The internet has truly empowered us to become confident DIY homeowners. With millions of “How-to” videos on YouTube and step by step tutorials accompanying purchases on Amazon, why shouldn’t we be confident? And some of the most popular projects for homeowners involve home automation. Connecting your lighting, security cameras, remote door locks, and even your thermostat to your phone is now a project for a weekend warrior. But just because you COULD replace your thermostat, we wanted to review some of the pluses and minuses to doing it yourself.
As a Bryant Heating & Cooling System dealer, we work in a variety of settings with an entire fleet of products. In new homes, we can offer homeowners all of the latest and greatest HVAC options including smarthome thermostats. In retrofit applications or residential replacement, there may be limiting factors that control what model thermostat is available to the homeowner. Either way, the options we have as a dealer are unique from the products offered directly to homeowners, and we want to talk about those differences.
Why Have A Pro Replace Your Thermostat?
Of all the different ways you can upgrade your HVAC system, replacing your thermostat is one of the easiest and least expensive. In most cases, you can replace your thermostat without having to make any other adjustments to your HVAC system. If you’re switching from a manual thermostat to a programmable or lifestyle model, the upgrade will often quickly pay for itself in future energy savings.
Choosing a professional to install your thermostat comes with several advantages. A certified technician will check operation in all modes once the new thermostat is installed to verify everything works correctly. They should gaurantee their work so if anything goes wrong, you are covered. The thermostat only turns the HVAC system on and off, so it is also important to keep your system properly serviced in spring and fall. This ensures the thermostat can give you maximum savings.
While replacing your home thermostat yourself can save money over calling a professional, sometimes the risk of improperly installing and doing further damage to your HVAC system is not worth it. Today’s modern HVAC systems require continuous training. When properly installed, a modern thermostat can accent the house while saving you energy and money.