We recently bought a new home and have been doing a number of updates. One thing in dire need of updating are the thermostats, which are original to the house (1992). The existing units were clunky, not very user friendly, and not particularly sensitive to temperature change.

I decided to purchase the ecobee smart thermostat, and was particularly motivated when our energy provider recently offered a deep discount on the units. I picked up a couple of them and updated the upstairs unit earlier today (I'll tackle the downstairs unit another day).

Because my setup didn't have a C-wire (for continuous power), the install process required that I installed a power-extender kit, which comes in the box. This involved adjusting the thermostat wires inside the HVAC unit, which was a little daunting at first. This process, however, turned out to be easier than I initially thought.

The entire install process took about an hour or so do, and I now have a modern, easy to use setup. One of the benefits of these units is that they have optional sensors you can buy to place in other rooms, which help the thermostat better control the temperature across the whole house. I plan on picking up one of these eventually to put in our bonus room, which seems to be hotter than the rest of the house on average.

I'm enjoying the DIY aspect of home ownership these days. I've learned a lot, am gaining new skills, and I'm saving a little on having to hire someone to do the work.