According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a programmable thermostat can save you up to 15 percent off of your annual heating and cooling bills. The nice thing about a programmable thermostat is that you can set once at the beginning of each season and leave it alone. Replacing an old-style thermostat that you have to manually control with a new programmable one is not that difficult – even a novice do-it-yourselfer should be able to do it by themselves.

Here is how you can replace an old thermostat with a new programmable one:

You Will Need:

• Programmable Thermostat
• Screwdriver
• Small Level
• Pencil/Marking Pen
• Drill
• Drywall Anchors

Remove Old Thermostat

Before you start removing the old thermostat, make sure you have turned off the circuit breaker to the HVAC so there isn't any electrical power running through the system. The new programmable thermostat can go in the exact spot that the old manual thermostat is on your wall. Take the cover off of the old thermostat, unscrew the screws holding it to the wall, and. remove the thermostat.

Installing the New Programmable Thermostat

The base of the new thermostat goes onto the wall first. Place the base against the wall and use your leveler to make sure the base is level – this is necessary for the internal sensor on the programmable thermostat to be accurate in its readings of the temperatures in your house. Mark the mounting hole spots on the wall with your pencil or marking pen.

Drill holes into the wood walls that are slightly smaller than the screws you will be using to mount the base. If you are going to put the screws into drywall, you'll want to make the holes bigger so you can put in drywall anchors to securely hold the screws in place on the wall. Make sure you pull the wires for the HVAC system through the hole in the base before you screw the base onto the wall.

Refer to the instructions that came with the programmable thermostat to make sure you properly place the power and thermostat wires into their proper position on the base. Attach the thermostat cover to the base. You can now restore the power to your HVAC unit.

You should refer to the instructions for your programmable thermostat once again to learn how to program your particular device.

Installing a new programmable thermostat is a pretty straight forward job that doesn't require a lot of time or skill, but if you are worried you can't do it right, you should call your local HVAC service company to come in to install the thermostat for you. To learn more, contact a company like MC Mechanical Services Inc. with any questions or concerns you have.