What to Do with Your Mercury Thermostat

10-12 years can go by in a flash.  A toddler has become a teenager and that brand new thermostat you installed is suddenly old. A 10-12 year old thermostat is most likely made out of mercury. Since mercury has been found to have negative impacts on the environment, it is best to replace that thermostat with a digital one. If you decide to make this choice, it is imperative that the mercury is disposed of correctly. If not, it won’t only be bad for the environment, but it could also be harmful to your health. The release of mercury can cause health issues in the brain and kidney (US EPA).

If you do decide to trade in your mercury thermostat for a digital one, consider an automatic thermostat. These thermostats can be set to automatically raise or lower temperatures at certain times of the day so that you are not cooling or heating your home when nobody is around. Thankfully, replacing your thermostat does not mean that you need to replace a furnace. A newer thermostat will work with an older furnace.

A certified contractor, such as FLAME is able to dispose of a mercury thermostat correctly. Questions? Contact FLAME!  For more information about where to recycle mercury thermostats in Michigan, click here.