Smart Thermostats in Middle Tennessee
- Licensed and insured plumbing, HVAC and electrical techs
A new thermostat looks like a simple swap, and sometimes it is. But heat pumps, dual-fuel systems, two-stage equipment and older wiring can turn a simple swap into a system that short cycles, runs its backup heat all winter, or won't run at all.
We'll check what your system needs, including whether there's a common wire (the C-wire most smart thermostats need for steady power), and set the thermostat up to work with your equipment. Thermostat work is done by licensed and insured techs. One call still covers the whole house.
Signs you need thermostats help
- The display is blank, or the thermostat keeps resetting itself
- The temperature on the screen doesn't match how the room feels
- The system short cycles, or runs and will not shut off
- On a heat pump, backup heat runs far more than it should
- An old dial or mercury thermostat is still on the wall
- You want a schedule, or control from your phone
- A smart thermostat you installed yourself isn't working right
What we do
Smart thermostat installs
Wi-Fi thermostats set up with your system, your schedule and the app, so you can adjust the temperature from your phone.
Programmable thermostats
For households that want a schedule without Wi-Fi or an app.
Wiring and C-wires
Adding a common wire or an adapter where a smart thermostat needs one, and replacing old or damaged thermostat wire.
Heat pump and dual-fuel setup
Setting the thermostat for the reversing valve and the backup heat and, on dual-fuel systems, the outdoor temperature where the furnace takes over.
Zoned systems
Thermostats for zoned systems, where dampers in the ducts let each area of the house be set on its own.
New construction and renovations
Thermostat wiring at the HVAC rough-in and thermostat setup at trim-out, with a location chosen so the thermostat reads the room correctly.
Repair or replace?
Thermostats are rarely repaired. When one fails, it's replaced. But a lot of "thermostat problems" turn out to be something else: a tripped breaker, a safety switch that shut the system off because the condensate drain clogged, or a failed part in the furnace or the outdoor unit.
We'll check the system before replacing the thermostat, so you don't pay for a new one that doesn't fix the problem.
What it costs, and how we price it
What drives the price
- The thermostat you choose: basic programmable, smart, or one built for your type of system
- Whether a common wire (C-wire) needs to be added
- Heat pump, dual-fuel, multi-stage or zoned equipment, which takes more setup
- The condition of the existing thermostat wire
- Whether the thermostat moves to a new location on the wall or in the house
- The diagnostic visit
- Free. We come look, find the cause and explain it.
- Your price
- Firm price given before any work starts.
- How we price
- Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own.
- Why prices stay down
- Low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so you are not paying for callbacks.
How a visit works
Call or text
Call or text (615) 426-9344 and tell us what's going on. A photo helps. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A free diagnostic visit
We come look, find the cause and explain it in plain words. The visit is free.
A firm price before any work starts
You get the price for the job before we begin, so you can decide with real numbers.
The work, done right the first time
Current methods, good equipment and quality materials. We keep overhead low and skip the callbacks, which keeps prices down.
Follow-up
If anything we worked on gives you trouble, call or text the same number.
Do smart thermostats save energy?
They can, mostly by making a schedule easy to follow and easy to change. Turning the temperature back while you sleep or while the house is empty is where the savings come from. How much depends on your habits and your system.
A smart thermostat set to one temperature all day saves little just for being smart. We won't promise a number, but we will set it up so the schedule is easy to live with.
What is a C-wire, and do I need one?
It's the common wire that gives a thermostat steady power. Most smart thermostats need one. Older homes often have only a few wires at the thermostat, without a common.
There are ways to add one: an unused wire already in the bundle, a new wire run from the furnace or air handler, or an adapter made for that thermostat. We'll find the one that fits your system.
Where should a thermostat go?
On an inside wall in a room you use, about eye level, away from direct sun, supply vents, lamps, the kitchen and outside doors. A thermostat in the wrong spot reads the wrong temperature and runs the whole system on bad information.
Hallways work in some homes and not in others. In new construction and renovations, the location gets planned at rough-in so it's right from the start.
Common questions
Who does the thermostat work?
Thermostat work is done by licensed and insured techs. Root House gives you the price, and one call still covers plumbing, HVAC and electrical.
Will a smart thermostat work with my heat pump?
Most will, but it has to be set up for a heat pump: the reversing valve, the backup heat and the emergency heat setting. A thermostat set up as if the system were a furnace and an air conditioner can run the backup heat far more than it needs to.
Why is my thermostat blank?
Check the batteries if it takes them, then the breaker for the furnace or air handler. A safety switch that shuts the system off when the condensate drain clogs can also cut power to the thermostat. If none of that is it, call or text us at (615) 426-9344.
Why does the house feel warmer than the thermostat says?
The thermostat reads the air where it hangs, and sun, a lamp or a nearby vent can throw it off. Humidity matters too: damp air feels warmer at the same temperature. If the house feels clammy, that's a question for the air conditioner, not just the thermostat.
What should I do with an old mercury thermostat?
Keep it out of the trash. Older thermostats with a small glass bulb inside contain mercury. Take it to a household hazardous waste collection or a thermostat recycling drop-off.
Is the visit to look free?
Yes. We'll look at your system and your wiring for free, and you'll get a firm price before any work starts.
Do you set up thermostats in new homes?
Yes. Thermostat wiring goes in at the HVAC rough-in, and the thermostat is set up at trim-out, as part of the new construction and renovation work Root House does.
Related
- HVAC Tune-Ups and Maintenance
- Heat Pump Repair and Installation
- Heating and Furnace Repair
- AC Repair
- Indoor Air Quality, Dehumidifiers and Filtration
- Electrical Repair and Troubleshooting
HVAC
What does "emergency heat" mean on a heat pump thermostat?
Emergency heat is a thermostat setting that shuts off your heat pump's outdoor unit and heats the house with backup heat alone, usually electric heat strips or a gas furnace. It's mainly for when the heat pump itself isn't working. Heat strips cost more to run than a working heat pump, so switch back once it's repaired.
Work that holds.
Call or text for thermostats anywhere we serve in Middle Tennessee.