2 Thermostats runing on 1 power source connected to furnance

[chucktheclutch]

I need heat in my basement. I have 2-zone heating/cooling from propane gas.

Is it possible to use a thermostat connected to the second floor thermostat to heat the basement? I would like to cut into the 2nd floor thermostat line with a swithch that would direct the electrical current to power a second thermostat in the basement. The switch would fool the furnance into thinking the call for heat was coming from the

2nd floor thermostat when it was actually being called from the thermostat in the basement.

The switching would be like an A/B switch

2nd floor --------------------------------------------I thermostat I I A/B

------------power source----- FURNANCE I I I BASEMENT thermostat

[RBM]

If turning up the thermostat on the second floor doesn't give you heat in the basement, how would relocating or adding a thermostat to the basement help?

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, True 2 zone system has two separate 'stats.

[hallerb]

I have a second thermostat connected in parell to my main fancy auto setback one, in my basement.

its usefull if I am working down there or if the main thermostat ever failed, normally its set at 45 degrees.

still a little unsure oif what the OP has in mind...

[Tony Hwang]

Yes, if two are in parallel one will over ride over the other depending on temp. setting.

[cavedweller]

Interesting. For a couple of years now, I've been meaning to wire a second thermostat (in the basement) to my oil furnace in my summer (mostly) place. I'm not there much in the winter and as it is now, I leave the thermostat upstairs set as low as it will go.

What I really have to do is protect the foundation and the perimeter drains that feed into a basement sump.

I thought to use a DPDT switch between the two to select either the upstairs or basement thermostat and adjust the hot air supplies to maintain the basement (only) at a low setting...thereby consuming less oil over the winter. If I did go there during the winter, then I could select UP, close the big basement duct and open the upstairs ducts, reversing the procedure when leaving.

Might have to relocate some of the freezables from upstairs into the "warmer" basement.

It isn't so much a matter of the dollars saved as the idea of being able to get maybe through a winter on one tank of oil without having to worry about delivery into a fairly remote area and where in my absence the driveway is snowed in.