Rant: Paid $200 for a 'smart' thermostat that can't handle my 1980s wiring

I bought this fancy Nest knockoff off Amazon thinking it'd save me money on cooling bills. Hooked it up in my old ranch house near Phoenix and it kept short cycling my AC unit. Took three visits from an electrician buddy to trace it back to my ancient wiring not having a C wire. Now the thing sits in a drawer and I'm back to twisting a dumb dial. Has anyone else tried to modernize a house from the Reagan era and just regretted it?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrewt411mo ago

Right there with you, those old wiring setups are a real headache.

elliotr391mo ago

Our 1980s split-level had the same problem. I used to think any smart thermostat would work, but now I realize old wiring is a whole different beast.