Or it could be off. I don’t really know anymore, to be honest. Now that we’ve installed a new programmable thermostat I don’t really have to think about our heating and cooling anymore. Plus, it’s another step towards turning our house a few shades greener (and making our wallets a tad thicker).
Here’s the deal. The average household can save $180 a year by installing a programmable thermostat. You know, the one that automatically regulates the temperature in your home based on the time of day (i.e. turns off while you’re at work or asleep, and cranks things up before you wake up or return home). That means you cut down on unnecessarily heating or cooling when you’re not around (or awake) to enjoy it. Less energy = less money = happier people + a happier planet. It’s win/win people.
And for us, it was the perfect excuse to replace this old clunker that came with the house:
So, after turning off the electricity, we happily ripped down (well, carefully detached) the existing thermostat to reveal this pretty lil hole, while also making sure not to let the wires slip back into the wall.
After that came the straightforward task of installing our new Hunter 5+2 Programmable Thermostat which allows us to program two unique settings: one for the weekdays and another for the weekend. It was on sale at Lowe’s for $25 last weekend (down from $29), but there were other options if you’re looking to customize your setting day-by-day. Just make sure that it’s Energy Star certified and compatible with your old system.
Once we finished connecting the wires (it felt a little bit like building a bomb – blue wire goes here, red wire goes here), we simply snapped the cover in place, popped in a couple batteries and then KABLOOEY. Just kidding, nothing exploded. Unless you count the little excited outburst from Sherry as she celebrated the fact that we got it right on the first try. Ain’t our new thermostat a beauty?
So not only will this new gadget help us go green and save green, it also creates the illusion that we’ve got a fancy new heating and air conditioning system. When in reality, we only invested 25 bucks in a brand spankin’ new thermostat. And if you’re trying to sell your house, this is a super easy upgrade that just might be the clincher. Not that we’re selling ours. Ever. But if we were, which of the pictures below would seal the deal for you?
Tawana says
I wanted to do this in our house but someone convinced DH that we should wait until we change the furnace bc it may not be compatible with the new thermostat. Have you heard anythign like this? Now I’m not so sure.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tawana,
You can read right on the new thermostat boxes which systems they’re compatible with (ex: ours said it could replace any existing Honeywell thermostat, and since ours was a Honeywell it didn’t matter that it was 20 years old!). I’d recommend dropping by Lowe’s and reading some of the boxes until you find a new thermostat that says it’s specifically compatible with your system (which I predict will be super easy to find since our system is so old our heating and cooling guy can’t believe it still runs!). Good luck!
xoxo,
Sherry
Jess says
We just did this as well. I love that it’s programmable!
Christy says
I had a new one installed last year with my new AC. Love it! I have noticed a considerable drop in my electric bill too.
Scott Burger says
This should be a requirement for builders and developers. On behalf of the local Sierra Club, GOOD JOB!
Sarah says
Sherry- you think yours is old? Ours is over 30 years old and it still runs! We have the same thermostat as your original one- I didn’t know the programmable ones were so inexpensive!
Alexis Cass says
This was our first home improvement project when we moved in – and it was so worth it!
Cindy says
Great job guys. What an excellent way to live “greener” and save some cash. We had this builder spec when we moved into our place, and it really makes a difference. You’ll love being able to program different days on yours!!
Lauren says
I love the OLD one! We have a 1920s house with a brand new AC and heating system. But, I won’t get a new thermostat. The old one is eclectic (even though it doesn’t match my house’s age). I even plan on scraping the bits of paint off it when I get around to that project.
I like the idea of keeping something from every era that my house adopted. With brand new replacement windows, though, I don’t have to think about the efficiency as much. But, it’s actually losing money when the change of temperature is more than 3 degrees for a programmable thermostat, e.g. changing Sunday’s AC because you’ll be out of the house for a day. If it changes more than 3 degrees, the system has to work harder when it’s changed back, and it costs more than keeping it steady.
Julie says
Thanks so much for blogging about this! We bought our 21 year old house in June, complete with original AC and thermostat. We thought we needed to replace the AC unit, but after switching out just the thermostat, we saved $120 this month on our electric bill! We can’t wait to add up a year’s worth of savings!!
Susan says
Since I’m back-reading to get current with your wonderful site, this might be a suggestion come to late but maybe it won’t be, so here goes.
I know how much you love picture frames and if you pop out the glass, center it around the ‘stat, then fill the empty backspace, the blah can become a unique visual element.
YoungHouseLove says
So true! We actually have a plan for that entire wall (and it does involve picture frames) so stay tuned…
tess says
Recycle your mercury-based thermostat
Covanta Hungtington, LP wants to give you a $5.00 gift card from Home Depot just for sending us your mercury-based thermostat.
Here’s why: mercury is a heavy metal that represents a health threat when released into the environment, which is likely with typical waste disposal methods. An average wall thermostat contains 1-3 grams of mercury, which nearly equals 1,000 compact fluorescent lights. According to the U.S, Department of Energy, a programmable, mercury-free digital thermostat (available for less than $40) can help cut your home energy costs by as much as 15%. So you can do yourself – and the environment – a favor, by returning your mercury thermostat now. We will remove the mercury and recycle it – and give you a Home Depot gift card in exchange.
Return your thermostat to:
Town Of Smithtown
Municipal Services Facility
85 Old Northport Road
Kings Park, NY 11754
(631)269-6600
Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Saturday
7 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
YoungHouseLove says
Cool! Thanks for the into!
xo,
s
Jim says
Just to confirm any doubts, a programmable thermostat will save you money. Even though your furnace will run more when the temperature changes higher again it was off for at least the same time or more during the temperature drop. During the low temperature period you are also not running the furnace as much because your house will not lose as much heat when the temperature inside is closer to the ambient temperature outside. A good working humidifier can also help save money by allowing you to comfortably set your thermostat down to 68F and 65F for nights. You can visit our information site at http://www.fourseasons-chicago.com/news/ for more information regarding your home heating needs.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the info Jim! Good to know!
xo,
s
Kristin says
We installed our programmable thermostat today! Have you noticed a savings since you installed yours?
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely! And it feels so much more responsible to adjust the temp to save energy and money when we’re sleeping – and even for longer stretches when we’re on vacation. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Snickrsnack Katie says
I am so excited because yesterday, my husband and I took down the old thermostat (which was the exact same Honeywell model as yours, from the 1950’s!) and replaced it with a brand new programmable Honeywell. It was SO easy! I feel like we are already saving money, and the house already feels much more consistent as far as cooling goes. The old thermostat would move on its own! Literally, it would creep down to 68 degrees on its own, which was WAY too cold. This new thermostat is amazing! Thanks for giving me the courage to do it ourselves!
Snickrsnack Katie says
Don’t forget to remind your readers that if you have an old clunker of a thermostat like the one you had, and the one I just replaced, you have to properly dispose of it. There are huge mercury tubes in those oldies – so they need to be brought to your local recycling center. Or you can call up your local waste management company and ask about the best way to get rid of those mercury tubes. Wouldn’t want any balls o’ mercury rolling around the house or the local garbage dump.
YoungHouseLove says
Such a great reminder, Katie!
-John
Snickrsnack Katie says
My local waste management company alerted me that they do not recycle mercury, but to contact Honeywell. Honeywell pointed me in the direction of this great website that allows you to search for local businesses that will accept old thermostats and recycle the mercury inside.
http://www.thermostat-recycle.org/
I found several in my area and will be bringing my old one over there soon. Definitely gives me peace of mind that I am doing my part. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Great info! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Deana says
I’ve been going through your archive post by post and finally got to this one… I have the same thermostat yay!
Andrea says
Hi guys,
I know this post is really old time-wise and from the old house but I didn’t know where else to leave this comment…
Not sure if you’ve done any upgrades thermostat-wise to the new house but I found a really awesome theromostat that is easy to use and has a green slant (and has a really kickass website) that I thought you might be interested in checking out. It’s called Nest: http://www.nest.com. It’s not the cheapest thing ever but one hopes it pays for itself in heating/cooling bills and the fact that it has an app and sends you monthly emails about the way you use it.
Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds so cool! We’d love to get one someday!
xo
s