Do-It-Yourself or DIY is all the rage lately giving the vast number of home improvement shows on every channel imaginable. If you have the inclination, you could watch hour upon hour of amateur renovators or home flippers install new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring or even roofing. Doing things yourself means you may save yourself some money or create an immense sense of pride in your home. And while some DIY projects are virtually foolproof and something that almost anyone can do – some are NOT. Unfortunately, many DIY projects, like installing newer technology such as WiFi Thermostats should really be left to the professionals.
Wireless thermostats or programmable thermostats have been around for a little while and it seems like all your neighbors were able to install their own. Yes, wireless thermostats, also called a WiFi thermostats, are a fairly easy-to-use piece of technology that can control the heating and cooling systems within your house, apartment or business. But they are not as easy as one would think to install.
A WiFi thermostat works in conjunction with your current heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. While a standard thermostat acts as a control panel for your home’s heating and air conditioning system, a programmable or WiFi programmable thermostat can be adjusted from a remote location – say your work computer or your smartphone. This makes adjusting the temperature according to your personal schedule extremely helpful and easy. Who wouldn’t want a breath of fresh, cool air upon returning home on a sweltering summer day or the opposite, a nice cozy feel on a frigid winter day?
Sounds like a great tech gadget that can save you time and money right? So why not install it yourself and save even more money? What could possibly go wrong? Well, actually quite a bit. Here are some of the nightmares we have seen first hand.
- Heat or AC Malfunction – Incorrect installation can result in NO heat or NO air conditioning. Not exactly what you want in the middle of a heat wave or a wicked winter storm.
- Wasted Money – Incorrect Installation can mean that the thousands of dollars you just spent on installing a High efficiency HVAC system have gone to waste if it is not operating efficiently.
- Major Energy Loss – If the thermostat is not coded property a two stage system may operate as a one stage system making the system work harder than it should.
- Higher Bills – If the WiFi thermostat is installed incorrectly it may have troubleshooting codes for HVAC techs. These codes could be unreadable causing more expense for homeowner as this will take the tech more time to diagnose problem.
- Blown Transformer or Fuse – Incorrect installation could actually blow a fuse on the control panel or worse yet a transformer!
The bottom line is that the cost savings you may have of installing a Wifi Thermostat by yourself does NOT outweigh the benefits of having an experienced professional like our techs here at Morris Heating and Air Conditioning do it for you. Believe us, it will pay off in terms of HVAC efficiency and potential future bills.