Get Paid To Upgrade Your Thermostat!
Get toxic mercury out of your home and earn $30.
The Thermostat Care safe disposal program of California helps individuals and businesses properly dispose of old mercury thermostats. If these thermostats are mishandled, the mercury inside can vaporize and pose a significant health hazard to your community, your environment, and your household. That’s why it’s illegal in the state of California to place mercury thermostats in the trash.
Follow these 4 easy steps to dispose of your mercury thermostat at one of our 600+ collection locations, earn a $30 mail-in rebate, and help keep your family, pets, and community safe from mercury pollution.
STEP 1:
Identify and Remove
Only mercury thermostats can be disposed of with our program – old digital thermostats should be taken to a local e-waste drop-off site instead. Mercury thermostats don’t have a screen and appear older in design, often with a dial or other mechanical switch. If you aren’t sure if your thermostat contains merucry, see below for examples of mercury thermostats or ask us directly at info@thermostatcare.org.
Carefully remove the mercury (not digital) thermostat from the wall and place it inside a sealed clear bag โ collection locations may have these bags available if you do not. Do NOT disassemble or attempt to remove the mercury-containing glass tube inside the thermostat. Drop-off locations will not accept broken or disassembled thermostats.
STEP 2:
Find Your Drop-off Location
Find your nearest drop-off location by typing in your address, pressing enter, and then clicking the minus icon to zoom out as-needed.
Step 3:
Fill Out A Rebate Form
Download, print, and fill out the rebate form to receive a $30 mail-in rebate per mercury thermostat returned. Take a photo of your thermostat and the completed form for you records.
step 4:
Drop Off
Take your thermostat and completed rebate form to your nearest drop-off location and ask to speak with a manager – they’ll safely store the items in a Thermostat Care disposal container. Make sure the location’s associate places your rebate form inside the plastic bag with your mercury thermostat to keep those items together for processing. Your rebate will be mailed to you within 1 year.
Spread the Word: Properly Dispose of Mercury Thermostats!
Thermostat Care is creating a California free from mercury thermostat pollution, but we can’t do it without your help. If anyone you know might still have a mercury thermostat in their house, you can help clean up California by letting them know about our program. Additionally, you can keep up with the program by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I know if I come across a mercury thermostat?
To determine if your thermostat contains mercury, inspect the thermostat to see if it contains a lever or dial to control the temperature. Thermostats with this feature typically contain mercury. Homes or buildings whose HVAC systems haven’t been updated since the early 2000s. Areas of the state that may be lower income and therefore not updating their HVAC systems regularly or in the past decade.
Why do mercury thermostats require special disposal?
In normal use, mercury-containing thermostats are safe and do not expose people to mercury. However, if mercury thermostats are improperly handled or disposed of, the glass tube of liquid mercury may break, causing the mercury to vaporize. This can cause serious health problems – particularly among children and pregnant women. Mercury-containing thermostats that are not disposed of at a hazardous waste collection site can expose sanitation workers, soil and groundwater to toxic mercury contamination. So, improper care and disposal of mercury-containing thermostats are dangerous to both public and environmental health.
What are the health risks of being exposed to mercury?
Mercury is toxic and exposure even in small amounts may cause serious health problems. Breathing mercury vapors can harm the nervous system, lungs and kidneys. Mercury vapors can also pass easily from the lungs to the bloodstream. Children under 14 are more sensitive to mercury than adults because of their developing brains and nervous systems – and may be irreversibly damaged by it. Mothers who are exposed to mercury and breast-feed may also expose their infant children through their milk.
What are the consequences of throwing a mercury thermostat in the trash?
Failure to properly dispose of mercury-containing thermostats can result in a $70,000 fine.
Who is eligible for the rebate?
A $30 per mercury thermostat incentive is available to California residents or service technicians that attests, under penalty of perjury, to both of the following:
โข Their California state residency.
โข That the returned mercury thermostat(s) were removed from a building or facility in California.
Any additional questions? Email Info@ThermostatCare.org
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