Wiring verified before the new control goes on
We check the existing cable, terminal by terminal, before fitting anything. A thermostat installed on unverified wiring is a callback waiting to happen.
A thermostat that actually controls the system it is wired to
Thermostat Installation in Fort Collins, CO
A thermostat is a small device with an outsized effect: it is the only part of the system you touch every day, and it is the most common cause of the symptoms that get blamed on the furnace or the air conditioner — short cycling, rooms that never reach temperature, a system that runs when it should not. A proper installation is mostly wiring: the right wires, in the right terminals, with a common wire where the thermostat needs one, and a location that reads the house rather than a draught or a sunbeam. DNA Refrigeration Heating & Cooling installs thermostats across Fort Collins. Call (970) 932-2324 any time.
Wired correctly, sited correctly, commissioned in every mode.
About this service
What thermostat installation in Fort Collins really involves
Thermostat installation is the fitting and wiring of a new thermostat to the heating and cooling system: verifying the existing wiring, adding a common wire where the new thermostat needs one, mounting the control in a location that reads the house accurately, and commissioning it so every mode — heat, cool, fan and any heat-pump stages — works as it should.
The Fort Collins wrinkle is the age of the housing stock. Nearly half the city's homes are pre-1990, and many of them still run on the two- or four-wire thermostat cable that was standard when they were built. A modern thermostat — smart or not — usually needs a common wire to power itself, and a house without one needs a new cable run or an adapter, not a thermostat forced onto wiring that cannot support it. The other local factor is the system mix: Fort Collins homes run gas furnaces, heat pumps, dual-fuel systems and ductless mini-splits, and each wires differently. A heat pump needs its reversing valve and auxiliary heat wired correctly; a dual-fuel system needs its changeover set for the local balance point; a mini-split needs its own control logic respected. Getting any of those wrong produces the exact symptoms — short cycling, auxiliary heat running when it should not, a system that heats when it should cool — that a thermostat replacement is supposed to fix. The dated cost figure, checked November 2026: thermostat installation ran $114–$264, averaging $185 (Angi). That is a national range; your price depends on the wiring, the thermostat type and whether a new cable run is needed.
- ✓ Wiring verified, common wire where needed
- ✓ Heat pump, dual-fuel and furnace systems wired correctly
- ✓ Location that reads the house, not a draught
- ✓ Open 24 hours — call any time, day or night
What's included
What our thermostat installation includes
A thermostat should control the system accurately, quietly and without daily attention. Here is what goes into that.
Common wire added where needed
Most modern thermostats need a common wire to power themselves. Where the house does not have one, we run a new cable or fit an adapter — and we explain which, and why, before the work starts.
Correct staging for your system
A heat pump's reversing valve and auxiliary heat, a dual-fuel system's changeover, and a multi-stage furnace each wire differently. We commission every stage so the system heats and cools as designed, not as miswired.
Location that reads the house
A thermostat on a sunlit wall, above a register or in a draughty hallway reads the wall, not the house. We site the control where it measures the living space, and we move it where the old location was the problem.
Commissioning in every mode
After installation we test heat, cool, fan and auxiliary heat, and we verify the temperature reading against a reference. The system is handed over working in every mode, not just the one it was tested in.
Set up and explained
We set the schedules, explain the settings in plain terms, and leave the manual and the wiring record with you, so the next person who works on the system starts from a known baseline.
How it works
How our thermostat installation process works
Call (970) 932-2324 any time. Tell us the system — furnace, heat pump, dual-fuel, mini-split — and what the current thermostat is doing wrong, or why you want a new one.
We check the existing cable, the system type and the control location, so the quote covers the wiring work the job actually needs rather than assuming the cable is adequate.
You get a written quote naming the thermostat, any cable work, and the commissioning. The dated national range for context: $114–$264, averaging $185 (Angi, November 2026).
The new thermostat is fitted and wired, the common wire is added where needed, and the control is sited where it reads the house accurately.
Every mode is tested, the temperature reading is verified, and the schedules and settings are explained before we leave.
STEP 01Call and describe the control
Call (970) 932-2324 any time. Tell us the system — furnace, heat pump, dual-fuel, mini-split — and what the current thermostat is doing wrong, or why you want a new one.
Tools & methods
Tools and methods we use on every job
Multimeter
Wiring verified terminal by terminal, so the new thermostat is fitted to a known-good cable.
Thermostat wiring adapters
Common-wire adapters where a new cable run is not practical, fitted properly rather than as a bodge.
Cable and fishing tools
New thermostat cable run where the house needs one, through the walls and framing without unnecessary damage.
Temperature reference
The thermostat's reading verified against a reference thermometer, so the house is controlled to the temperature it actually is.
System staging tests
Heat, cool, fan and auxiliary heat each tested, so a miswired stage is caught on the day, not in January.
Manual J and system records
The system's staging and balance point noted, so the thermostat settings match the system it controls.
Real results
Thermostat installation, home by home in Fort Collins
Fort Collins homes
A new thermostat on old wiring in Old Town
Old Town's pre-1930 homes often still run on two- or four-wire thermostat cable, and a modern thermostat fitted onto that wiring without a common wire will steal power, reboot, or short-cycle the system. The fix is a cable, not a different thermostat.
What good work addresses: verifying the cable first, running a new one or fitting an adapter where that is the right call, and commissioning the thermostat so it powers itself properly instead of borrowing power from the system.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Fort Collins homes
A smart thermostat on a dual-fuel system in Rigden Farm
Rigden Farm's 2000–2011 homes are hitting replacement age, and many are moving to dual-fuel heat pumps. A dual-fuel system needs its changeover set for the local balance point — the research puts the economic balance in the mid-30s Fahrenheit at local rates — and a thermostat wired without that staging will run auxiliary heat when the heat pump should be carrying the load.
What good work addresses: wiring the staging correctly, setting the changeover from the system's actual balance point, and testing heat, cool and auxiliary heat before handover.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Fort Collins homes
A thermostat that reads the hallway in a Midtown ranch
Midtown's 1950s–1970s ranches often have their thermostat in a hallway that is draughty in winter and sunlit in summer, so the control reads the hallway rather than the living space. The system short-cycles or overshoots, and the rooms never feel right.
What good work addresses: moving the control to a location that reads the house, running the cable properly, and verifying the reading against a reference so the system is controlled to the temperature the house actually is.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Problems we solve
Thermostat questions we answer every week
Most thermostat problems are wiring problems wearing a thermostat's name. These are the questions that sort them out.
Ask a pro →My thermostat keeps rebooting — is it broken?
Probably not. A thermostat that reboots usually lacks a common wire and is stealing power from the system to run itself. The fix is a common wire or an adapter, not a new thermostat.
My system short-cycles — is it the thermostat?
It can be. A miswired thermostat, a thermostat in a bad location, or a system whose staging is wrong will all short-cycle. We test the wiring, the location and the staging before blaming the equipment.
Will a smart thermostat work with my heat pump?
Yes, if it is wired for one. A heat pump needs its reversing valve and auxiliary heat wired correctly, and a dual-fuel system needs its changeover set. A smart thermostat fitted without that staging will cost you money in auxiliary heat.
How much does thermostat installation cost?
The dated national range, checked November 2026, is $114–$264, averaging $185 (Angi). Your price depends on the thermostat type, the wiring and whether a new cable run is needed.
Proof you can check
How HVAC licensing works in Fort Collins
- HVAC work in Fort Collins is licensed by the City of Fort Collins, not the state — Colorado licenses only electricians and plumbers at state level. Fort Collins licenses HVAC contractors through the City — ask us for our licence details when you call.
- Refrigerant handling follows EPA Section 608 rules as a general industry requirement.
- 5.0 ★ (23 Google reviews) — all 23 reviews are 5-star.
- Open 24 hours · 7 days a week — 2757 Sternwheeler Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80524.
Customer reviews
What Fort Collins homeowners say
★★★★★
“This guy was amazing. Came to the house and within minutes he diagnosed the problem and had my refrigeration unit up and running like brand new. Would recommend 10 out of 10”
RW
Rob WheelerGoogle review · a year ago
★★★★★
“Denis is very professional and good guy who understands the systems well and fixes them in minutes”
EI
Eshwar IllaGoogle review · 3 months ago
The dated national range, checked November 2026, is $114–$264, averaging $185 (Angi). Your price depends on the thermostat type, the existing wiring and whether a new cable run is needed.
Most modern thermostats do — they need continuous power, and the common wire supplies it. Many pre-1990 Fort Collins homes were wired without one. Where it is missing we run a new cable or fit an adapter, and we explain which before the work starts.
Yes, if it is wired for a heat pump: the reversing valve and auxiliary heat must be connected correctly, and on a dual-fuel system the changeover must be set for the local balance point. Fitted without that staging, a smart thermostat will run expensive auxiliary heat unnecessarily.
As of November 2026, Efficiency Works (Fort Collins Utilities) offered up to $50 for a smart thermostat, or $75 for a baseboard application. Amounts change and funding is first-come, first-served, so we confirm the current figure at quote time rather than promising it here.
Ready when you are
A thermostat that works properly: (970) 932-2324
Tell us the system and what the current control is doing wrong, and we will check the wiring, quote the installation in writing, and commission it in every mode. Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Call (970) 932-2324 →
Call to book
Get in Touch
Call (970) 932-2324 any time, day or night. We are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, from 2757 Sternwheeler Dr, Fort Collins, CO 80524. Phone is the way to reach us — there is no email address for the business, so call any time, day or night — we are open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Call anytime(970) 932-2324
Office hoursOpen 24 hours · 7 days a week