I feel your pain on that one. When I was building my place, I thought I'd planned everything out perfectly—had all the wiring diagrams sketched out, labeled every cable meticulously, and even triple-checked with the electrician. But when it came time to install my smart thermostat, I ran into a similar headache.
Turns out, somewhere along the line, the HVAC guys and electricians weren't exactly on the same page. The C-wire was there alright, but it was tucked away neatly behind the furnace panel, completely disconnected and forgotten. Took me hours of head-scratching, YouTube tutorials, and a couple of coffee breaks before I finally figured out what was going on. Honestly, I felt like Sherlock Holmes tracking down a missing clue...
But hey, that's DIY life for you—always throwing curveballs when you least expect them. On the bright side, once I got it sorted, the thermostat worked like a charm. Now it's one of my favorite upgrades in the house. There's something oddly satisfying about being able to tweak the temperature from bed on a chilly morning without having to shuffle downstairs half-asleep.
Anyway, glad you got yours sorted too. These little hiccups can be frustrating at first, but they make for good stories later on. Plus, every DIY project seems to teach me something new—even if it's just patience and perseverance.