Table of Contents
What color wire goes where on a thermostat?
This is the most typical thermostat wiring style, and it applies to systems that regulate both heat and air conditioning. The wires are typically arranged as follows: red for 24-volt hot, white for heat, yellow for cooling, green for the fan, and blue for common (although the common wire may be a different color).
Where do the wires go on a thermostat?
The yellow wires underneath your thermostat connect to your compressor. They control your air conditioning system. The yellow wires terminate at your compressor contactor via an air handler. The yellow wires connect to the Y terminals on your thermostat.
What are the 4 thermostat wires?
4 Wire Thermostat Wiring (Heat Pumps, HVAC) Red wire for power (24V). White wire for heating (connected to W or W1 terminal). Green wire for fans. Blue or yellow wire for cooling (connected to Y).
What are the color codes for a thermostat?
Here is the industry standard thermostat wire color code used for most systems: White. The white wire connects to your heat. Yellow. The yellow wire connects to your compressor. Green. The green wire connects to the fan. Orange. This wire connects to your heat pump (if applicable). Red (C). Red (H). Blue.
What do the colored wires on my thermostat mean?
Rh stands for Red-Heat and Rc stands for Red-Cool. If you only have a single red wire the jumper between Rh and Rc are required for some heating and cooling hybrid systems depending on your thermostat. Yellow/Y is the AC compressor. White/W is the Heating element. Green/G runs the fan.
What does W1 and W2 mean on a thermostat?
In a conventional system, W/W1 controls your heating system and, where applicable, W2 controls your heating system’s second stage, which helps warm the home faster. In conventional cooling systems, Y/Y1 controls the first stage of cooling and Y2 controls the second stage, which helps cool down the home faster.
What are the different wires in a thermostat?
Thermostat Cable Explained MARKING CABLE COLOR FUNCTION DESCRIPTION W White Primary Heat Cell Relay E Brown Emergency Heat Relay Y Yellow Primary Cool Call Relay Y2 Yellow Secondary Cool Call Relay.
Why does my thermostat only have 3 wires?
If you have a heat-only system, you may notice that your thermostat has three wires—R, G, and W. In this scenario, the Power Extender Kit (PEK) is not compatible. There are three options available to create a C wire and make the ecobee compatible.
What happens if you wire thermostat wrong?
Potential consequences of improper installation could include: Electric shock. Blowing a circuit breaker. Damaging the thermostat unit, the electrical system or even the AC/furnace unit itself.
Are thermostat wires color coded?
The thermostat wire is color coded so the technician can identity which wire goes to which port on each board. It’s important to note that in some cases the color of the wire does not necessarily mean it connects to that came color one the board.
Does R go to RC or RH?
Here are some general guidelines: An R wire can go into a Nest Learning Thermostat’s Rc or Rh connector. The Nest Thermostat E only has an R connector, which is typically where an R wire would go. These are not jumper wires, and you can insert the Rc wire into the Rc connector and the Rh wire into the Rh connector.
Do I need a jumper from R to RC?
(Or the Y and O/B terminal if you have a heat pump system) In addition, the G terminal is activated to turn on the fan in your home to circulate the cooler air. If you have a wire in the R terminal, and another wire (not a jumper) in the RC terminal, you will not need to connect the R and RC terminals.
How do you identify C wire?
It is easy to see if you already have a c-wire connected to your system. Simply remove your current thermostat face from its baseplate and look for the terminal labeled with the letter “c.” If this terminal has a wire attached to it, you have an active “c-wire.”.
Can I use a 4 wire thermostat on a 2 wire system?
Yes, you can connect a four wire thermostat to this setup. Connect the white wires in the same manner as the black wires are connected.
What’s the difference between W1 and W2?
W1 – Means first-stage heat. In a heat pump, first-stage heat is the same as the first-stage cool. It just means the contactor/compressor is turning on. W2 – Means second-stage heat.
What is the difference between W1 and W2 on Nest thermostat?
W1 is for second stage heating, and W2 is for auxiliary heating.
What is the W2 wire on a thermostat for?
W2 – This is the thermostat terminal used for second stage heat. There are gas furnaces with low fire and high fire and some depend on control from a two-stage heating thermostat with a W2 terminal. Heat Pumps use staging for auxiliary heat and need a W2 terminal.
Why does my thermostat have 6 wires?
If your system has six wires, it’s because it features second-stage heating, second-stage cooling or heat-pump cooling but not all three. The extra wire signals the additional function to come on. If your system has second-stage heating and cooling as well as a heat pump, then the thermostat needs eight wires, not six.
Why does my thermostat have 7 wires?
Generally speaking, a thermostat that controls only heat in your home will have two wires, and one that also controls air conditioning must have at least three or four wires. If your system also includes ventilation or a heat pump, the thermostat can have as many as seven wires.
What color is the common wire?
Red, Black, and White are the colors of switch wiring for three-ways. Red and Black are connected to the switches if the White is used for neutral. The White is often referred to as Common, but the colored wires are also used as hot wires.
