Wiring verified, common wire added
We check the cable terminal by terminal and add a common wire where the house lacks one. A smart thermostat without continuous power is the most common installation failure we see, and it is entirely preventable.
Wi-Fi control, schedules and rebates — wired properly for your system
Smart Thermostat Installation in Fort Collins, CO
A smart thermostat earns its keep in Fort Collins in a specific way: it holds a heating-dominant house at the right temperature through 150 freezing nights a year, trims the cooling season to the short, hot afternoons that actually need it, and lets a landlord or a second-home owner check the house from anywhere when a cold snap hits. What it does not do on its own is fix bad wiring, a missing common wire, or a heat pump staged wrong — and a smart thermostat fitted onto any of those will cost you money instead of saving it. DNA Refrigeration Heating & Cooling installs smart thermostats across Fort Collins. Call (970) 932-2324 any time.
Wired for your system, set up on your phone, tested in every mode.
About this service
What smart thermostat installation in Fort Collins really involves
Smart thermostat installation is the fitting, wiring and setup of a Wi-Fi thermostat: verifying the existing cable, adding a common wire where the thermostat needs one, wiring the system's staging correctly, connecting the control to your Wi-Fi, and setting the schedules and features so the house is controlled the way you actually live in it.
The Fort Collins wrinkles are the same ones that apply to any thermostat here, sharpened by the fact that a smart thermostat draws more power and leans harder on its wiring. Nearly half the city's homes are pre-1990 and many still run on two- or four-wire cable, which means a common wire is often missing and must be run or adapted — a smart thermostat fitted without one will reboot, steal power and short-cycle the system. The system mix matters more, too: a heat pump needs its reversing valve and auxiliary heat staged correctly, and a dual-fuel system needs its changeover set for the local balance point, in the mid-30s Fahrenheit at local rates. A smart thermostat that does not know the changeover will run auxiliary heat when the heat pump should be carrying the load, and the energy it was supposed to save becomes the energy it wastes. The rebate picture, 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 the current figure is confirmed at quote time.
- ✓ Common wire added where the house lacks one
- ✓ Heat pump and dual-fuel staging set correctly
- ✓ Wi-Fi setup and schedules done with you
- ✓ Open 24 hours — call any time, day or night
What's included
What our smart thermostat installation includes
A smart thermostat should save energy, give you control from anywhere, and work with your system rather than against it. Here is what goes into that.
Staging set for your system
Heat pump reversing valve and auxiliary heat, dual-fuel changeover, multi-stage furnace — each is wired and set correctly, so the smart features control a system that is actually staged right.
Wi-Fi and app setup, done with you
We connect the thermostat to your Wi-Fi, set up the app on your phone, and walk through the controls together, so the system is yours to run from the day it is installed rather than a device you need a manual to use.
Schedules that match the house
Fort Collins is heating-dominant — 5,797 heating degree days against 624 cooling — so the schedules that matter are the winter ones: setbacks that save without letting the house get cold enough to risk pipes, and a cooling schedule for the short, hot afternoons.
Remote monitoring for landlords and second homes
For the city's large rental market — only 51.6% of homes are owner-occupied — a smart thermostat means a landlord can see a no-heat problem before a tenant calls, and a second-home owner can check the house during a cold snap. We set up the alerts that make that useful.
Rebate paperwork explained
As of November 2026, Efficiency Works offered up to $50 for a smart thermostat ($75 for baseboard). We explain the current figure and what the programme requires at quote time, and we do not promise a rebate that has changed or closed.
How it works
How our smart thermostat installation process works
Call (970) 932-2324 any time. Tell us the system — furnace, heat pump, dual-fuel, mini-split — and what you want the smart thermostat to do: schedules, remote control, rental monitoring.
We check the existing cable, the system type and the staging, and confirm the thermostat you want is compatible with the system you have — before anything is bought or fitted.
You get a written quote naming the thermostat, any cable work, and the setup. The rebate figure, if one applies, is confirmed at quote time rather than promised in advance.
The thermostat is fitted and wired, the common wire added where needed, and the Wi-Fi and app set up with you, on your phone, in your house.
We set the schedules together, configure the alerts that matter for your house, test every mode, and leave the manual and the wiring record with you.
STEP 01Call and describe the system
Call (970) 932-2324 any time. Tell us the system — furnace, heat pump, dual-fuel, mini-split — and what you want the smart thermostat to do: schedules, remote control, rental monitoring.
Tools & methods
Tools and methods we use on every job
Multimeter
Wiring verified terminal by terminal, so the smart thermostat is fitted to a known-good cable.
Common-wire adapters and cable tools
A new cable run or a properly fitted adapter where the house lacks a common wire.
Wi-Fi and app setup
The thermostat connected to your network and your phone, tested from the app before we leave.
System staging tests
Heat, cool, fan and auxiliary heat each tested, so a miswired stage is caught on the day.
Temperature reference
The thermostat's reading verified against a reference thermometer.
Rebate programme check
The current Efficiency Works smart-thermostat figure confirmed at quote time, not assumed.
Real results
Smart thermostats, home by home in Fort Collins
Fort Collins homes
Remote control for a Campus West rental
Student rentals around Campus West have high turnover and long gaps between visits, and a no-heat call in January is the most expensive kind. A smart thermostat lets a landlord see the house temperature and a heating failure before the tenant calls, and set the house back properly between tenancies.
What good work addresses: a smart thermostat wired with a proper common wire, set up on the landlord's phone with temperature alerts, and commissioned so the heating stages work as designed.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Fort Collins homes
A dual-fuel home in Rigden Farm
Rigden Farm's 2000–2011 homes are hitting replacement age, and many are moving to dual-fuel heat pumps. A smart thermostat on a dual-fuel system needs its changeover set for the local balance point, in the mid-30s Fahrenheit, or it will run auxiliary heat when the heat pump should be carrying the load.
What good work addresses: wiring and setting the staging from the system's actual balance point, then testing heat, cool and auxiliary heat so the smart features save energy instead of wasting it.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Fort Collins homes
An old-wiring home in Old Town
Old Town's pre-1930 homes often still run on two- or four-wire cable, and a smart thermostat fitted onto that wiring without a common wire will reboot and 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 setting up the Wi-Fi and schedules with the homeowner before leaving.
Call (970) 932-2324 → Problems we solve
Smart thermostat questions we answer every week
Smart thermostats are simple to use and easy to install badly. These are the questions that decide whether yours saves energy or wastes it.
Ask a pro →Will a smart thermostat work in my old house?
Usually yes, with a common wire. Many pre-1990 Fort Collins homes were wired without one, and a smart thermostat needs continuous power. We run a new cable or fit an adapter — and we check the wiring before anything is bought.
Will a smart thermostat save me money?
It can, if it is wired and staged correctly. A smart thermostat on a dual-fuel system with the changeover set wrong will run expensive auxiliary heat and cost you money. The savings come from correct staging and sensible schedules, not from the device alone.
Is there a rebate for a smart thermostat in Fort Collins?
As of November 2026, Efficiency Works (Fort Collins Utilities) offered up to $50, or $75 for a baseboard application. Amounts change and funding is first-come, first-served, so the current figure is confirmed at quote time.
Can I control the heat from my phone?
Yes — that is the point for landlords and second-home owners. We set up the app on your phone, configure temperature alerts, and test the remote control before we leave, so a cold snap does not catch the house unmonitored.
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 Customers 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
★★★★★
“We had a great experience working with this company. From the beginning, they have been incredibly open and helpful. They took the time to explain everything clearly, answer our questions, and genuinely work with us rather than simply trying to sell us a service. We really appreciate the effort they put into helping us find the best option for our situation. Highly recommend!!”
HC
Hannah ClarkGoogle review · a month ago
The dated national range for thermostat installation generally, checked November 2026, is $114–$264, averaging $185 (Angi). A smart thermostat adds the cost of the device itself and any cable work the house needs. Your written quote follows a wiring check.
Almost certainly yes — a smart thermostat needs 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.
Yes, if it is wired for one: 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, in the mid-30s Fahrenheit at local rates. Without that staging, the 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 the current figure is confirmed at quote time rather than promised here.
Ready when you are
Control your home from anywhere: (970) 932-2324
Tell us the system and what you want the thermostat to do, and we will check the wiring, quote the installation in writing, and set up the app with you. 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