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Mobile ViewHEATING SYSTEMS AFUE DEFINITION, RATINGS AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS HEATING SYSTEMS APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN buildings BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLAMES BLUERAY Recall BOILERS, HEATING BOILER OPERATION DETAILS BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BACKFLOW PREVENTER VALVE, HEATING SYS BANGING HEATING PIPES RADIATORS BOILER COMPONENTS & PARTS BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES BOILER LEAKS CORROSION STAINS BOILER LEAKS, HOW TO LOCATE BOILER OPERATING PROBLEMS CARBON MONOXIDE - CO CARBON MONOXIDE WARNING CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS REPAIR CHIMNEYS & Flues - Asbestos Transite Pipe COMBUSTION AIR DEFECTS COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ COMPLETE COMBUSTION, Stoichiometric CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES CONDENSING BOILERS/FURNACES DAMAGE CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS CREOSOTE FIRE HAZARDS DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-BOILER DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS DIRECTORY of OIL TANK EXPERTS DRAFT HOODS - gas fired DRAFT MEASUREMENT, CHIMNEYS & FLUES DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUCT INSULATION - Asbestos Paper DUCTS - Asbestos Transite Pipe DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? ELECTRIC HEAT, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS FAN LIMIT SWITCH FAN NOISES FILTERS, AIR for HVAC SYSTEMS FILTERS, OIL on HEATING EQUIPMENT FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS FIREPLACES & HEARTHS FLAME COLOR, BLUE vs YELLOW COMBUSTION FLOODED HEATING EQUIPMENT REPAIR FLOODED WATER HEATER REPAIR FLUE VENT CONNECTORS FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING FUEL OIL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS FUEL UNIT, HEATING OIL PUMPS FURNACES, HEATING DUCT SYSTEM DEFECTS ALLOY SYSTEMS FLEXDUCT DUCT & AIR HANDLER ODORS DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES FURNACE OPERATION DETAILS FURNACE OPERATING TEMPERATURES HEAT EXCHANGER LEAKS GALVANIC SCALE & METAL CORROSION GAS BURNER Flame & Noise Defects GAS FIRED WATER HEATERS GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS HEAT LOSS INDICATORS HEAT LOSS PREVENTION PRIORITIES HEATING COST FUEL & BTU Cost Table HEATING COST SAVINGS HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-BOILERS HEATING LOSS DIAGNOSIS-FURNACES HEATING OIL CLOUD WAX GEL POINT HEATING OIL EXPOSURE HAZARDS, LIMITS HEATING OIL - OLD, USEABLE? HEATING OIL PIPING TROUBLES HEATING OIL SHELF LIFE HEATING OIL SLUDGE HEATING OIL USAGE RATE HEATING SYSTEM INSPECT DIAGNOSE REPAIR HOT WATER HEATERS HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT LP & Natural Gas Safety Hazards MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC NO HEAT - BOILER NO HEAT - FURNACE NOISE / SOUND DIAGNOSIS & CURE NOISE AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP NOISE, DUCT VIBRATION DAMPENERS NOISE, HEATING SYSTEMS NOISE, PLUMBING NOISE, WATER HEATER ODORS GASES SMELLS, DIAGNOSIS & CURE ODORS FROM HEATING SYSTEMS OIL BURNERS OIL BURNER FUEL UNIT OIL BURNER INSPECTION & REPAIR OIL BURNER NOISE SMOKE ODORS OIL BURNER NOZZLE & ELECTRODES OIL BURNERS, RETENTION HEAD OIL BURNER SOOT & PUFFBACKS OIL FILTERS on HEATING EQUIPMENT OIL FILTER MISSING OIL FUEL TYPES & CHARACTERISTICS OIL & GAS PIPING OIL LINE CLOGGING FIX OIL LINE QUICK STOP VALVES OIL LINE SAFETY VALVES OIL ODORS, LEAKY OIL TANK PIPING OIL PUMP FUEL UNIT OIL SPILL CLEANUP / PREVENTION OIL TANKS OIL TANK SAFETY OIL TANK SLUDGE OIL TANK TESTING OIL TANKS, BURIED OIL TANK WATER REMOVAL PLASTIC HEATER VENT PULSE COMBUSTION HEATERS PASCAL CALCULATIONS RADIANT BARRIERS RADIANT HEAT RADIANT HEAT Floor Mistakes to Avoid RADIANT HEAT TEMPERATURES RADIANT SLAB FLOORING CHOICES RADIANT SLAB TUBING & FLUID CHOICES RADIATORS RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - STEAM TP VALVES RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - TP Valves on Boilers RELIEF VALVES - STEAM TP VALVES RELIEF VALVES - Water Heaters RELIEF VALVES - Water Tanks Reset Switch - Heater Primary Control Reset Switch Broken - Quick Repair Reset Switch - Electric Motors Reset Switch - Stack Relays SAFETY HAZARDS & INSPECTIONS SAFETY HAZARDS GUIDE SAFETY, HEATING INSPECTION SAFETY,HOME HEATING TIPS Safety Recalls, Chimneys, Vents, Heaters SAFETY, HEATING INSPECTION SAFETY,HOME HEATING TIPS STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS AQUASTAT CONTROL Functions BACKDRAFTING HEATING EQUIPMENT BACKFLOW PREVENTER VALVE, HEATING SYS BANGING HEATING PIPES RADIATORS CAD CELL RELAY SWITCH CHECK VALVES, HEATING SYSTEM Chemical treatments, Boiler Circulator Pumps & Relays COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATE RETURN PIPES, PUMPS, STEAM DIAGNOSE & FIX BOILER DRAFT HOODS - gas fired DRAFT MEASUREMENT, CHIMNEYS & FLUES DRAFT REGULATORS, DAMPERS, BOOSTERS ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT Expansion Tanks FIRE SAFETY CONTROLS Gauges on Heating Equipment Limit Switches, Boilers Low Water Cutoff Valves, Boilers MIXING / ANTI-SCALD VALVES Pressure & Temperature Settings, Controls Pressure Switch, Steam Boiler RELIEF VALVES - TP VALVES Sight Glass, Steam Boiler Spill Switches Stack Relay Switch Steam Pressure Gauge STEAM TRAPS Steam Vents THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING WATER FEEDER Valves, Steam TANKLESS COILS THERMAL TRACKING Indicates Heat Loss THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING Types of Building & Room Thermostats How Thermostats Work Detailed Guide to Room Thermostats How to Set the Thermostat COOL OFF HEAT, Thermostat Switch FAN ON AUTO Thermostat Switch HEAT ANTICIPATOR Adjustment HEAT ANTICIPATOR Mini Ammeter to Check HEAT PUMP Thermostats - Outdoors INSTALL & WIRE Thermostats Two-Wire Wall Thermostat Wiring Three-Wire Wall Thermostat Wiring Six-Wire Wall Thermostat Wiring Line Voltage 120V Thermostat Wiring Shorting Out Thermostat Wires Table of Thermostat Wiring Connections TEMPERATURE RESPONSE of Room Thermostats SWITCH FUNCTIONS on a Room Thermostat THERMOSTATS, WATER HEATER AQUASTAT CONTROL Functions Electric Water Heater Thermostats THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVES Transite Pipe Chimneys & Flues More Information |
This article explains the basics of wiring connections at the thermostat for heating, heat pump, or air conditioning systems. InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers nor with topics or services discussed at this website.This article is part of THERMOSTATS our article series Guide to Finding, Using, and Adjusting Thermostats for Heating & Air Conditioning Furnaces & Boilers, Heat Pumps or Electric Furnaces or Boilers. This website answers most questions about central heating system troubleshooting, inspection, diagnosis, and repairs. We describe how to inspect residential heating systems to inform home owners, buyers, and home inspectors of common heating system defects. The articles at this website describe the basic components of a home heating system, how to find the rated heating capacity of an heating system by examining various data tags and components, how to recognize common heating system operating or safety defects, and how to save money on home heating costs. We include product safety recall and other heating system hazards. Because some controls are used in common on hot water heat, hot air heat, and steam boilers, readers should see these other articles: see BOILER CONTROLS & SWITCHES, and also see BOILER COMPONENTS & PARTS for a detailed list of heating boiler controls, other heating system components, parts such as circulator pumps & draft regulators. If your building uses warm air heat, see FURNACE CONTROLS & SWITCHES. If your building uses steam heat see STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS. Also see Heat Won't Turn Off - Stop Unwanted Heat. Readers needing to find and fix un-wanted air leaks, heat losses, or other energy wasters should see HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS. Readers should see ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY and also see HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS and INSULATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT for energy saving retrofit detailed guides. Also see GAS PIPING, VALVES, CONTROLS for more details on how to inspect and test LP and natural gas piping, controls, valves, and tanks. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. 2-Wire Thermostats: How Do I Install & Wire Up a Room Thermostat like the Honeywell Round Wall T87F Series Thermostat?
It's important to mount mercury-bulb thermostats as level as possible since otherwise you're putting the thermostat out of accurate temperature calibration. That's because the coiled bimetallic spring has to move that mercury bulb to a tipped position to turn the heating or air conditioning system on or off in response to room temperature. When we found a thermostat that did not heat a room accurately to the called-for temperature, we'd take a look to see if it was installed out of level before looking further. Because the "set" range on these thermostats may have had a lower-end of 55 deg .F., when we wanted the thermostat to maintain a building at a temperature lower than the minimum that the thermostat dial provided, we just tilted the whole thermostat backing plate on the wall in the proper direction to shift the operating range of the switch. Newer thermostats that rely on other sensor and switch designs may not have this sensitivity to being out of level. Where Do We Connect the Red, White, & Blue (if present) Wires to a Typical Two Wire Wall Thermostat?Watch out: do not short any wires together. Turn off power & confirm it is off. Don't forget to turn off all electrical power involved with your heating system before working on thermostat wiring, and confirm that power is off where you are working by using an appropriate test instrument such as a VOM. Failure to respect this advice risks equipment damage, and in some cases electrical shock or even a building fire.
So what are the proper wiring connections for a room thermostat? This little photo is included so that you can see that on many thermostats the wiring instructions are embossed right on the thermostat body. Look for them on your thermostat as well as reading them in the instructions that came with the thermostat. (You kept those, right?) Two wire thermostat wiring instructions: In a two-wire installation, the thermostat backing plate is mounted level on an interior wall in the room which we want to be the master temperature control for the area served by the heating or cooling system. The red wire from the heater or air conditioner control is mounted to the "R" terminal on the backing plate. The white wire from the heater or air conditioner control is mounted to the "W" terminal on the thermostat mounting plate. 3-Wire Thermostats: Where Do We Connect the Red, White, & Blue (if present) Wires to a Typical Three-Wire Wall Thermostat?Three-wire thermostat wiring instructions, also called "series 20 installations" we have three wires rather than two to connect. The Red wire coming to the thermostat from the heater or air conditioner is connected to "R". The white wire is connected to the "Y" terminal, and The blue wire is connected to the "W" terminal on the backing plate. Then the thermostat body is screwed in place. The screws that secure a round Honeywell traditional wall thermostat to its backing plate will also connect it properly to the wiring. A plug connector may be used: On other thermostats it may be necessary to plug in a connector between the thermostat and its mounting plate. 6-Wire Thermostats: Where Do We Connect the Red, White, & Blue, Yellow, Green, Orange Wires in a Typical Six-Wire Wall Thermostat?Color Codes and Hookups for Thermostat Wires, typical for heat pump installations and thermostatsReader Bryan contributed this nice summary of what the various thermostat wires usually control, by color code: The wiring to a thermostat unit depends on if you have
Thermostat wiring also depends on how the installer has wired the thermostat. Typical Thermostat Wire Connections for Heat PumpsTypical connections when wiring a heat pump are as follows:
Again, you will have to check to see how the installer has ran the wires from the thermostat. Also see Table of Common Heating and Cooling Thermostat Wiring Connections for added details. Typical thermostat connections when wiring a thermostat to control only a heating system or only an air conditioning systemIf your thermostat is controlling only a heating system or only an air conditioning system, you will only have a red wire, and a white wire coming form the inside unit, to the outside unit. On an air conditioner these two wires will go on the contactor to send 24 volts to the coil to pull the contactor in to start the air conditioner. On a heating system these two wires will go to two thermostat connections on the primary controller such as an aquastat or air handler control that turns on the heating unit. Depending on the type of heating system, the thermostat, acting simply as an "on-off" switch will - Hot water heat In the U.S. the TT wires will turn on a hot water circulator (or open a zone valve) on a hydronic or hot water heating system; falling boiler temperature will cause the aquastat to turn on the oil or gas burner (this is the U.S. typical installation). - Hot water heat In Canada the TT wires will activate an aquastat control that will turn on and off the boiler based on its temperature; circulators are already running. - Hot air heat: the TT wires will turn on the furnace heating equipment (oil or gas or electric, say); when the air temperature in the furnace heating plenum is hot enough the fan limit switch will turn on the blower fan. These are the traditional wiring schematics, again, check the thermostat to see if this is the case with yours. Instructions for Wiring of Line Voltage 120V Wall ThermostatsSee this 1949 Honeywell Control Handbook for an explanation of older line voltage (120-Volt) and 24-Volt thermostats and other controls such as the T40 series 4-wire 120V T44 Thermostat Shorting Out Thermostat Wires - Leads to Loss of HeatWatch out: do not short any wires together. Turn off power & confirm it is off. Don't forget to turn off all electrical power involved with your heating system before working on thermostat wiring, and confirm that power is off where you are working by using an appropriate test instrument such as a VOM. Shorting thermostat wires to ground or together is likely to damage components in the thermostat itself or in other heating system components, as this reader's report below illustrates:
A Table of Common Heating and Cooling Thermostat Wiring Connections for Major HVAC & Thermostat BrandsThe following thermostat wiring suggestions were derived from a thermostat wiring connection code list provided courtesy of J. Scott Meenan. Watch out: do not short any wires together. Turn off power & confirm it is off. As we have warned before, don't forget to turn off all electrical power involved with your heating system before working on thermostat wiring, and confirm that power is off where you are working by using an appropriate test instrument such as a VOM. Failure to respect this advice risks equipment damage, and in some cases electrical shock or even a building fire.
Lennox thermostat and equipment wiring color codes may vary significantly from common usage. Be sure to consult with Lennox and obtain the proper installation manual for your equipment. These White Rodgers Tables Map Old Thermostat Wires to New (White Rodgers) Thermostat Terminals & Help Identify Old Thermostat Types
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