Thermostats are connected to a heating and/or air conditioning unit and are used to control and regulate the temperature inside a building by automatically turning the unit on and off as needed. Many single unit heater and air conditioners have a built-in thermostat that can be used to regulate the unit. A central heating and/or air conditioning unit will have a thermostat attached to the unit by wires, but located in a different area of the building for the convenience of the user. Replacing a thermostat can be easily done; it requires safety, time and an understanding of thermostat wiring.
Before beginning any thermostat wiring project, it is important to read through the entire set of directions and carefully study the diagram. Any necessary equipment should be purchased and all of the supplies gathered. Before even taking the old thermostat off of the wall mount the power source to the heating and/or air conditioning unit must be shut off. Turing the power off will prevent any injury to the installer or damage to the thermostat or the unit. Due to the fact that this step is so vital, a double check should be made by turning the unit to the on position to see if it comes on.
Since the old thermostat wiring may have different thermostat wire colors, it is advised to mark and label each wire as it is disconnected from the old unit. A simple tip to do this is to wrap each wire with a piece of masking tape and then label the masking tape. This will make it easier when wiring in a new thermostat. Note that thermostat wiring is not a quick process and in order to be sure that it is done correctly, time must be taken to ensure that all of the thermostat wire colors match up.
There are two basic types of thermostats, including line-voltage and low-voltage. Line-voltage thermostats are often used with a single unit system like baseboards and radiant heats. Low-voltage is more common and more efficient and can be used with units that use electricity, gas and oil. The type of thermostat used will depend on the type of unit. While there are two types of thermostats, there are many different kinds of thermostats, including programmable, electric, digital, and wireless thermostats. The kind of thermostat chosen is a personal choice that the buyer can make based on need and budget, as well as the type of heating/cooling unit.