Install the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat like a pro

If the prospect of installing your own thermostat feels overwhelming, don't despair. This step-by-step guide will show you how to set up Honeywell's $280 Lyric smart thermostat in a flash.

Turn off power to your heating and cooling system at your circuit breaker.

Switch off the power at your circuit breaker. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Take a photo of your existing setup so you have a wiring reference point if you start to get confused. My system has W, Y, G, and Rh wires.

Take a photo of your old wiring. Megan Wollerton/CNET

This would also be a good time to create small labels for each wire if they aren't already marked. That will help you keep them sorted, which is particularly important when the color of the wire doesn't correspond to its label -- for example, my Y, or yellow, wire is actually light blue.

Detach the wires from the old thermostat and unscrew and remove the base of the thermostat and the baseplate, if applicable. At this point, you can fill holes and paint any areas that might be visible after the Lyric is installed.

Feed the wires through the Lyric's baseplate and its thermostat base.

Feed the wires through the Lyric. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Mount them to the wall and use the built-in level to make sure everything looks straight.

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Install the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat like a pro