Simple thermostat wiring for on/off

[DeanB]

Hello all,

I want to connect a wood furnace to a thermostat, but I don't know the coloring conventions here. The thermostat is a Honeywell RTH8500.

For conventional heat, the left hand side is:

Y2

W2

and the RHS is:

RC R W Y G C

Now, I am almost clueless here as I lost my instructions and cannot find anywhere to download them. (WTF?) My friend is coming over to install the furnace but I said I would wire up the thermostat through the wall myself to speed things along.

My Home Depot thermostat wiring has Red, White and Green wires. I've got it all snaked through the wall but I don't know which wires go to which terminals, and even if I need 2 or 3. I presume if I use 3 I can run the thing without using battery power, but I am not really sure.

Sorry for the basic question!

DeanB

[DeanB]

Following up from a bit of research - can someone verify this is correct:

Its for a simple wood furnace. Wire has green, white and red. I wired:

G - green R - red W - white and removed the jumper between RC and R (not sure about this one).

Then I can control the fan alone, or heat (which requires the fan). I am assuming that when heat is needed, the furnace will turn on the fan automatically to flow around the firebox.

-D

[RSCamaro]

Good enough as long as the other side of the thermostat cable is connected the same way.

...Ron

--

68'RS Camaro 88'Formula 00'GT Mustang

[Oscar_Lives]

Sounds like you are basically f***ed.

Call a pro before you blow yourself up.

[Noon-Air]

It doesn't matter what color the wire is, as long as it goes to the right place. You are clearly over your head on this one, let the contractor do it. It will only add 10 minutes to the job, and won't cost you any more if the contractor is using flat rate pricing. If he is still in the dark ages and charging for time and materials, your screwed.

[Bubba]

Tie half the wires to one lamp cord and tie the other half to another lamp cord. Then plug them into a wall socket. You should then have plenty of free heat. Bubba

[DIMwit]

A WOOD furnace? Woodn't it burn up? A furnace should be made out of metal, no? Wood the thermostat keep it fireproof?

man, that is silly. Imagine a furnace made out of wood.

[DIMwit]

now that alone could damage a furnace made out of wood.

[DeanB]

One useful reply out of 6 - not bad for me!

Thanks!

[DIMwit]

sorry about that Dean. I just get caught up in this.

Bob

>

[DeanB]

No prob Bob!

Now I have the thermostat instructions (which I lost), I am doing ok. I have narrowed it down to my furnace needing 2 wires only, connected to the R and W terminals in the conventional connectors. The fan cannot run alone without heat, as there are dampers that open automatically when the fire is not on full throttle.

-D

[Richard]