Smart thermostat installs
Wired, powered properly, connected to your Wi-Fi and set up on your phone before we leave. We walk you through the app so it doesn't sit on default settings.
Thermostat installation in Spokane, WA
The thermostat tells your whole system what to do. The wrong model, wired wrong or hung in the wrong spot, can make a perfectly good furnace or heat pump act broken. We install, wire, set up and calibrate thermostats across Spokane, Spokane Valley and Mead.
Smart and programmable
Upfront pricing
Licensed and insured
Matched to your systemFurnaces, heat pumps, multi-stage
Placed rightAway from sun, drafts and vents
Price firstYou approve the cost before we start
Lic# PNWSPSH772R2Licensed and insured in Washington
Thermostats near you
A small box on the wall with a big say in your comfort
When a house feels warm one hour and chilly the next, people blame the furnace. Often the real culprit is the thermostat: a model that doesn't match the equipment, a loose wire, or a sensor reading the afternoon sun instead of the room. A proper install fixes that, and it's one of the least expensive upgrades you can make.
Smart, programmable or basic
Basic thermostats hold one temperature until you change it. They're simple and reliable, and a good fit for people who don't want to think about it. Programmable thermostats follow a schedule you set, like cooler at night and warmer before you wake up. Smart thermostats connect to Wi-Fi so you can adjust them from your phone, and many send alerts when something looks wrong. We install all three and help you pick the one you'll actually use.
Why the wrong thermostat causes problems
Not every thermostat can run every system. A heat pump needs a thermostat that controls the reversing valve (the part that switches between heating and cooling) and knows when to bring on backup heat. A two-stage furnace needs a thermostat that can call for low and high fire. Put a basic single-stage model on either one and the equipment still runs, just poorly, with higher bills and less comfort.
Then there's the C-wire, short for common wire. It gives the thermostat a steady trickle of 24-volt power from the furnace or air handler. Smart thermostats need that power to keep the screen and Wi-Fi running. Without it, some try to borrow power through the other wires, which can cause odd cycling or random reboots. If your home doesn't have one, we can run a new wire or install an adapter at the equipment.
Common problems
Thermostat problems we fix most
Most come from a poor match, a rushed install or a bad location. All are fixable.
- A blank or flickering screen, even with fresh batteries.
- The system won't turn on, or won't shut off once it reaches the setting.
- Short cycling, with the heat or AC starting and stopping every few minutes.
- The reading doesn't match the room. It says 70°F but it feels like 64°F.
- A heat pump stuck on backup heat, with Aux or Emergency heat showing most of the winter.
- A smart thermostat that reboots or drops Wi-Fi, often a power problem from a missing C-wire.
- Schedules that keep resetting or a program nobody in the house can figure out.
- Big temperature swings between floors that one thermostat can't manage.
What we do
Thermostat services for every kind of system
We check what you have first, then recommend a thermostat that fits both the equipment and the way you live.
Programmable thermostats
A good middle ground. We program a schedule around your real routine and show you how to change it.
Basic thermostats
Big numbers, simple buttons, no app. Great for rentals, cabins and shops.
Heat pump and multi-stage setup
We configure heating and cooling stages, reversing valve and backup heat settings so a heat pump or two-stage furnace runs the way it was designed to.
Zoning
Motorized dampers in the ducts and a thermostat for each zone let an upstairs and downstairs run at different temperatures from one furnace.
Calibration and relocation
If your thermostat reads wrong, we check it against a reliable thermometer and adjust it, or move it to a spot that reflects how the house actually feels.
How it works
From old thermostat to set up and tested
Most installs take one visit. The setup at the end matters as much as the wiring.
Check the system
We identify your equipment, count the wires and note the stages, so the new thermostat is a true match.
Pick the right model
You choose from options that work with your system. You approve the price before we start.
Install and wire
We mount it level, add a C-wire if needed and make clean connections at both the wall and the equipment.
Set up and test
We program it, test heat, cool, fan and backup heat, and show you how everything works.
Energy savings, honestly
Setbacks save money. How much depends on your house.
Turning the heat down while you sleep or work means the house loses heat more slowly, so the furnace burns less fuel. How much you save depends on your insulation, the size and length of the setback, and your equipment. Heat pumps are the exception to watch: a deep setback on a cold Spokane morning can bring on the electric backup heat to catch up, which can cancel out the savings. For heat pumps we set smaller setbacks or use a thermostat that recovers gradually.
8 hrsA typical overnight or workday setback
24°FAverage January low in Spokane
FreeSecond opinions on system problems
Calibration and placement
Why your thermostat might be reading the wrong room
A thermostat only knows the temperature of the air right around it. If that spot is warmer or cooler than the rest of the house, the whole system follows the wrong number. On an exterior wall it reads cold all winter. Near a sunny window it shuts the heat off early every afternoon. Next to a supply vent it thinks the house is done heating.
How we check calibration
We compare the thermostat's reading to a reliable thermometer in the same spot. If it's off by more than a degree or two, many models let us set an offset. Older dial thermostats may need to be leveled or replaced, and if yours contains a small glass bulb of mercury, it should be recycled, not thrown in the trash.
When one thermostat isn't enough
Two-story homes and houses with a bonus room often fight over one thermostat, with the upstairs too warm and the main floor too cool. Zoning can help when the ductwork allows it. Sometimes a ductless mini split for the problem area is the simpler fix. We'll look at your ductwork and tell you which makes sense.
Where a thermostat should not go
- On an exterior wall that gets cold in winter
- Near a sunny window or glass door
- Above or across from a supply vent or return
- Near the kitchen, a lamp, a TV or other heat sources
- In a drafty hallway by the front door
- In a room that's closed off or rarely used
The best spot is usually an inside wall in a main living area, about five feet off the floor.
Our work
Controls and wiring, done carefully
A thermostat is only as good as the wiring at the other end. These are our own jobs.
Thermostat FAQ
Common thermostat questions
Have a question that isn't here? Call (509) 410-0769 and ask a real person.
Most smart thermostats work best with one. The C-wire supplies steady power so the screen and Wi-Fi stay on. Without it, some models borrow power in ways that cause cycling problems or reboots. If you don't have a C-wire, we can run one or add an adapter at the furnace or air handler.
Yes, as long as the model supports heat pumps with backup heat. Setup matters just as much. The reversing valve setting and backup heat limits have to be right, or the system may run the expensive electric strips when the heat pump could handle the load on its own.
It may be out of calibration or sitting somewhere warmer than the rest of the house. Drafts and dry winter air can also make a room feel cooler than it reads. We can check the reading and move the thermostat if needed.
If your days are predictable and you'd use a schedule or phone app, usually yes. If someone is home all day and likes one steady temperature, a basic model works fine and there's little to gain.
On an inside wall in a room you use often, about five feet off the floor, away from sunny windows, exterior walls, supply vents, kitchens and drafty doors. That spot gives a reading that matches how the house actually feels.
Replace the batteries if it takes them. Then check the breaker, the furnace power switch and that the furnace door is closed tight. If it's still blank, a blown control board fuse or a wiring problem is likely, and that's a job for a technician.
Often, yes, depending on your duct layout and equipment. We'll inspect the ductwork first. In some homes, a ductless mini split for the problem area is the simpler fix.
Related services
More ways to stay comfortable
Thermostat installation across Spokane County, from our shop in Mead.
- Spokane
- Spokane Valley
- Mead
- Colbert
- Green Bluff
- Nine Mile Falls
- Deer Park
- Liberty Lake
- Airway Heights
Book service
Let's get your thermostat working for you
Tell us what system you have and what the thermostat is doing, or which one you'd like installed. We'll make sure it's the right match before we show up.