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Install the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat like a pro

This straightforward, do-it-yourself setup will have you on your way to smart heating and cooling in no time.

Megan Wollerton Former Senior Writer/Editor
2 min read

Watch this: How to install the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat


If the prospect of installing your own thermostat feels overwhelming, don't despair. This step-by-step guide will show you how to set up Honeywell's $280 Lyric smart thermostat in a flash.

Step 1

Turn off power to your heating and cooling system at your circuit breaker.

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Switch off the power at your circuit breaker. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Step 2

Take a photo of your existing setup so you have a wiring reference point if you start to get confused. My system has W, Y, G, and Rh wires.

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Take a photo of your old wiring. Megan Wollerton/CNET

This would also be a good time to create small labels for each wire if they aren't already marked. That will help you keep them sorted, which is particularly important when the color of the wire doesn't correspond to its label -- for example, my Y, or yellow, wire is actually light blue.

Step 3

Detach the wires from the old thermostat and unscrew and remove the base of the thermostat and the baseplate, if applicable. At this point, you can fill holes and paint any areas that might be visible after the Lyric is installed.

Cooling down with the Honeywell Lyric Thermostat (pictures)

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Step 4

Feed the wires through the Lyric's baseplate and its thermostat base.

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Feed the wires through the Lyric. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Step 5

Mount them to the wall and use the built-in level to make sure everything looks straight.

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Mount the thermostat base to the wall. Colin West McDonald/CNET

Step 6

Download the Lyric app on your Android or iOS device. Check the wires you have and the app will show you a diagram of how they should look on the Lyric (although, for some reason, the app left the Rh wire off my installation diagram).

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The app aims to help you visualize the setup based on your wiring. Screenshots by Megan Wollerton/CNET

Step 7

Attach the wires to their respective ports. Unlike Nest, Lyric doesn't have a dedicated Rh port, but you can attach the Rh wire to the Lyric's R port.

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Attach the wires to the Lyric. Colin West McDonald / CNET

Step 8

You're almost done. Just snap the faceplate on the thermostat, turn power back on at your circuit breaker and your thermostat should power on. Now simply follow the app to complete the configuration process.

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The Lyric powering up. Colin West McDonald / CNET