The thermostat in our living room is in the most ridiculous spot...it's on one of our main living area walls nearly right in the middle of it. It's about a foot and a half over from the light switch. It makes hanging any pictures on that wall impossible.

Is it difficult or expensive to move a thermostat? If I were to have some one do it, would I call an AC/ heating place or an electrician? If it could be done, I'd just want it on the other side of the same wall or closer to the light switch...whichever is easier as long as it isn't in the middle of the darn wall.

If all else fails I guess I can mount a picture frame around it and make it my art for that wall. Just kidding of course.

a) it depends. A cheaper alternative may be replacing your current thermostat and adding a wireless 'remote' -- either a sensor or a physical remote depending on your needs.
b) an HVAC person. Do not call an electrician or a handyman.

First or second floor? Attic over it?

I disagree on not using a handyman - a good handyman can easily do this, probably for MUCH less than a HVAC guy is going to charge. It is a very easy thing to do. You may be able to do it yourself. Take a picture of the wiring hookup when you are taking it apart and put it back the same. Everything on the thermostat is low voltage, but you should turn off the breaker or the switch up at the unit.

Moving it to the opposite side of the wall (ie into the room behind) would be easy, but may have unforeseen control consequences - they locate (theoretically anyway) the unit in a certain place for a reason. Just cut a hole behind it and fish out the wire.

Moving it down the wall may or may not be hard depending on the answers to the questions above. If you can get to the attic above, it is relatively easy, but a bit more complicated than moving it to the opposite side of the wall due to having to mess around in the attic.

I like the sensor enabled thermostats, but I do not think that fixes your issue, I read your issue to be the physical presence of the thermostat - not a comfort thing. I recommend the sensor ones often, but they will have a base unit that goes where your present one is (at least the ones I have seen will.)

Just make sure you don't move it where the sun will hit it or to an outside wall.

Thanks guys! Yes, it's the physical location that bugs me...I can reach it just fine, but I can't decorate the wall because it's right in the middle of it. I really have no idea what they were thinking when they placed it there.

It's a one story house, so first floor and there is attic right above. Moving it on the opposite side of the wall would put it in the hallway, moving it down a foot and a half or so would put it by the light switch. I have a picture of the wall, I will post it in a bit when I'm on the computer.

Stay on an interior wall and it's a super easy job. It'll have anywhere from a 1/4" to 1" hole in the wall depending on the original installer. Thermostat's are light so you don't need to worry about finding a stud. They're just screwed directly into the sheetrock.

Take a pick of the wiring setup, then move to the attic, move over a stud or two, drill a new hole, run the wire, caulk it, and fish it out through a new hole in the wall.

Being a foot or more away from the light switch it's probably one stud away from the corner. No reason it can't be in the same gap as the light switch. Assuming that switch is by the door, it's box is on the double stud in the door jamb.

Thanks Kenneth!

Sorry it took me so long, here is a picture of the wall. Please excuse the baby swing, that's about all that wall is good for right now.

Oh, directly behind that wall is the bathroom I realized...so I would not be able to just turn it around and do it directly opposite. I'd either have to move it down by the light switch or move it into that hallway you see to the left, but I think it would still be within the same wall or very very close.

To the right of the light switch is the long entry hall that leads to our front door, so the switch is not by a door jam.

I am seriously confused by the placement of that thing. I mean, did they just think people would decorate around it?

[This message has been edited by rachag03 (edited 10/17/2011 5:07p).]

Well, I can guarantee the absolute last thing they considered was decorating.....you are lucky if they were considering comfort....

Bathroom is definitely out.

If you would be happy (decorating-wise)with it over near or above the switch in the picture I would do that. That keeps it close to the original placement. Moving it to the hall is probably not going to hurt anything either - but you might have to adjust the way you set things to meet the comfort levels you are used to, since it will control slightly differently in the hall.

I know they really don't care, but I've just never seen one in the middle of the wall like that.

Kinda like how at our last house they didn't care enough to extend our fence six inches so we'd actually have a water faucet in our back yard. Instead we had two on the front side of the fence. Great for watering the back, LOL.

I am totally fine with it being by the switch...I just want to be able to put one big canvas or three canvases in a row in the middle of that wall.

Thanks for the help!

[This message has been edited by rachag03 (edited 10/17/2011 5:33p).]

also need to consider if that room or area is always too cold or hot. Ours is located in the living room which is always the coldest room in the winter & warmest in the summer. Whereas our bedroom is fairly well insulated and is warm in the winter & cool in the summer. Of course our house was built in 1920.

If it were my place I'd go directly over the light switch. Probably two stud gaps inbetween it's current location and there. The wiring for those switches should all be stapled to the stud on the right side of the box. There are two studs making up that corner. The wall going down the hallway has a stud butted wideside to the wall in question, then the studs that makeup this wall are inside that one. Does this make sense? Drill a hole in the top plate a few inches from the studs for the door jamb big enough for the thermostat wire and run it down the wall. Drill a larger hole in the sheet rock and fish it out. If youre moving the thermostat a foot or so closer to the air handler you'll have enough slack. If your moving a foot or so farther you might need to run to HD/Lowes and buy some more wire. Nothing fancy about the wires, just match the gauge and the number of conductors, any extra conductors can just be left unconnected and cut flush with the outer sheathing.

If the hole in the wall where the wire came out and into the thermostat is bigger than ~3/8 or so, buy a small patch to cover it (the wire mesh ones). A small tub of spackle, a putty knife, and you're good to go. They sell spray cans of texture, just practice on a piece of cardboard first. (Or jsut cover the holes with the artwork!)

Edit to add: The major considerations in thermostat placement are:
1) Not in front of or in the path of a vent. If it is, it will cut on then as soon as the air blows on it the system will shut back off. (The vents shouldn't be blowing on the wall anyway)
2) Not close enough to a window to get direct sunlight. Your system would run forever in the summer and never in the winter.
3) In a perfect world it would be close to the return air duct, that way it's measuring the temperature of the air about to return to the system for additional heating or cooling. The wire is also super easy to run in there, since you can crawl through the filter opening, and stand up inside the wall! If you decide to move it to your plenumb wall make sure you caulk every hole, especially the one where the wire comes through from the attic.



[This message has been edited by Kenneth_2003 (edited 10/18/2011 11:53a).]