This article explains how to choose a home thermostat, remove your old thermostat, and install a new programmable home thermostat. According to energystar.gov, “The average household spends more than $2,000 a year on energy bills — nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. Homeowners can save about $180 a year by properly setting their programmable thermostats and maintaining those settings.”

The Old Thermostat

Upon moving into my home two years ago, the first home improvement project that I tackled was the replacement of the ugly, old, inefficient thermostat that was hanging on my wall. This thermostat was the classic mercury-based, manual type with a simple on / off switch that was installed by the home builder when my home was built in 2001. What shocked me the most was the fact that I was the third owner of the home and it had not yet been replaced!

Selecting the Proper Type of Thermostat

There are literally hundreds of choices when it comes to selecting the proper thermostat for your home. There are different shapes, sizes, and brands to choose from. There are many questions to consider when making a selection. Do I have electric or gas heat? Do I have a heat pump? Not all thermostats will work with all HVAC systems. There are two main types of home thermostats: Digital and non-digital (manual). Within the digital selection there are programmable and non-programmable.

Since energyQue is focused on energy savings and lowering energy costs to both homeowners and business, I am going to only review the digital, programmable type of thermostat. The digital feature is displayed on a LCD screen and is even offered in a touch-screen display on some higher-end models. Programmable thermostats can save up to 33% on home energy costs, which means the thermostat can pay for itself in a short amount of time. The vast majority of these thermostats are Energy Star qualified. The programmable type is designed for those that wake at a certain time, leave the home at a certain time, return a certain time, and go to bed at a certain time (on a regular basis), The non-programmable type will work fine in a home in which someone is always home day and night. However, in a home where the occupants are gone for long periods of time, such as for work, and are on a regular schedule, programmable is the most energy efficient choice. All programmable thermostats have options to over-ride the program for manual settings. The pre-programmed settings that come with Energy Star qualified programmable thermostats are intended to deliver savings without sacrificing comfort.

After reading programmable thermostat reviews, the thermostat I chose out of the many brands available was the Energy Star qualified Honeywell RTH6300B 5-2 Day Programmable Thermostat. The 5-2 indicates that programs can be set for the five-day Monday though Friday and a separate program can be set for the two-day weekend. There are also models that are 7 day programmable which allows you the flexibility to program each day of the week separately. I am on the same schedule Monday through Friday and I don’t work weekends, so the 5-2 worked best for me.

I choose Honeywell because of 1) Honeywell’s reputation as a maker of quality products, 2) the simplicity of use and great design, 3) the ease of installation and 4) the compatibility with about 99% of HVAC systems- I knew I wouldn’t have to take this one back. This goes for all Honeywell programmable types, not just the RTH6300B. The RTH6300B costs about $58 and is about in the middle price range for most digital, programmable thermostats. I purchased this particular thermostat at Home Depot where the price range for all programmable brands ranged from $34 to $120. The RTH6300 also happens to be Home Depot’s number one selling thermostat.

Although I choose a Honeywell model, any digital thermostat will do. The installation instructions in this article apply to most modern digital home thermostats, not just the RTH6300B. This article is designed to show how a home thermostat installation is an easy DIY project that takes minimal skill and effort. Anyone can do this. Please consult the installation guide that comes with your new thermostat for instructions specific to the particular brand and model you choose.