WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Installing a Programmable Thermostat
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Colchester, Vermont - December 8, 2008
Reporter Darren Perron: So, a lot of us have heard about programmable thermostats, well I still have one of the old ones here. But tonight we're going to find out how long it takes to install them, how easy it is, and how much money we can save.
To get the answers we asked Logan Brown of Efficiency Vermont for help. And right away we learned why the old mercury thermometers may be costing you money; they may say they're set at 68, but really they're heating to 70.
"The old mercury thermostat could easily lose its calibration," Brown explained.
Even dust can throw it off.
Removing the old one is easy.
First step: turn your heating system off to cut the electricity.
A few screws and it's easily removed from the wall.
Most thermostats run off two wires-- a red one and a white one.
Just read the instructions to see where those two wires go.
"It will tell us which terminal to put the red wire in and which terminal to put the white wire in," Brown explained.
Then pop the unit into the base and program the thermostat.
Efficiency Vermont recommends lowering the temperature while you're at work and sleeping. And program the heat to come on about a half hour before you wake up or come home. Brown says keep it cold-- in the low-to-mid 50s to save money.
"So there's a bit of energy used to bring the house back up to temperature but it's dwarfed by the savings by setting the thermostat back," he said.
And try keeping your home a bit cooler even when you're there.
"Every degree that you set your thermostat down by is going to save you in the neighborhood of 2-3 percent during the winter," Brown said.
Perron: So aside from a little painting here we just have to put the face plate on and in 15 minutes we're done. Let the savings begin.
A new thermostat will range in price but most are about 25 to 35 bucks. You cannot throw away your old thermostats because they contain mercury. Instead, you should bring them to a waste collection facility that deals with hazardous materials. Or some hardware stores will accept them if you're buying a new programmable thermostat.
Darren Perron - WCAX News
