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Here in the Valley of the Sun,
cooling your house is the single
largest portion of your utility costs.
Air conditioning can account for 40%
or more of your summer bills.
And that huge electrical load is controlled
by this little piece of equipment: the thermostat.
Many people just set it and leave it alone.
But you have a great opportunity to manage the power it takes to
keep you comfortable inside your home.
A programmable thermostat allows you to
automatically adjust your cooling and heating
needs to match your lifestyle. For example, in the summer you
can set a programmable thermostat to automatically set
the air temperature higher when you leave for work.
In the winter, you can set the thermostat to use less heat when
you're in bed sleeping at night.
And you have the benefit of combining this technology
with our SRP Time-of-Use Plan to save even more money.
This will let you heat or cool your house
during the off-peak hours, which are the less expensive times.
Now let's take a look at a programmable thermostat.
There are many to choose from,
some with more bells and whistles than others.
But what's most important is that the
programmable thermostat is
compatible with your heating and cooling unit.
For example, some units are compatible with
single-stage air conditioners and heat pumps,
while others are compatible with multi-stage systems.
If you're not sure about what type of unit you have,
or if you're unfamiliar with wiring these types of devices,
help is just a phone call away.
Let me show you how I install this device.
Rule number one is, I always wear safety glasses
when I'm working at any job site.
FIrst, I turn off the power to the heating and
cooling unit at the breaker box.
Next, I need to remove the old manual thermostat,
so I'll start by removing the cover.
Some covers simply snap off, but others are screwed in place.
Now, I'll test the wires on the thermostat
to make sure there's no voltage.
Next, I remove the thermostat screws
while holding the thermostat to the wall plate and lift it away.
Next, I'll disconnect the wires from the old thermostat.
As I disconnect each wire, you notice that I label each
terminal designation using a small piece of masking tape.
A good tip is to wrap the wires around a pencil, to keep them
from falling back into the wall cavity.
Something very important to remember is
that old thermostat may contain mercury in a sealed tube,
so I don't throw it in the trash.
Instead, I'll contact my local waste management authority for
advice on how to properly dispose of the old unit.
Now I'm ready to install the new thermostat.
I start with the wall plate.
I'll pull the wire through.
I'll position it on the wall and level it.
Using the pencil to mark the mounting holes,
I'll drill 2 small holes for wall anchors,
using my marks for reference.
I gently tap the wall anchors into the
holes until they're flush with the wall.
I'll pull the wires through the plate,
and position the wall plate over the holes.
I can then secure the mounting plate to the wall with screws.
Now it's time to wire the unit.
Each model will come with its own installation manual,
so I can use that as a guide.
Loosen the terminal screws and slip each wire beneath its
matching terminal. Some units have a straight input,
while others have a looped wire connection.
With this thermostat, which is a straight connection,
I insert the wire and tighten the screw.
The last step is to install the batteries in the wall plate,
snap on the cover, and turn the power back on.
Once the installation is complete, I can test the
thermostat to make sure it's working. I'll set the fan to
auto, and the temperature setting low enough that the A/C
fan kicks on and cool air starts to flow from the vents.
If everything is working properly,
I can go ahead and program the thermostat.
Again, I'll follow the instructions that came with
this particular unit.
Also, most programmable thermostats have a
manual override that allows you to re-set the
temperature any time you like.
Now that the project is complete,
you can start saving energy and money by managing
your heating and cooling units automatically.
At SRP we're here to help.
To find out if you are on the right price plan visit...