HOW TO INSTALL A PROGRAMABLE THERMOSTAT

The only reason you heat and cool your home is for your own comfort. So when you’re not there, why are you still heating and cooling your home as if you were there? Give your system a break when you’re out by either raising or lowering the thermostat to save energy. Can’t remember to change the thermostat every day? You aren’t the only one. That’s why programmable thermostats are so popular. Program your schedule just once and your new thermostat will start saving you money and conserving energy immediately. Worried that you’re going to have to hire an electrician to get the job done? Not so. Just follow our steps below and you’ll have your new, green thermostat set in no time.

1.  Turn off the electricity to your furnace and air-conditioner at your fuse box.

2.  Remove the cover from your old thermostat. Most covers simply snap on and pull off although some have screws on the sides that must be removed.

3. Once you can clearly see the wire connections, read the letters printed near the terminals of the old thermostat. Attach labels to each wire for identification. (Note: these letters don’t necessarily coordinate with wire colors)

4.  Remove the wires from the back of the thermostat one at a time. Make sure that each wire is correctly labeled and be careful to make sure that no wires fall back inside the wall. Once the old thermostat is removed, you should have just the labeled wires coming out of the wall.

5.  Separate the body from the back of the thermostat. If you purchased the Lux thermostat that we recommend, it can be opened easily by pressing up on the bottom button and swinging the body away and up from the base to separate the body from the base.

6. Hold the base of the thermostat against the wall with the wires coming through the rectangle in the back of the thermostat. Position the base so that any marks from the old thermostat are covered and attach the base to the wall with the two screws that are provided.

7.  Attach the wires to the terminal control block on the thermostat base. There should be a wiring diagram with any programmable thermostat you buy that shows exactly how to do this.

8.  Install batteries.

9. Reattach the body to the back of the thermostat. If you purchased the Lux, just hook the top of the body onto the base and swing down and snap into place.

10. Program your thermostat according to the instructions in your manual and you’re done.

What you’ll need:

• A programable

 thermostat

• A screwdriver

• 15 minutes

A good choice for an Energy Star rated thermostat is the Lux TX9000TS available for $79.95 at any Lowe’s store or online at lowes.com. This thermostat has an easy to use touch screen and it allows you to program each day of the week.