It has been concluded that smart thermostats are by far the most beneficial invention for the people. They make the environment comfortable for their users no matter what the weather is. Secondly, they provide full control to the users so they can access different settings and make these thermostats more convenient for them.
Smart thermostats are quite popular in the United States. Almost more than 50% population own smart thermostats and use them in their daily routine. The popular thermostat brands are Ecobee and Nest. But Nest thermostats have an upper hand so people prefer these thermostats over others.
Many people were and still are curious regarding different information of Nest thermostats. The first one has to be regarding installing Nest thermostat.
DO YOU NEED AN ELECTRICIAN TO INSTALL A NEST THERMOSTAT?
If your thermostat shows a requirement to install a common wire then this job has to be done by an electrician. But if you know how to install a C wire then you could also perform this process but having an electrician is highly recommended.
Nest thermostat installation cost becomes almost minimum when you perform the procedure yourself. The procedure just takes 20 β 30 minutes. Just follow the manual instructions and you will be good to go.
IS IT EASY TO INSTALL NEST ON MY OWN?
Yes, absolutely. It is really easy to install Nest thermostat on your own. The first thing that needs to be done is visiting the Nest website. Over there they will ask you a few wire-related questions. These questions will mostly concern with the wire connections of your current thermostat.
After answering these questions that website will guide you whether you need to hire an electrician for the installation or not. But the good news is that if someone with least technical knowledge is present even he/she can perform the installation of Nest.
CHECKING THE ROUTING OF C-WIRE TO THE THERMOSTAT IN MY HOME
Smart thermostats werenβt invented in one go. Before these thermostats we had simple thermostats which used turn-dial method to set the desired temperature. They didnβt demand any sort of power. Their working depended on the temperature value. Whenever the temperature changed, a metal coil would start moving causing the vial to tip to one side. This vial used to contain mercury which would flow to a specific end in order to send a signal for turning ON the AC or the heater.
But the latest digital thermostats require way more power. The presence of temperature sensors make the power to drain quickly. The source of power of these thermostats is a pair of batteries. These batteries need to be changed often enough. To provide this and additional power to different components of thermostat, C wire is used.
FINDING THE C-WIRE:
C wire is also called a Common wire or a neutral wire. The color of this wire is usually white. Older houses used to have this C wire routed to almost every power source. But if you want to be sure then what you can do is remove the cover of your thermostat and check there.
In most of the cases, the wire will be labelled as βCβ wire. If this is not the case then look at the terminals, whichever terminal says βCβ, the wire which is plugged in that terminal will be your C wire. If you had no luck with this method too then chances are that the wire might be tucked into the wall.
If you feel uncomfortable to take the thermostat off the wall then you can take help of the furnace access panel which is present in the attic. So if you witness a C-wire run then it means the odds of installing Nest thermostat are high.
CAN NEST THERMOSTAT OPERATE WITHOUT A C-WIRE?
Imagining a scenario where Nest thermostat works without a C wire is pretty much possible. This thermostat is designed in such a way that it still works even if there is no C-wire present. It automatically sets itself up when common wire is absent from the system.
One good thing about Nest thermostats is that they consume necessary power from the cooling and heating wires. Only a few people out of many people uses C wire to provide additional power to their thermostats.
ISSUES TO FACE IN THE ABSENCE OF A C-WIRE:
Knowing the cost to install a Nest thermostat is a secondary thing. The first thing is to know what problems you could face if you donβt have a C-wire installed.
- Thermostat giving low battery warnings
- Disabled motion sensing
- Your thermostat keeps shutting OFF without any warning
- You hear strange noises from the thermostat
- Continuous working of cooling and heating units
- The system fan turns OFF unexpectedly or will keep on running continuously
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO INSTALL THERMOSTAT?
Google Nest learning thermostat install cost is about $99. This is the cost offered by Google itself. However, $99 is for the first device only. Cost to install new thermostat will be reduced to $59. This installation is recommended if you have compatible HVAC systems and have sufficient wiring.
This is just the installation cost, if there are other technical issues to deal with then the cost will start varying according to the situation. So keep yourself prepared.
DO I NEED AN ELECTRICIAN TO REPLACE A THERMOSTAT?
There is no concrete answer to this question. If you have intermediate knowledge about wiring then we recommend you to hire an electrician because this task involves many wiring connections. But if you have a grip on technical stuff then you can do this task on your own.
HOW TO INSTALL GOOGLE NEST THERMOSTAT β WITHOUT C WIRE
If you want to know how to install a Google Nest thermostat then this section of the article is very important for you. Just follow the below mentioned steps and you will go through a successful procedure.
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
STEP 1 β Make sure the HVAC system is turned OFF
STEP 2 β See the wiring terminals by removing your thermostatβs faceplate
STEP 3 β Establish a connection of your C-wire adapter (alternative of C-wire) with the furnace air handler
STEP 4 β You can read the instructions present on the manual of kit
STEP 5 β After connecting the adapter, connect the remaining wires to their respective terminals
STEP 6 β Put back the faceplate on your thermostat and turn ON your HVAC system
STEP 7 β Your thermostat will start working!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q β Can I Install A Nest Thermostat By Myself?
A β Yes, you can install a Nest thermostat on your own even if you have extremely little knowledge of this domain. Installation of Nest is considered as a DIY project in most houses.
Q β Can I Put My Nest Thermostat Anywhere?
A β No, you have to keep your thermostat in a room which is most commonly used. If you do this then your thermostat will read the right temperature.
Q β Does Nest Work Without Wi-fi?
A β Yes, Nest can work without Wi-Fi but it will not be considered as a smart one in this case. Many of its functionalities will be restricted and you can only access them with the help of Wi-Fi.
CONCLUDING WORDS:
After reading this article you must figure out whether you need an electrician for the installation of your thermostat or not. There are several factors to consider so make sure you donβt miss out on a single one even.
