what type of wire runs from electric furnace to thermostat
Thermostats are the ultimate command hubs for HVAC devices such equally furnaces and air conditioners. Thermostat wiring is a useful skill to know if you have to supercede an old thermostat or but bank check if something is wrong with the new thermostat. With a little assist, you can learn how to install a thermostat on your own.
LearnMetrics has designed this guide as that footling help. Nosotros volition cover everything you need to know about thermostat wiring; including where does each colour wire goes.
Patently, there are many unlike kinds of thermostats out there. 100% of guidelines will not piece of work for 100% of thermostats. There are, after all, many different types of thermostats with different wiring out there: Honeywell thermostat wiring, nest wiring, old thermostats, and so on.
Nosotros will cover the most mutual thermostat wirings for ii wire, 3 wire, iv wire, and 5 wire thermostats. At every stage, we will point out what ii wire or five wire thermostats are used to wire, for example, to get a bigger motion-picture show of where those color wires go and how they enable the functions of air conditioners and furnaces.
In all cases, nosotros volition employ this bones Honeywell thermostat for reference:
We volition also effort to address all the common questions regarding thermostat wiring, such as:
"What color wire goes where on a thermostat?" (Check the diagram beneath)
"How many wires does a thermostat need?" (At least 2)
"What is R and RC on the thermostat?" (Color coding diagram below)
"What is the black wire for on a thermostat?"
"What if in that location is no C wire for the thermostat?" (Older thermostat; y'all can leave it without or add it)
Let's have a systematic and practical approach here. We volition follow this full general order to learn how to wire a thermostat:
- Remove the thermostat command panel, and betrayal the colored wires.
- We volition learn what each colour wire means. Agreement colour coding will requite you a good understanding of how the thermostat actually functions.
- Replacing the erstwhile thermostat with a new one.
An important note: Keep in listen that dealing with electrical circuits can exist harmful to yourself. That'southward why always follow the appropriate prophylactic measures when working on live electrical circuits. For more than information nearly the wires and their ampacity, consult the AWG gauge chart with wire sizes for specific amps hither.
Let's offset right off with exposing the color wires:
Removing The Thermostat's Command Panel (Getting To The Color Wires)
The showtime step in thermostat wiring is actually getting to the wires. You probably have your thermostat mounted on the wall. Exposing the wires is easy; it starts with removing the thermostat's control panel.
Earlier you start: Turn the power switch to the device'south thermostat is connected to off.
Well-nigh control panels can be removed merely by nudging it from beneath or higher up a bit. Some Honeywell thermostats tin can have some screws as well; just unscrew them to expose the wire terminals.
Beneath the control panel, yous will find the base and the wires sticking out of the wall. With the basic Honeywell thermostat, you will find:
- 8 wire sockets to the left.
- viii wire sockets to the right.
Earlier nosotros have the flathead screw to unscrew these, allow's outset familiarize ourselves with the crucial part of any thermostat wiring: Wire codes and colors.
Here'south where the thermostat wires go:
Thermostat Wiring Color Codes
As you can encounter on the thermostat base of operations, yous have 16 sockets, with letters C, R, W1, W2, O/B, G, Y1, Y2, BK, 2x RS, 2x ODT, AUX NO, AUX C, and AUX NC. With 2 wire, iii wire, and 4 wire thermostats you lot don't take all of these. That's normal. You might also notice that all sockets don't wire in them. That's standard as well.
For each of these thermostat terminals, there is a designated wire, characterized by a colour:
If your thermostat doesn't look exactly similar this, or even anything like this, don't worry. We just need to get a grip of what each color wire is and what it does.
Let'south look at each of these wires in turn:
Thermostat Black Or Blue Wire ("C" Wire)
The black wire or blueish wire (either color is used) is the C – "Common" wire. What does the C wire practice? C wire is connected to the transformer and completes the 24V electrical circuit. Newer thermostats accept a continuously looped 24V excursion; in older models, the loop is completed only when the ability is required (when you lot plow the Air conditioning on, for example).
More than oft than non, the black or blue wire connected to the C concluding is institute in the newer "smart" thermostats. The older thermostats may not have the "C" wire; they function on-demand while the new ones function all the time (continuously 24/7).
That's why the newer digital thermostats consume free energy fifty-fifty when the furnace or air conditioner is not running.
Thermostat Ruby-red Wire ("R" or "Rc" Wire)
Carmine wire or "R" wire is the power wire. They originate in the transformer (air conditioners; in the air handler) and provide the 24-hour volt AC power.
All air conditioner thermostats have a red wire for power. Y'all may also have Rc or Rh terminals for dual transformer systems; these are special cases in thermostat wiring.
Thermostat White Wire ("W1" or "W2" Wire)
White wires are for heating. You will detect them in gas furnace thermostats, for instance, but won't find them in air conditioner thermostats.
West wires become directly to the source of heating; that may be a furnace (gas, electrical, oil, you name it) or oestrus pumps (mini-split up estrus pumps included).
W2 is designated for ii-stage heating. Most heat pumps include second-stage heating and require the white W2 wire.
Orange Wire For O And Night Blue Wire For B ("O/B" Wire)
"O" or the orange thermostat wire is for reverse valve cooling. Most bigger heat pump manufacturers like Trane, Goodman, Lennox, and so on take the orangish wire that goes to the condenser (located in the outdoor unit of heat pumps).
"B" is for reversing valve heating. Some producers like Rheem energizes the reversing valve when the heating mode is on in heat pumps. A dark blue "B" wire is needed for the t-stat terminal.
Thermostat Green Wire ("G" Wire)
Green wire is for the fan. Mini-splits have an indoor air handler with a fan; the power input that goes into the fan is regulated by the greenish or "G" wire.
Yellow Thermostat Wire ("Y1" And "Y2" Wire)
Y terminals are for the connection to the compressor relay. It most often wires to the air handler (indoor split-system unit of measurement). Y1 is for ordinary or ane-stage cooling; this is what virtually of us accept at dwelling. Y wire with "Y1" lawmaking is unremarkably yellow-colored. You tin can read more than about what size wires you demand for air conditioners here.
"Y2" is only for air conditioners with 2nd-phase cooling. This terminal is only required if y'all take:
- 2 compressor.
- Two-phase compressor.
Other Wires (BK, RS1, RS2, ODT1, ODT2, AUX NO, AUX C, AUX NC)
Another terminals that rarely become used at all the ones on the right side of the thermostat. In the future, we plan to create a split up article details that the specific part all of them accept.
Do continue in heed that with and so many different thermostats, each wire code can accept a different colour wire. "O" wire, for example, is not necessarily always orange. If a technician that installed your thermostat used a different color, you might have a problem reconnecting the wires. That'due south why this next section is and then of import:
Removing The Sometime Thermostat (Take Photo)
If you're planning to replace the old thermostat, don't immediately remove the erstwhile thermostat. First of all, make sure you will be able to correctly wire the new thermostat.
HVAC technicians know the color-coding past centre; they can just remove whatever Honeywell thermostat, supervene upon it with the new one and reconnect the terminals.
If yous are DIY thermostat wiring, hither's the easiest thing to practise before removing the old thermostat:
Take a picture.
If you unscrew the terminals and remove the wires right abroad, you may have problems reconnecting the wires to the new terminal. Make sure you have a picture of how the wiring to the former thermostat looks like before continuing.
Brand Sure To Spead The Wires (You Don't Want To Lose Them In The Wall)
When you have taken the photo of the one-time thermostat, you lot can remove it. Only do be careful:
The thermostat holds the wires out of the wall; the wires are suspended on the thermostat. If you remove the thermostat right away, the wires will be lost inside the wall. Yous will have to either:
- Fish the wires out of the wall.
- Smash the wall to exist able to reach the wires.
To foreclose these two scenarios, brand sure to spread the wires. Take each wire and bend information technology outwards. Hither'due south the logic behind this:
- Pigsty in the wall is nigh 2×2 inches.
- Wires themselves are nigh 1×one inches.
- Spreading them apart volition create at least a ii×two inch crosssection, and the wires volition be suspending on the wall (instead of on the thermostat).
When y'all accept done that, you tin safely remove the old thermostat.
Installing A New Thermostat (Reconnecting Wire By Wire)
After y'all remove the old thermostat, take the new thermostat are put it in the exact same place as the old thermostat. The wires you have stock-still on the wall have to be pushed through the pigsty in the new thermostat.
Now you showtime reconnecting the wire by wire. Having a photo of the old thermostat is very helpful here. There are two means of how to know where each wire goes:
- Use the photograph and reconnect the wires appropriately.
- Apply the color codes and reconnect the wires.
If y'all are going by color codes, yous can cheque what each wire means in the section in a higher place. Here'due south a quick basic summary:
- Red wire: Power (24V input in most cases).
- Green wire: Fan.
- White wire: Heating.
- Blueish wire: Cooling.
- Rh: Heating power.
- Rc: Cooling power.
To reconnect the wire, but put the wire on the correct final and tighten down the set up screw. Pull a wire a scrap to make sure the wire is properly fixed.
Example: Reconnect the red wire to R, tighten the screw, check, and move to the new wire.
After you have reconnected all the wires, put on the control board, and check if everything is fine.
Now that nosotros know the basics of how to properly wire a thermostat and the nuts of color-coding, allow's look at how to wire 2, iii, 4, and five wire thermostats in step-by-step guides:
two Wire Thermostat Wiring (Furnaces)
The most basic thermostat has 2 wires; commonly a blood-red and a white wire. Two wire thermostat wiring is used for furnaces only and usually doesn't need a "C" or "Common" wire. That's why we but need two wires:
- Red wire for power (24h).
- White wire for heating.
Wiring a 2 wire thermostat is pretty straightforward.
Here the step-by-step of how to DIY 2 wire thermostat wiring:
- Remove the command panel of the one-time furnace thermostat.
- Take a note of where the wires go; commonly, red R wire will go to R, and white wire volition go to Rh or W1. You can also have a photo.
- Unscrew the ii wires from the terminals.
- Remove the motherboard of the old 2 wire thermostat and put the new 2 wire thermostat in its identify.
- Reconnect the scarlet and white wire, tighten down the set screw, and put the command panel back on.
- Test the 2 wire thermostat wiring past turning the furnace on.
If y'all have properly reconnected the 2 wires, the new 2 wire thermostat should control the furnace in the same way your old 2 wire thermostat did.
3 Wire Thermostat Wiring (Boilers, Heaters)
3 wire thermostats are virtually ordinarily used to control the heaters; boilers and hot water heaters in item. The iii wires you will discover normally have codes R, G, and Due west.
The difference between ii wire and 3 wire thermometer is the "Grand" or green wire that is usually used for fans. In the 3 wire thermostat wiring, the green wire serves as a repurposed C or "Common" wire. Here are the 3 wires:
- Red wire for power (24V).
- White wire for heating (connected to W or W1 last).
- Green wire as a repurposed C wire.
Hither is how to wire a 3 wire thermostat:
- Remove the control panel of the former thermostat.
- Take a picture of the iii wires. Note the color – ruby, white, and green – and the terminals – R, W or W1, Chiliad.
- Remove the motherboard of the old thermostat completely, and secure the wires. Y'all don't want them to hide deep inside the wall.
- Put the new motherboard in the identify of the sometime one, and pull the wires through the iii wire thermostat.
- Correctly reconnect the wires – cerise to R, white to W or W1, light-green to G – and tighten the terminal screws.
- Put on the control panel, and test if your banality or hot water heater connected to the 3 wire thermometer functions properly.
Knowing how to wire a 3 wire thermostat is fairly easy compared to 4 and 5 wire thermostats:
4 Wire Thermostat Wiring (Estrus Pumps, HVAC)
4 wire thermostats take a bit more flexibility. Smart thermostats like Nest and Ecobee thermostats require iv wire thermostat wiring to office properly.
In addition to heating (ii wire thermostats) and C or fan (3 wire thermostats), 4 wire thermostats include the cooling wire, normally in blue or yellow colour. Here are the wires in 4 wire thermostats with concluding codes and color codes:
- Blood-red wire for power (24V).
- White wire for heating (connected to Westward or W1 last).
- Green wire for fans.
- Blue or yellow wire for cooling (connected to Y).
These thermostats are typical for heat pumps: HVAC devices that tin cool and estrus. To produce the airflow, a fan is needed (green wire).
Here is how you can wire a 4 wire thermostat yourself:
- Have the control console off and expose the wires in the old four wire thermostat.
- Take a photograph of the wires; you can also label where each one goes, but taking a photo is much easier.
- Take off the motherboard and secure the wires; if you don't hold them, the four wires volition get lost in the wall.
- Screw on the new motherboard, and pull the 4 wires through the hole.
- Reconnect the iv wires to the advisable terminals – red to R, white to Due west or W1, green to G, and blue or yellow to Y – and screw them in place. Pull each wire to make sure that it's fixed in identify.
- Turn on the estrus pump or whatever other HVAC device that connects to the 4 wire thermostat.
Let's look into 1 of the most mutual thermostats. Hither is the Honeywell v wire thermostat standard wiring:
v Wire Thermostat Wiring (Any HVAC Device – Air Conditioners, Heat Pumps, Furnaces, etc.)
5 wire thermostat is basically a iv wire thermostat with a "C" or "Mutual" wire. The newer digital thermostats for HVAC devices all require a 24V C wire connectedness to function. 5 wire thermostats are the most versatile thermostat; they command anything from smart air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, and so on.
Here are the 5 wire colors and terminals codes:
- Scarlet wire for power (24V).
- White wire for heating (connected to W or W1 concluding).
- Light-green wire for fans.
- Blue or xanthous wire for cooling (connected to Y).
- Black wire for "C" or "Common" wire.
Here is how a wired 5 wire thermostat looks like:
Allow's look at how to replace an old 5 wire thermostat with a new i:
- Take the control panel off and betrayal the wires in the former 5 wire thermostat.
- Take a photograph of the wires; you tin can besides label where each one goes, merely taking a photo is much easier.
- Accept off the motherboard and secure the wires; if y'all don't agree them, the four wires will get lost in the wall.
- Screw on the new motherboard, and pull the 5 wires through the hole.
- Reconnect the five wires to the appropriate terminals – red to R, white to West or W1, green to G, and blueish or yellowish to Y, blackness to C – and screw them in place. Pull each wire to make sure that it's stock-still in place.
- Plow on whatsoever smart device that connects to the 5 wire thermostat, and endeavour to utilise the smartphone app or remote control to check if everything works as information technology should.
These are the nuts of thermostat wiring. If yous have simply a bit of technical skills, you will probably be more than than able to DIY thermostat replacement.
Source: https://learnmetrics.com/thermostat-wiring/
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