You can use pretty much any wire you like for a thermostat as long as it is thick enough. 20 gauge will work okay for short runs put is prone to breaking. 18 gauge is more popular. You can go thicker it is just more expensive and more difficult to handle.
Can you use 18 gauge wire for thermostat?
The most common thermostat cabling is 18/5 (18 gauge, 5 conductor), because 5 conductors typically offer enough functions for a modern thermostat/low voltage device.
Can you use regular wire for thermostat?
All About Thermostat Wire HVAC Control. Search for: Thermostat Wire – Thermostat wire comes in a bundle with the outer jacket being either brown or white. The bundle can have anywhere from 2 conductors inside the bundle or outer jacket and all the way up 8 or 10 conductors inside the outer brown or white jacket.
Can telephone wire be used as thermostat wire?
Phone wire would probably work fine in most millivolt situations, but some thermostat wire has decent current going through it (like 24V control loops), so – as always – why not use the right stuff. It might leak more current and not complete the circuit in long runs….the lighter wire, that is.
How do I know what wire to get for my thermostat?
Look for connectors that have labels that are the same as your thermostat. For instance, you might find labels like R, W, G, Y, C or O/B. You should find wires attached to these connectors that are the same color as the wires that connect to your thermostat.
How many amps can 18 gauge wire take?
16 Amps
A conservative estimate for several feet of 18 gauge wire is 16 Amps. If you have only 12 gauge wire, the 18 gauge wire can handle more than 16 Amps.
What is a 18 gauge wire?
It relates to the diameter of the wire.The more current capacity it can carry, the lower the AWG. A thicker 16AWG can carry 13 Amps, but a thinner 18AWG can only carry 10 Amps.
What happens if you wire a 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.
Can I use cat5 for thermostat wire?
Ethernet cable should work fine since thermostats use low voltage and low current. For simplicity, it’s probably easier to use each pair as if it were a single wire.
Can I use any thermostat?
You’ll need to get a thermostat that is compatible with your system’s voltage requirements. Most thermostats work with low voltage systems. And the good news is, unless you have wall/floor heaters or an electric baseboard heating system, you most likely have a low voltage system because they are the most common.
Can I use sprinkler wire for thermostat?
As I’ve been shopping around, I’ve discovered that either the sprinkler or the FPLR cable could, in theory, be used for the thermostat application, but NOT the other way around. Sprinkler cable is rated for direct-burial for obvious reasons. You don’t want to direct-bury thermostat wire or FPLR wire.
How many amps can thermostat wire handle?
The thermostat wire is sized for mechanical durability, not for current carrying capacity. Codes may require the circuit to be Class 2, 30 volts and 100 VA maximum, usually 24 volts and no more than 4 amps. It could be much less than 4 amps and most of the capacity may be required for the relays in the HVAC unit.
How many wires does a thermostat wire have?
The most basic thermostat has 2 wires; usually a 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 only need two wires: Red wire for power (24h).
What do the different wires do 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).
What are the 4 wires on a thermostat?
In general, the heating wire (often white), goes into the W port, the cooling wire (often yellow), goes into the Y port, the wire that sends power from the HVAC system to the thermostat (often red), goes into the R port, the fan wire (often green), goes into the G port, and the common wire (often blue), which
What is the blue wire for on a thermostat?
The Blue or C Wire
C wires or varying colors apply to every thermostat, but blue C wires belong to thermostats attached to a heat pump. Blue wires are for heat pumps. This wire connects to terminal B on your thermostat.
What can 18 gauge wire be used for?
18-gauge are used for low-voltage lighting and lamp cords in 10 amps. 16-gauge are used for light-duty extension cords supporting 13 amps. 14-gauge are usedfor light fixtures, lamps, lighting circuits with 15 amps.
Can you run 120v on 18 gauge wire?
18 gauge wire is safe to use at low currents. It would be recommended to fuse it though. BUT, doorbell wire is not a safe option at 120 volts. Most likely it is not intended for use above 48 volts.
What diameter is 18 gauge?
American Wire Gauge Conversion Chart (AWG)
| Gauge No. | Inches | Millimeters |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 0.040303 | 1.024 |
| 19 | 0.035891 | 0.9116 |
| 20 | 0.031961 | 0.8118 |
| 21 | 0.028462 | 0.7229 |
Which is smaller 16 or 18 gauge wire?
The gauge is the size of the wire. The higher the number the smaller the wire.Smaller wire 16 gauge or 18 gauge can get warm or hot with high power amps.
How strong is 18 gauge wire?
Breaking Force for Copper Wire
| AWG gauge | Conductor Diameter Inches | Ohms per 1000 ft. |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 0.0508 | 4.016 |
| 17 | 0.0453 | 5.064 |
| 18 | 0.0403 | 6.385 |
| 19 | 0.0359 | 8.051 |
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