I purchased the thermostat thinking I didn’t need to access the furnace. I live in a rental unit and the furnace is in the attic, not easily accessed by and 81 year old. Is there a solution to this other than lying about my age?
You don’t necessarily need access to the furnace, it depends upon the number of wires in the cable from the furnace to the thermostat. If it is fully connected (5 wires for a gas furnace and A/C) the new thermostat can be installed just from the room it is in.