When you’re looking for ways to reduce heating and cooling bills, getting a smart thermostat is a smart move. These devices learn your favorite temperatures and routine and then create an energy-efficient schedule to match. What’s even better is that you can adjust and monitor your settings from nearly anywhere with your phone, whether you’re sitting in bed or out and about. (You might even be eligible for a free smart thermostat depending on rebate programs from your utility supplier in Port St. Lucie.)

Most of the time, hooking up a smart home thermostat with the help of Custom Air Systems Inc is a straightforward process if you have a new house. But what if your home is older or doesn’t have the correct wiring? Can you still have a smart thermostat without C wire? We’ll help you figure out the process so you can pick the proper thermostat and receive energy savings for many years.

What Is a C Wire and What Does It Do on a Thermostat?

Most programmable thermostats need batteries. When you’re switching to a smart thermostat, you’ll find that many need a C wire, or common wire, for power. Without this wire, your new thermostat might cause your heating and cooling system to have glitches.

You can determine if you have a C wire by doing the following:

  1. Turn off power to the thermostat at the breaker.
  2. Remove the thermostat and find the wiring.
  3. If there are five or six multicolored wires, you have what’s required for a smart thermostat. You might be wondering what color is the C wire on a thermostat—and the answer to that is typically blue.
  4. If there are three or four thin multicolored wires, you’re close. Check the C wire isn’t rolled up inside the wall. If you can’t find one, we may be able to add one for you or you may be able to operate your new thermostat without one.
  5. If you have two thick wires, you may be able to run a smart thermostat with an adaptor just for high-voltage systems. Or you may be able to operate a battery-powered smart thermostat, like the Lux Geo Wi-Fi Thermostat, if your wiring won’t work and you don’t want to install new wiring.

Do Nest or ecobee Need a C Wire?

Two of the most popular brands are the Nest smart thermostat and ecobee smart thermostat. If you have two to four wires, these thermostats may work for your home.

Nest says its thermostats are made to consume not a lot of power and can often share it with your home comfort system. However, you may need to have a specialist like Custom Air Systems Inc put in a C wire with the Nest Thermostat E or Nest Learning Thermostat if you’re running into power problems or a battery that’s frequently drained.

ecobee connects with 24-volt systems (ones with three to six thermostat wires) and includes a C wire adaptor. So, you’re taken care of if you don’t have a thermostat C wire.

Rely on Custom Air Systems Inc for Your Smart Thermostat Installation Needs

At Custom Air Systems Inc, we’re always looking for methods to keep you cozier while keeping utility costs reasonable. If you want to know more about switching to a smart thermostat without a C wire, reach us at 772-247-2283. We can help you select the right model for your residence and even install new wiring if necessary.