Learn how to get your Zen Thermostat installed and ready to work with Xfinity Home.
Get a Pro to Do It! Installing a Zen Thermostat requires working with electricity and wiring. Professional installation is strongly recommended. Please Contact Us to schedule an appointment.
What You'll Need
- Xfinity Home
- The Zen Thermostat you want to install
- All of the parts included with the Thermostat (four AA batteries, mounting hardware, etc.)
- A drill with a ¼ in (6 mm) drill bit that's appropriate for your wall type
- A Phillips-head screwdriver
- A pen or pencil
- A level (optional)
Difficulty
Hard
Installing Your Zen Thermostat
Before You Start: Make sure that your electrical system is compatible with the Zen Thermostat.
- The Zen Thermostat works on low-voltage systems rated at 24 volts with a maximum current rating of 2 amps per relay. This is the common voltage for most furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioning systems.
- The Zen Thermostat will not work on line-voltage systems of 110 volts or higher. This voltage is common for European systems, electric baseboard systems, and for wiring installed in a junction box.
Remove Your Old Thermostat
Caution! Some old thermostats contain mercury. Contact the Thermostat Recycling Corporation for information on how to safely dispose of your old thermostat.
- Warning! Turn off the electricity to the HVAC unit at your electrical circuit breaker panel.
- Remove the cover or display unit for your existing thermostat to expose its wiring.
- Tip! Take a picture of your existing Thermostat's wiring.
- Safety check: If your system is labeled 120-240 V or you see thick wires with wire nuts, your system is high-voltage and isn't compatible with Zen. Stop the installation. Please Contact Us or contact an HVAC professional.
- Open the Zen Online Installation Guide in your browser.
- Read the conditions of use, then click I Accept.
- On the Installation Guide page, scroll down to 4. Select your existing wires, and follow the instructions to identify your wires.
- Complete 5. Label your existing wires according to the customized labeling chart.
- Don't close the Zen Online Installation Guide. You'll come back to these customized steps later to install your new Thermostat.
- Disconnect each wire from the existing Thermostat's wiring terminal, making sure to secure the wire so that it doesn't fall back into the wall. Wrapping each wire around a pencil works well. Leave at least three inches of wire for each connection.
- Once all wires are disconnected from the wiring terminal, remove the Thermostat base from the wall.
- Check that each wire has at least 5/16 in (8 mm) of exposed core. You may need to strip insulation from the end of the wire.
Install Your Zen Thermostat
Warning! Make sure that the electricity to the HVAC unit is turned off at your electrical circuit breaker panel.
- Position the Zen Thermostat wall plate so that the bundle of your existing wires comes out through the center hole.
- Use a level to help align the wall plate, then mark the position of the mounting holes on either side.
- If you're using the included wall anchors, use a ¼ in (6 mm) drill bit to drill the anchor holes, then insert the anchors into the holes.
- If your old thermostat was larger than the Zen, you might want to use the Zen blanking plate to cover the previous area.
- Place the blanking plate so that its mounting holes cover the positions you marked on the wall.
- Don't attach the plate to the wall; just hold it in place and continue with the next step. The wall plate goes on top of the blanking plate.
- Place the wall plate so that its mounting holes cover the positions you marked on the wall, making sure that the orientation arrow on the wall plate points upwards.
- Use the included screws to attach the wall plate (and blanking plate, if used) to the wall.
- Complete the installation, following the instructions on the Zen Online Installation Guide:
- Scroll down to 11. System Type, then select the type of heating system you have.
- Click Next.
- Follow the instructions in 12. Review your wiring diagram & connect your wires.
- Make sure that the links are inserted as shown in 13. Check your links.
- Click Next.
- Complete steps 14 through 18.
- If you've already paired your new Zen Thermostat with your Xfinity Home system, you can skip 19. Connect to your home network. Otherwise, pair the Zen Thermostat with your system. Learn more about pairing a Thermostat with your Xfinity Home service.
- Place the display unit onto the wall plate as shown in 20. Mount the display.
Test Your Zen Thermostat
Test the Fan
- Tap the center of the Thermostat to wake the display. The display shows the current room temperature.
- Tap the center again. The display shows the current set-point temperature.
- Tap the left arrow or right arrow until Off is displayed.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection. Your system is now off so that you can test the Fan without your heating or cooling system turning on automatically.
- Tap the left arrow or right arrow until Fan On is displayed.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection. The Fan On icon should show on the display.
- When the Fan On icon is displayed, air should blow from your HVAC system even when the system is not actively heating or cooling. Give the system at least five minutes to start blowing air; the air should be room temperature.
- Tap the left arrow or right arrow until Fan Auto is displayed.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection. The Auto Mode icon should show on the display and the Fan On icon should not. In Auto Mode, the Fan will automatically turn on when the system is actively heating or cooling and turn off when it is not.
- Tap the center of the Thermostat to wake the display. The display shows the current room temperature.
- Tap the center again. The display shows the current set-point temperature.
- Tap the left arrow or right arrow until Heat is displayed.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection.
- Tap the up arrow to set the set-point temperature several degrees above the current room temperature.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection. The Heating Mode icon should show on the display.
- Give the system at least five minutes to respond and start blowing hot air.
- Tap the down arrow to lower the set-point temperature to your desired set-point.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection.
- Tap the center of the Thermostat to wake the display. The display shows the current room temperature.
- Tap the center again. The display shows the current set-point temperature.
- Press the left arrow or right arrow to change the system mode to Cool.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection.
- Tap the down arrow to set the set-point temperature several degrees below the current room temperature. The Cooling Mode icon should show on the display.
- Give the system at least five minutes to respond and start blowing cool air.
- Tap the up arrow to raise the set-point temperature to your desired set-point.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection.
Set Your Preferences
- Remove the display unit from the wall plate by gently pulling on the display until the magnets release.
- Tap the center of the display to access preferences.
- Tap the right arrow or left arrow to scroll through the preference options.
- Info: View software version and configuration setting.
- Units: Switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius.
- Brightness: Select the brightness level for the display.
- Language: Select English (EN), French (FR) or Spanish (ES).
- Tap the up arrow or down arrow to change a preference setting.
- Tap the center to confirm your selection.
- Place the display unit back on the wall plate.