to handle the glass tube carefully to avoid breakage and getting the mercury on your skin. You will also see wires that would need to be loosened. For this, unscrew the screw holding the wires in place, followed by removing them altogether. With this done, the back plate of the old thermostat would be taken off the wall. As you take the back plate off, be sure you have hold of the wires. Otherwise, they could slip down behind the drywall.
Holding onto the wires, place the level over the hole to make sure after screwing the back plate of the new digital back plate is level. You can use the pencil to mark a line for the level position, followed by securing the plate into position. Through the hole in the plate, gently pull the wires through and then screw the plate down. Now, depending on the digital thermostat purchased, the back plate may or may not have wire terminals. If it does, handle the wires gingerly in that they are very delicate. You will need to cut off the ends and then strip three-quarters of an inch of the plastic sheath off the ends of each wire.
Even if the digital thermostat has marked wiring, we strongly recommend you read the manufacturer’s instructions for installation to make sure the right wires are connected. You will see the wires should be looped around the screw, which would be tightened, keeping the wire in place but not so tight that the wire breaks. Again, follow the wire to wire connection according to the manufacturer, wrapping each around the appropriate screw and then tightening.
Once all the wires of the new digital thermostat are secure, the front cover would be snapped on, the battery inserted, and the power at the breaker box turned back on. From there, the digital thermostat would be programmed according to your needs so you can begin to enjoy savings on your monthly utility bill.
