We’re somewhat handy around the house. My husband has installed a ceiling fan in the past… Is installing a programmable thermostat doable for the weekend handyman? Any specialized tools or knowledge required? We have a digital thermostat installed already, it’s just not programmable.

If you think you need a new thermostat, chances are that you do. Several homes, especially those in the Midwest, still use mercury thermostats, which are illegal in several states and are hazardous to the environment and potentially, your health. Several thermostats are now made to imitate the round, old-fashioned design of the older, mercury-filled thermostats, but exclude the mercury.

Energy cost is another factor to keep in mind. With heating prices on the rise, several thermostats are designed to save energy by a specific percentage through their accuracy and preprogrammed settings. With settings designed for you, your thermostat won’t get neglected, and your bills won’t suffer. Heating and air conditioning is too expensive to ignore, or at times, forget about. If this is a current problem for your home, you may want to look into a thermostat that specifies saving 33 percent or more of energy. Also, make sure your thermostat is EnergyStar listed.

If changes in the weather, along with constant adjustments to your thermostat, are aggravating you this year, you may need a new thermostat that is more accurate than your current make and model. You should probably be on the lookout for a thermostat that offers accuracy within only one or two degrees. After all, a thermostat is supposed to relay the temperatures to your heating or air conditioning system so you don’t have to guess.

Thermostats are usually nothing to look at. Several are simply outdated and can be easily upgraded for one with a touchscreen or LCD display. Many contemporary models come in blue or green for aesthetic purposes or even offer soft touch buttons for an overall higher design value. Another good reason to upgrade is for lighting purposes. Many thermostats are made with backlighting or, simply lighted displays, so in dark rooms or at night, you can see the temperature along with your adjusted settings.

If parts of your home are perfectly comfortable, while other spots are definitely not, consider zone control with a new thermostat and sensors to access the temperatures from different portions of the house and signal certain parts to be heated or cooled. This way, your thermostat will not just work to direct warmth or cooling power to balance the area directly surrounding it. It will instead be catered to each zone of your house or living space, saving energy and money for the sections that need less heating or cooling, and bringing comfortable results to the places that do. The answer is yes, a new thermostat with zone control capabilities would be a wise choice.
Audrey Peterson is a Product Specialist with knowledge in the design and applications of a variety of thermostats http://www.honeywell-thermostat.com/thermostat.html
She has analyzed several Honeywell models http://www.honeywell-thermostat.com/ and helps to make decision-making process easier with these home productshttp://www.honeywell-thermostat.com/thermostat-finder.aspx