I want to install a energy efficient thermostat, one that will turn on the heat in the morning, down while I'm at work, then back on in the afternoon, and then back down at night. Is this something that I can do myself or is it something I will need to hire an electrician for?
I'm a DH and I did it. The install isn't that hard but I do agree that the programming is much harder. Most people don't know that you will need to reset it about every 3 months as the seasons change. Your comfortable temperature will change with the seasons. You will also be using the override feature. The temperature changes are so strange right now in PA that I am having to readjust it a lot. My wife and I both work different times of the day (night, mid, and day shift)and I go to school during the day on Mon, Tues, and Thurs so setting a program is almost impossible. If you have a 925 husband/wife and a stay at home it is much easier to use. Someday I hope to be there. It is a worthwhile investment and you will save money in the long run. So go to Home Depot and buy one. As for the install. This is a low current/voltage switch. Colors can be hard to deal with. There are jumpers. The instructions for install are pretty good for the transfer. Just MAKE sure you write down the colors and order of the old switch (and never throw it away) in case of a malfunction (or you run out of AA batteries it needs to run on) or it could be a cold winter. I change my batteries when I change my smoke detectors. Good luck...
My DH did it himself quickly, but he is very handy. He didn't act like it was a big deal and I don't recall seeing any any unusual tools beyond ordinary wire cutters and screw driver (if I recall correctly).
Our biggest problem was in trying to understand the directions for programming the darn thing. They weren't well written at all.
My husband was able to do this, just follow the instructions on the box. It will save you tons of money. We were using a tank of lp gas a month to heat our home, now, it will last 1 and a half month. We are in the south (GA), and from about November to March it really is expensive to heat. Back to your question, my husband is not very handy, but like I said he was able to install one in less time that it takes to program the thing.
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