diff --git a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
index 6b76f9d9..04cac79e 100644
--- a/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
+++ b/lib/cartodb/template_maps.js
@@ -531,10 +531,11 @@ o.getTemplate = function(owner, tpl_id, callback) {
 //
 // @throws Error on malformed template or parameter
 //
-o._reNumber = /^([-+]?[\d\.]?\d+([eE][+-]?\d+)?)$/;
-o._reCSSColorName = /^[a-zA-Z]+$/;
-o._reCSSColorVal = /^#[0-9a-fA-F]{3,6}$/;
-o._replaceVars = function(str, params) {
+var _reNumber = /^([-+]?[\d\.]?\d+([eE][+-]?\d+)?)$/,
+    _reCSSColorName = /^[a-zA-Z]+$/,
+    _reCSSColorVal = /^#[0-9a-fA-F]{3,6}$/;
+
+_replaceVars = function(str, params) {
   //return _.template(str, params); // lazy way, possibly dangerous 
   // Construct regular expressions for each param
     Object.keys(params).forEach(function(k) {
@@ -559,7 +560,7 @@ o.instance = function(template, params) {
     }
     else if ( type === 'number' ) {
       // check it's a number
-      if ( typeof(val) !== 'number' && ! val.match(this._reNumber) ) {
+      if ( typeof(val) !== 'number' && ! val.match(_reNumber) ) {
         throw new Error("Invalid number value for template parameter '"
           + k + "': " + val);
       }
@@ -567,7 +568,7 @@ o.instance = function(template, params) {
     else if ( type === 'css_color' ) {
       // check it only contains letters or
       // starts with # and only contains hexdigits
-      if ( ! val.match(this._reCSSColorName) && ! val.match(this._reCSSColorVal) ) {
+      if ( ! val.match(_reCSSColorName) && ! val.match(_reCSSColorVal) ) {
         throw new Error("Invalid css_color value for template parameter '"
           + k + "': " + val);
       }
@@ -583,8 +584,8 @@ o.instance = function(template, params) {
   var layergroup = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(template.layergroup));
   for (var i=0; i<layergroup.layers.length; ++i) {
     var lyropt = layergroup.layers[i].options;
-    if ( lyropt.cartocss ) lyropt.cartocss = this._replaceVars(lyropt.cartocss, all_params);
-    if ( lyropt.sql) lyropt.sql = this._replaceVars(lyropt.sql, all_params);
+    if ( lyropt.cartocss ) lyropt.cartocss = _replaceVars(lyropt.cartocss, all_params);
+    if ( lyropt.sql) lyropt.sql = _replaceVars(lyropt.sql, all_params);
     // Anything else ?
   }
   return layergroup;