Furnace thermostat move/rewire - who to call?

[nj_dilettante]

We had our furnace replaced a few years ago and now want to move our thermostat. It's against a cold outer wall, and runs our furnace more based on the outside temperature than the inside temperature.

The thermostat is the type that runs on batteries. There's no power wire - something we didn't know when we had the furnace replaced. So, I need to have some wiring done to get it moved and hooked up correctly. Who would I call to do this? A plumber who does heating/cooling or an electrician?

[herlihyboy]

Call an HVAC person.

[Richard Blaine]

The job is a no-brainer. Call a handyman-- he'll be cheaper. Electrician or HVAC guy are overkill.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

The difficult part is to run the wire through the wall. In most cases, a handyman can do this. It is a low voltage setup so an electrician is not needed. You just disconnect the existing wires and put them back on the same terminals in the new location.

[Stormin Mormon]

Are those the only two choices? Between those, I'd choose the electrician. Since it's an electrical job.

[Thomas Kendrick]

Except for the less expensive thermostats with a bimetallic strip and mercury switches, most setback thermostats have both batteries and a low-voltage control wire harness (allowing for fan, heating and cooling control). The wire is small guage and typically no more than

24 volts A/C from a small transformer. A simple voltmeter can confirm what you have.

For low voltage such as this, most of the relocation cost is running new wire from the furnace to the new location, fishing it down inside the wall. I would leave the existing line in place until the new connection is verified as operating properly. Abandon the existing line by pushing it back into the wall and disconnecting it at the furnace end.

I would suggest that a heating system installer would be less expensive than a licensed electrician. They have to be able to perform this task in new construction.