Had something similar happen last winter. Thought I'd save some cash by installing a smart thermostat myself—how hard can it be, right? Checked compatibility online, looked good, but turns out I overlooked the voltage details of my older furnace. Ended up with weird cycling issues and temperature swings. After hours of troubleshooting and YouTube tutorials, realized the thermostat wasn't fully compatible despite what the website said.
Ended up returning it for a simpler programmable unit, less fancy but works perfectly now. Sometimes the older systems just don't mesh well with newer tech, no matter how many adapters or workarounds you try.
Have you tried swapping back to your old thermostat temporarily? Could help narrow down whether it's actually wiring or a compatibility issue...
"Sometimes the older systems just don't mesh well with newer tech, no matter how many adapters or workarounds you try."
Yeah, totally agree with this. Went through something similar recently—thought I'd upgrade my parents' thermostat as a surprise. Did all the research, but their ancient heating system had other plans. Ended up reverting to their old-school dial thermostat, and honestly, it's been rock-solid ever since. Sometimes simpler really is better... Good on you for figuring it out though—that troubleshooting rabbit hole can be exhausting.
I've been debating this exact thing lately—my thermostat's been acting up, randomly kicking on and off. Thought about upgrading to a smart one, but now I'm second-guessing after reading your experience. Did you find any reliable way to check compatibility beforehand, or is it mostly trial and error with older systems? I'd rather not spend a weekend wrestling with wires only to end up back at square one...
Had a similar issue myself last winter—my thermostat kept cycling randomly, drove me nuts. Before you dive into upgrading, I'd recommend checking your current wiring setup first. Most smart thermostat brands have compatibility checkers online; you just input your existing wires/colors, and it'll tell you if you're good to go or need extra adapters. Saved me from a weekend headache... Older systems can be tricky, but usually, it's not pure trial and error if you prep ahead. Good luck!
"Older systems can be tricky, but usually, it's not pure trial and error if you prep ahead."
Good point about checking compatibility first—seen plenty of folks jump straight into upgrades only to find out their wiring's a mess. Curious though, did your thermostat cycling issue end up being wiring-related or was it something else entirely? Had a similar problem once, turned out to be a faulty relay... took me forever to pinpoint.
