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This past month, JD and I cashed in a bunch of our reward points from our AmEx. We got $200 in Home Depot cards to take care of a laundry list of little things needed to be done around the house. I went out and purchased the items at Home Depot the other day. Yesterday, I decided to replace the thermostat. I thought it would be a good, physically-undemanding task around the house that would let me feel productive. Then I could spend the rest of the day resting - after running around playgrounds in Nashville the past two days.
Things went horribly, horribly wrong. The manual for the unit upstairs indicated I had a one-stage system. The thermostat was wired for a two-stage system. The wiring outside the unit upstairs to the cable that runs to the thermostat is very different that what is shown in the electrical diagram in the manual. Only 5 of the wires were connected to the unit. I came up with an incorrect conclusion that led me to connect the new thermostat. I couldn't get it to work. Several hours of investigating later, I gave up and asked the fil to come over this morning to help.
We discover that I don't just have a condenser outside, it is a heat-pump for a two-stage unit. I exchange the thermostat for the only Honeywell thermostat that could do any set-up. That upgrade takes up the last of my gift card plus $20.
My fil, who has electrical engineering schooling, deciphers the diagram for the heat pump outside, the unit in the attic, the wiring actually done in the attic, and the instructions with the new thermostat. We get it all hooked up and...nothing. We do some changes and try again. And again. Nothing. He got my volt/-ohm meter to test the connections at the thermostat and discovered the reading where very low at several points. Now I'm downright paranoid that I've fucked something up electrically with all the futzing around I've done.
I put in a call to a company with a good record w/ the BBB and recommendations. They called back an hour ago saying they couldn't get me today. I should see them at the house at 9am tomorrow morning. Thankfully it's only 77ish this afternoon with a good wind. The air is comfy in the house, but my late lunch turned up my body temp enough to make me miserable for an hour.
Things went horribly, horribly wrong. The manual for the unit upstairs indicated I had a one-stage system. The thermostat was wired for a two-stage system. The wiring outside the unit upstairs to the cable that runs to the thermostat is very different that what is shown in the electrical diagram in the manual. Only 5 of the wires were connected to the unit. I came up with an incorrect conclusion that led me to connect the new thermostat. I couldn't get it to work. Several hours of investigating later, I gave up and asked the fil to come over this morning to help.
We discover that I don't just have a condenser outside, it is a heat-pump for a two-stage unit. I exchange the thermostat for the only Honeywell thermostat that could do any set-up. That upgrade takes up the last of my gift card plus $20.
My fil, who has electrical engineering schooling, deciphers the diagram for the heat pump outside, the unit in the attic, the wiring actually done in the attic, and the instructions with the new thermostat. We get it all hooked up and...nothing. We do some changes and try again. And again. Nothing. He got my volt/-ohm meter to test the connections at the thermostat and discovered the reading where very low at several points. Now I'm downright paranoid that I've fucked something up electrically with all the futzing around I've done.
I put in a call to a company with a good record w/ the BBB and recommendations. They called back an hour ago saying they couldn't get me today. I should see them at the house at 9am tomorrow morning. Thankfully it's only 77ish this afternoon with a good wind. The air is comfy in the house, but my late lunch turned up my body temp enough to make me miserable for an hour.
