Botched DIY install of thermostat

[GI]

I tried to install a programmable thermostat over the weekend. It is a one thermostat household with an air & gas furnace set-up (the wires to the thermostat were W, R, G, Y--I think).

I took the old mercury thermostat off. When I tried to place the new wires on, after a couple of bad insulation strip jobs, a wire or was to short to connect. Since this was attached to the heating unit, I thought I could at least turn it on and get AC until I can get a professional out to fix the job. When I switched the breakers, nothing happened. So I tried to put on the old thermostat, but now of a couple of the wires are too short.

My Question: Can the professional solder or extend the copper wires to make them long enough to attach a new thermostat? I ran this by a HVAC tech that comes well recommended, and he thought he might have to run new wires from the HVAC units to the thermostat--is this necessary, or can these wires just be extended from their existing location?

[Matt]

Who is the professional you are talking about to do the soldering? Obviously it won't be the ficticious HVAC tech you made up, so it will probably be you.

Yes, it can be done, depending on how much wire there is to work with, if you know how to solder, and insulate a connection. There are also other ways to extend wires without solder that are equally if not more effective.

FYI, there is a more than fair chance you have damaged your furnace by powering up with bare wires not connected to a thermostat, and therefore, more than likely connected to each other.

I'd recommend you call a real tech, and have him do the work, and then be done with it. You are well over your head here.

[Noon-Air]

Maybe if you were to buy a wire stretcher??

[Matt]

Come on Chris -

Quit trying to rip this guy off and admit that all it needs is probabaly a used, improperly sized capacitor. Maybe a circuit breaker with part of it sawed off.

[B-Hate-Me]

BWAHAHAHAhahahahahahahaha!!

[B-Hate-Me]

"We"?

[Stormin Mormon]

Lot of factors, we can't answer from here. Might be possible to splice on. But, also depending on your house layout, it might make more sense to pull new wire.

Got to consider how old is the wire, and how easy it would be to pull a new wire. I've pulled a lot of thermostat wire, and sometimes it's a lot easier to pull new wire. The problem with splicing is that sometiems the splices work loose, adn it's a nightmare to trouble shoot later. besides, you'll be without heat or AC, and that's not good.

If it's even a close decision, pull new wire.

[Tekkie®]

Matt posted for all of us... I don't top post - see either inline or at bottom.

He runs to run the new wire through the busted jamb...

[Berkshire Bill]

Normal technicians would run new wire. Splicing wire leaves too many connections to fail. You could always relocate the thermostat if doing the job right bothers you.

Bill

[Tim Fischer]

Would you mind explaining? Most systems don't have a "common" (neutral) wire at the 'stat, so shorting any wires out wouldn't do anything more harmful than what the t-stat does when it calls for heat. About the worst thing you could do is have the heat and AC running at the same time, but that would be pretty unlikely.

-Tim

[HvacKing]

Knock a hole in the wall under the stat and wire nut some longer stat wires on to the short wires. Call a drywall man out to fix the hole and a painter to paint the repaired drywall. Drywallers and painters are cheaper than hvac companies and most of them will work for beer money. Dont pay them ahead of time. :)