Definitely not overkill—I labeled mine with masking tape and a sharpie. Took maybe five extra minutes, but saved me from the dreaded leftover-wire anxiety. Photos help, but labels make reconnecting foolproof...worth the peace of mind.
Labeling wires is a smart move, especially with thermostats—I've seen plenty of DIY jobs go sideways because someone skipped that step. Even as a plumber, I always encourage labeling and photos together. One quick tip: after labeling, gently tug each wire to make sure the connection is solid before moving on. Takes an extra minute but prevents headaches later. Good job thinking ahead...it definitely pays off.
Good call on the gentle tug test—I learned that one the hard way. A few years back, I was helping a buddy swap out his thermostat, and we labeled everything perfectly...or so we thought. Turns out one wire was barely hanging on, and it slipped loose after we closed everything up. Took forever to figure out why the heat wouldn't kick in. Makes me wonder though, how often do you guys find that thermostat issues are actually wiring vs. something internal with the unit itself?
Yeah, wiring issues seem way more common than actual thermostat failures, at least in my experience. I've swapped out a couple thermostats myself, and every single time something acted up, it was either a loose connection or corrosion on the wires. One time I even found that whoever installed the original thermostat stripped the wire insulation way too far back, causing intermittent shorts. Definitely worth double-checking connections before assuming the unit itself is toast.
"One time I even found that whoever installed the original thermostat stripped the wire insulation way too far back, causing intermittent shorts."
Ha, sounds about right. I've seen some pretty sketchy DIY wiring jobs myself—like someone thought more exposed copper meant better conductivity or something. Usually, a quick cleanup and tightening connections does the trick. But if you're not comfy messing with wires, no shame in calling someone who is. Better safe than zapped... trust me on that one.
