If in the market for a new Honeywell thermostat, make sure you understand your Honeywell thermostat wiring needs before upgrading.

Q: I installed my new programmable thermostat, but it wont turn on.

A: If you plan to upgrade to a new thermostat make sure you have the proper number of wires available, otherwise your new thermostat wont work. If you do need additional wires, you will want to consider how difficult installing new wires will be for your application.

Modern electronic thermostats are no different from any other technology, in that they can do more, but can also seem complicated to install and understand. One comfort to know is the basic wiring hasnt changed much, withexception of an additional wire to get some programmable digital thermostats operating.

Note:For specific thermostat model installation manuals and wiring instructions, refer to our Thermostat Buying Guidefor a complete list and link of manufacturers. Individual thermostat model information is most likely the best place to find particular manuals, and not a generalmanualscategory that can be found within the search function.

SEE ALSO : In-Depth Thermostat Wiring Explained

Note: A previous installer may have used a different set of color wires. This will be a non issue to keep track of if a whole new set of thermostat wires is pulled. Otherwise tag the wires before removing from the existing thermostat, or take note of the terminals each wire is attached to.

Some programmable thermostats (e.g. Honeywell Prestige wiring requirements) need aminimum of5 wires, and maybe more depending on what features you want to operate (humidifier, etc). The additional 5th wire will be for common (neutral), which acts the same as it does on an electrical light switch to complete a path and provide power for thedisplay, closing switching relays, etc.

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Honeywell Thermostat Wiring Instructions | Diy House Help

When it comes to smart lighting controls for the connected home, there have been just two basic choices: You can plug lamps into ugly wall-wart plug-in modules, or you can remove your existing light switches and replace them with smart switches.

The first choice is ugly and doesnt work with overhead lighting; the second choice is expensive and requires you to handle bare electrical wires. But now the crew at Switchmate have an ingenious third way that delivers the benefit of a switch replacement without the need to deal with wiring.

I first saw a prototype of the Switchmate back at CES. Its a block of plastic with a servo motor, a Bluetooth Low Energy radio, and a couple of magnets on the inside, and a simple button on the outside. Place the Switchmate over your existing light switch and the magnets secure it. Press the button and the motor moves the existing light switchs control mechanism to turn the light on and off (it works with both a traditional toggle switch as well as the fancier Decora/rocker switch).

More importantly, the Bluetooth LE radio inside the Switchmate makes it possible to control the switch from an app. Switchmate has developed a free app for the Android and iOS operating system that lets you control your lights from your phone or tablet. You can also set up schedules for your lights to turn on and off automatically, either as a burglar deterrent (delivering the impression that someones home while youre away) or just to make sure certain lights are on when you typically come home from work.

Switchmate will also offer a Bluetooth hub that will enable you to control your lights from anywhere you have Internet access. The Switchmate is slim enough that multiples can be mounted side by side to control multi-gang switches. The one thing Switchmate wont do is dim your lightsits an on/off solution. But the low cost and simple design make this smart-home solution appropriate for everyone, including renters who wouldnt want to alter the property or leave their controls behind when they move.

Switchmate kicked off acrowd-funding campaign on Indiegogothis morning, with a $50,000 goal, and will be selling its lighting controls at early-bird pricing of $39.95 each. Thats a little more than the typical Z-Wave plug-in module, but those require a hub to operate. And its cheaper than a Belkin We-Mo plug-in module. Bottom line: Its a very smart idea.

Michael is the lead editor of IDG's TechHive property, which is focused on the connected-home and home-entertainment markets. He's an early adopter of connected-home technology, having built his own smart home in 2007, which he uses as a real-world test lab when reviewing new products. Michael also reviews home-networking products for TechHive and PCWorld. More by Michael Brown

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Switchmate makes your home lighting smart without any changes to your wiring

A home near Adams Center was engulfed by fire shortly before noon Thursday.

Firefighters were called to home at 13178 Fuller Road, next to the Honeyville Baptist Church, around 11 a.m.

According to property records, the home is owned by David Harrienger II.

Officials said three adults lived there.

No one was home at the time.

Officials said one of the residents went home for a lunch break, saw smoke coming out the back of the house and called 911.

The owners just stood by with family and friends and watched.

"Well, I got multiple phone calls. First one was from the previous owners who live in Ithaca now, and these new people moved in a couple months ago, so I feel pretty bad I know they had a dog inside and from what I hear they didn't get him out," said neighbor Aaron Williams.

Aaron's home across the street was built in 1863.

He said seeing his neighbors house on fire made him worry about this own home.

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Home Near Adams Center Destroyed By Fire

A new type of smart lightswitch has launched on Indiegogo, which does away with the difficulty of messing with your homes wiring.

The way Switchmate works is by using magnets simply snap it on to your lightswitch and itll stick with magnets. The existing switch is then switched off and on using a mechanical switch on the back of the device.

It can be controlled using either bluetooth or a switch on the wall and a hub will also be available for controlling switches when youre away from home.

At the moment there is a bit of a way to go, so it will be interesting to see if it makes its goal.

By James O'Malley | March 2nd, 2015

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WATCH: Switchmate aims to make internet-connected lightswitches even easier

News

Family loses pet in mobile home fire

By CHARLES WHISENANT Wednesday, March 4, 2015 8:43 AM CST

The Arab Tribune

A family lost their pet in a mobile-home fire Friday night. No one else was home at the time.

Dennis Leftwich and his grandson, Jordan Mulhouser, werent home when the fire broke out in a bedroom at their residence on Cullman County 1856 just south of Arab.

Leftwich arrived home to find flames coming from the residence and called 911 at 8:08 p.m.

Arab Fire and Rescue, along with Joppa and Four-C Volunteer Fire Departments, responded to the fire.

Arab Fire Chief Ricky Phillips said Tuesday the cause hasnt been determined but likely was an electrical fire.

Hed had some trouble with squirrels getting under the house and chewing up stuff, including electrical wires, Phillips said. We havent seen anything suspicious. Its most likely going to be an accidental fire caused by electrical wiring.

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Family loses pet in mobile home fire

CTV Montreal Published Tuesday, March 3, 2015 8:07PM EST Last Updated Tuesday, March 3, 2015 9:47PM EST

A city subcontractor hired to thaw frozen pipes nearly set a house in NDG-Cote-des-Neiges on fire last month.

The record-setting cold this season has been breaking water mains and freezing pipes all across the island, forcing the City of Montreal to hire private contractors to keep up with demand.

The worker sent an electrical current through the line - a common de-frosting method -- which sent flames into Greg McWhirters home on Harvard Ave.

His pipes frozen, McWhirter, heard a noise in the kitchen and was fortunate enough to act fast.

I saw flames coming up from behind the fridge, he said.

You're shocked! You go into a bit of a panic mode especially when you get a fire and then another fire and then a fire upstairs.

Along with the fridge, small fires started in the dishwasher, inside the furnace room and part of the natural gas line needed to be replaced with signs of heat damage.

It turns out that anything that was hooked up to the water main was passing current, said McWhirter.

His landlord said there was almost $14,000 worth of damage; she feels the borough should pay.

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NDG home nearly burns down as worker thaws frozen pipes

DC15-087 March 3, 2015

With more than 90 million wi-fi devices sold in the UK last year, the rapid demand for wi-fi access continues to grow 1and tablets and wi-fi devices are becoming more commonplace in UK homes. Customers want to get online all around the home, including bedrooms and even in the bathroom.

However, wi-fi dead spots are a common issue causing huge frustration to consumers. BTs latest range of connectivity products makes it easy for customers to overcome this problem and get wi-fi coverage all around their home, and even into the garden.

From the new Mini Wi-Fi Home Hotspot 500 Kit, to the 11ac Dual-Band Wi-Fi Extender 1200, the range of products allows users to connect Smart TVs, games consoles, laptops, smartphones and tablets to the internet and enjoy content on demand all around the home.

Erik Raphael, Director BT Devices and BT Wi-Fi, said: In 2014 there was a growth of 17 per cent in the number of wi-fi devices sold in the UK. With the growth in fibre, customers are using their broadband more and more around the home to stream content, browse the web and play games.

Customers want to access wi-fi in every room of their house. We are continually looking to push the boundaries of new technology to give customers access to the best possible connection and fastest speeds, which is why we have launched the new 11ac Wi-Fi Extender and the Mini Wi-Fi Home Hotspot.

We are also planning on expanding our range of wired broadband extenders in the very near future. We will be doubling the speed of our existing broadband extenders by launching a 1000Mbps powerline. This will again bring the very latest in technology into consumers homes.

The new mini Wi-Fi Home Hotspot uses powerline technology to enable customers to get a new wi-fi signal in any room of the house that has a power socket. It doesnt require linking to an existing wi-fi signal so the hotspot is ideal for getting wi-fi to rooms further away from the main router and houses with thick walls.

An alternative for solving wi-fi issues is the new 11ac Wi-Fi Extender 1200, which boosts the wi-fi signal further round the house improving your wi-fi, making it perfect for using tablets and smartphones in different rooms. This is a single plug that is placed at the edge of the wi-fi routers range in order to boost the signal. This new model comes with 11ac wi-fi, the latest and best wi-fi technology available, ensuring minimal interference and maximum speed, perfect if you have super-fast fibre broadband.

These new wi-fi connectivity products follow on from the launch of BTs first range in September 2013. In a rapidly developing market place BT is striving to make the latest technology available to customers to give them the best possible connection

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BT Press Releases

Universal Home Experts (previously known as Universal Wiring) is the Houston areas electrical repair and HVAC experts! At Universal, our top priority is customer service. When you call us, you can expect expert service, up-front pricing, friendly & courteous technicians, and customer service that's "out of this world!"

No matter what your electrical need is in your home of office, we are the Houston electrician to call! Maybe you have a light not working, an outlet not working, a breaker keeps tripping or you have power out in a part of your home or office nothing to too big or small for your Houston electrician. Call Universal Home Experts, your Houston electrician, to have your electrical issue resolved today! Our electricians arrive to your home or office skilled, equipped and ready to complete the job right away!

Our heating and air conditioning technicians are skilled in the latest HVAC technology. When you've got a Universal Home Experts technician on the job, you can rest assure that your job - whether a repair to your current air conditioning system, or an entire new installation - will be done right! Our goal is to provide each customer with the most timely, quality and affordable solution.

We've got you covered on your plumbing needs! Our local Houston plumbers are licensed, skilled and trained. We specialize in residential plumbing service and repair. Whether is a clogged drain, running toilet, dripping faucet or water heater installation, Universal Home Experts has a trusted plumber for the job!

We tell you the price of the work upfront, before the work begins! You don't have to worry about any surprises!

Why wait for your repair? We arrive to every job equipped and ready to complete the job that day!

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Houston Electrician | Universal Home Experts | HVAC Repair ...

Starting in April, IKEA will start to sell furniture with integrated Qi wireless charging points. The Scandinavian flat-pack furniture store, famous for the likes of the BILLY bookcase, plans to launch a range of home furnishing in North America and Europe, before extending the rollout worldwide.

You might expect that sofas would be a natural home for a wireless charging -- just pop your smartphone on the arm so it can power up while you watch your favorite shows -- but in fact it is tables, desk and, surprisingly, lamps which will boast the feature. It's not just phones like the Galaxy Note 3 and Nexus 5 that can take advantage of wireless power, but also tablets like the Nexus 7.

The collection is called HOMESMART, and it hides wireless charging pads into everyday objects, eliminating the spaghetti wiring that plagues all too many homes. Coffee tables, desk lamps, and even floor lamps feature Qi pads, so there's no need to fumble for the end of a cable, just pop your phone down and start juicing up.

Jeanette Skjelmose, Business Area Manager Lighting and Wireless Charging, said:

Through research and home visits, we know that people hate cable mess. They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power. Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler.

So the tangle of cables could become a thing of the past, but now all of the phones in a house will be fighting for space around a lamp or on a desk.

Photo credit: IKEA

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IKEA announces furniture with integrated wireless charging for phones

Baby, its freezing outside. And February is far from over.

So heres some hot technology that can keep your home safe and keep you entertained while you hunker down under the blankets.

Frozen Water

A friend who posted a note about the pipes in his kitchen freezing this week reminded me of one of the dangers of protracted frigid weather: water leaks.

Photo: WallyHome.com

The sensors need to be placed near pipes or potential trouble spots. They include disposable lithium-ion batteries that the company says should last for about 10 years. Wally also works with the Nest smart thermostat in a single app, simplifying monitoring, particularly for people with a second home or for those lucky enough to be on vacation.

While the $299 price for Wally may deter some shoppers, keep in mind that detecting one threatening temperature drop or early leak can save a home owner thousands of dollars in repairs. One caveat: if youve got a large, older home with idiosyncratic wiring, you may have difficulty making a connection to the Wally hub from distant corners of your abode.

Video Guard Dog

Photo: Guardzilla.com

Guardzilla is a noteworthy new model for its easy installation, modest price (its $100, which is half the price of the Dropcam Pro ), and the fact that it can sound an audible siren when an intruder is detected.

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Hot tech for a cold climate