# Quick ? re- thermostat wiring



## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I just purchased and attempted to install a Honeywell Prestige 9321.

My old thermostat has 5 wires, (2 for my boiler)Basement, (3 for the a/c unit)attic/outdoor.

It looks like the new thermostat requires an additional wire from the common side of the transformer, the literature recommends the transformer of the a/c unit.

Does it matter which unit provides the common side to the t-stat?

Would failing to have that this common wire connected keep this model t-stat from functioning?

I have installed quite a few different t-stats in my home and have never had one not function in the way this one is.

I can jump across the different circuits and all the systems will function, just seems the t-stat is DOA.

I'm pretty sure I have the wire in place to add the common leg from the a/c or the boiler. It would be much simpler to add the common from the boiler, if this will not create an issue.

Thanks for any advice, just don't send me over to DIY.....


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## cereal killer (Nov 8, 2010)

tgeb said:


> I just purchased and attempted to install a Honeywell Prestige 9321.
> 
> My old thermostat has 5 wires, (2 for my boiler)Basement, (3 for the a/c unit)attic/outdoor.
> 
> ...


Hello there tgeb, you do not need an extra wire. Is this a two-transformer system?

2 wires from boiler - one wire to R, next wire to C(common
for boiler/heat).

3 wires AC unit - 1 wire to RC(common for cooling), 1 wire 
to Y, then 1 wire to G.

So you have RC - Cooling power/secondary from transfrmr.
R - Heating power/secondary from transfrmr.
W - Heat relay.
Y - Comp. contactor.
G - Indoor fan relay.

Hope this helps. :thumbsup: 

Now please proceed to DIY!!!!!:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

You should post this over on diychatroom.com

And the above wiring instructions, are incorrect.


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## DecksEtc (Oct 27, 2004)

beenthere said:


> *You should post this over on diychatroom.com*
> And the above wiring instructions, are incorrect.



NO, he shouldn't.

Tom has been on CT for over 4 years. We help our real fellow contractors out around here.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Thanks for sticking up for me DecksEtc.

Appreciate the input Cereal Killer, but that is how the old is wired and works fine, but the new one requires a power supply, and needs the return (common) to the transformer.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

Don't know the specifics of that stat. However, odds are that you need a common for the led to come on.


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## NickTech (Feb 13, 2005)

if the unit requires its own 24v circuit than it will take it from either rc or rh. its important to know from where because thats where the common will be taken from. it should be in the installation manual.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

Just re-read your original post. Obviously, not there to confirm things, but, the three wires from the attic are likely rc, y, and g. The two wires from the boiler are likely rh and w. If that is so, you don't have a common which would be the reason for a "doa". Rc is not a common. 

Is there a jumper bar on the stat between rc and rh? If so, remove it.

Good luck.


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

DecksEtc said:


> NO, he shouldn't.
> 
> Tom has been on CT for over 4 years. We help our real fellow contractors out around here.


Sure he should.

Then not just him. But many other DIYers get help also.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

beenthere said:


> Sure he should.
> 
> Then not just him. But many other DIYers get help also.


Actually, I believe I was well within the posting guidelines:



> *How-To Questions:* Contractor Talk is a site for professional contractors to come and share business and trade knowledge. From time to time everyone runs into new situations that they’ve never seen before or that they need help with. While it’s fine for members to ask for help it’s not OK for members to ask how-to questions when they are clearly in over their head or don’t have the experience needed to complete the task. How-To threads will be closed on a case by case basis.


I am not clearly in over my head, and with the few sentences you have posted back, you could have just as easily answered the question.

Thanks for all the good advice. I have it wired up and functioning properly now. 
Hooked up to the neutral side of the transformer in the attic, ran that to the common on the thermostat.


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

tgeb said:


> Actually, I believe I was well within the posting guidelines:
> 
> I am not clearly in over my head, and with the few sentences you have posted back, you could have just as easily answered the question.
> 
> ...


Never said you were in a violation.

But it is a DIY question. And many people on diychat can benefit from the question being asked over there.

No different then if I had asked about how to pour a concrete porch at my house.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

I understand that point of view, and typically agree with it.... when I'm not involved in the question asking. 

I was in a hurry.......and could not remember my password over @DIY. :laughing:


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

tgeb said:


> I understand that point of view, and typically agree with it.... *when I'm not involved in the question asking*.


ROFL... :laughing:


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

Don't take that wrong.

I hate when I have to ask others how to set what ever up on another brands new control board, if the install manual isn't there.

I had to call a friend the other day to find out if a furnace VS blower was set right. And how to reset it( He's a dealer for that brand, I'm not). Its hard to stay up with all brands. Let alone all the codes that each jurisdiction uses.

We all have to ask questions.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

I thought about the diy thing over there. Just my take, but, by participating over there, you are not only being unfair to your colleagues across the country, you are being unfair to your customers who pay decent money for our help. 

I used to go there to learn and help others, but it seemed as though the nature of the topics were, "I will be darned if I am going to pay X" or something insulting towards our trade. I don't mind "helpin a brother out", but at some point, we are also "screwin another brother". By participating in the diy, in my opinion, we walk past that line


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

There is no way to stop DIY.

Some people are more then capable of doing what we, of any trade do. others are not.

We can help those that are capable. Or leave them struggle through. Either way. They aren't going to call a pro.

And some. are just like the OP of this thread. A contractor in another trade.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

You do get better explanation over there for things completely out of your knowledge. If you're painter, then electrical is just as much of a foreign language as it is to the typical DIYer. 


Why can't you just get two t-stats, paint one red write "heat" in sharpie, one blue and mark it "cool" :w00t:


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

No doubt about the content. Interesting situations, interesting to hear what the public thinks, and excellent explanations. In addition, I know that we are not the only people who are mentally capable of installing a gas valve.

On the downside, the principle of a diy is to avoid paying extra money. Sure there is the challenge thing, but for the most part, you just don't want to pay the mechanic to do it.... Fine, understandable. But then they go on to a site in which they can find some top notch techs who will gladly give out advise, because they are passionate about their work, for free. It's good for them, it's good info as well, but not good for the industry as a whole. 

By the way, I am not talking about helping a fellow ct member or any personal friends/relatives, I'm talking about complete strangers.


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## MALCO.New.York (Feb 27, 2008)

To hell with the DIY argument! Let us move forward and help out a Solid and Established Member of *OUR* Contractor Community!

Helping out another Contractor is the Primary Purpose of this site.


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

flashheatingand said:


> No doubt about the content. Interesting situations, interesting to hear what the public thinks, and excellent explanations. In addition, I know that we are not the only people who are mentally capable of installing a gas valve.
> 
> On the downside, the principle of a diy is to avoid paying extra money. Sure there is the challenge thing, but for the most part, you just don't want to pay the mechanic to do it.... Fine, understandable. But then they go on to a site in which they can find some top notch techs who will gladly give out advise, because they are passionate about their work, for free. It's good for them, it's good info as well, but not good for the industry as a whole.
> 
> By the way, I am not talking about helping a fellow ct member or any personal friends/relatives, I'm talking about complete strangers.


Some CT members are complete strangers.

You probably do some DIY on your own home, cars, and other equipment instead of paying someone in that trade to do it for you.

If I thought that not giving out DIY info would stop all DIY. Then I wouldn't give it. However, that is not the case.

But I respect and understand your opinion on this.


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

MALCO.New.York said:


> To hell with the DIY argument! Let us move forward and help out a Solid and Established Member of *OUR* Contractor Community!
> 
> Helping out another Contractor is the Primary Purpose of this site.


He already got the help he wanted. On the DIYchat site.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

Well, if you ask on a DIY, people will be happy to explain that black wire is hot, white wire is neutral and that green/bare is ground. That sort of thing. When you go to an electrical section of this forum, the fellow members respond with an expectation that you know these basics. If you go to a calculus forum, then people help you out assuming you know basic algebra.

So, if you need someone to hold your hands through the whole steps, then the DIY chat site is definitely the way to go...


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

MALCO.New.York said:


> To hell with the DIY argument! Let us move forward and help out a Solid and Established Member of *OUR* Contractor Community!
> 
> Helping out another Contractor is the Primary Purpose of this site.


Hey Malco, it was neat seeing your name. Hope things are good....HOWEVER:


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

Hey Malco it was nice to see your name. Hopefully things are good....HOWEVER:

There wasn't a debate on weather or not to give the guy a hand. Heck the advise was there already if he wanted it. Personally, I would rather a ct member go to our site here to get the help here as opposed to the diy site. I was simply stating a certain point about posting at diy. I think, some may agree. Others don't, it's all good. 

The diy argument is a valid one as it affects not only our business, but all others as well.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

flashheatingand said:


> The diy argument is a valid one as it affects not only our business, but all others as well.


How does it affect your business? If you feel a couple paragraphs and a manual or two online takes away your business, because people do the work themselves, then those who feel that way need to focus on think about why they're so easily replaceable and work on something that doesn't rely on keeping "tricks of trade" secret. 

Skills and competency is not replaceable by a crash course. It's like saying art/music classes may affect professional artists earning.

There are many people in the trade who teach at community college and trade schools. Knowing how to do it and experience is one thing. They do what they do, because they have additional skills. Knowing how to convey what they know to other people.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

DIY definately effects our business. As with all trades. We repair furnaces for a living, an auto mechanic repairs cars for a living...etc. When people choose to diy, that is lost source of revenue. We are all guilty of DIY, I am not hating on that aspect. However, when I try to repair my car, I do not go to the garage for advise, unless, I am at the point where I am out of answers, and, I expect to pay. That's all part of diy, you are supposed to also f(figure)iy as well.

Most people don't want to know how a furnace works, they just want to know how to get their furnace to work. Sometimes, all it takes is a paragraph or two to explain how to get it going, which is a lost source of revenue to some hvac, outfit. The internet thing is a double edge sword. On one hand it's a great source of information, on the other hand it's too good a source of information.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

flashheatingand said:


> Most people don't want to know how a furnace works, they just want to know how to get their furnace to work. Sometimes, all it takes is a paragraph or two to explain how to get it going, which is a lost source of revenue to some hvac, outfit. The internet thing is a double edge sword. On one hand it's a great source of information, on the other hand it's too good a source of information.


If you're competing for something any monkey can be taught how to do and you make it work with a few paragraphs and you look down upon those who share information, you're basically just saying how little capital equipment is needed and how easily replaced some of your skills are and that's time to think about what your competencies are. 

Automotive industry is quite open. Just about anyone can go to O'Reilley's and buy an alternator for their car, yet you can't just march into Johnstone's and buy a new condenser fan motor. You know that if you're dealing with modern cars, replacing an alternator is much more laborious than a residential A/C condenser fan. 

As someone else said somewhere on one of these HVAC internets thingy, some service techs struggle just as much, if not more than DIYers especially when it comes to controls and electrical and manufacturers and suppliers offer "technical support" to explain DIY trivial stuff to service techs. 

Good troubleshooting skills, excellent communication and teaching skills allow people to make money *talking to people about furnace* while others feel the strong need to restrict information and access to parts, so they can make money doing the mechanical work and marking up parts. 

You are where you are, because somebody taught you one way or another. Even if you "self studied" what enabled you to learn is that someone took the effort to publish(be it textbooks, the internet, library books, or whatever) resources for you to use, and someone taught you how to read, write and talk.

You don't go ask a garage expecting free advise on a car, but I don't call a HVAC service company and ask to talk to a tech for free technical support either. 

There are internet forums where user can discuss/share advise about cars, stereos, sex, crime, drugs, HVAC, business, and whatever, and bicker over the correctness of advise. "it creates competition for fairly unskilled labor" is a lousy excuse for trying to prevent others from sharing info. Even before the internet, there were books.

If you don't want to tell explain it, don't. I don't do 95% of stuff on my car even if I know how to do it unless there's enough cost benefit. I know how to rotate tires, but I'm not spending two hours futzing with jack stands. I'll let some shop who has a lift do it in 10 minutes for $20.


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## NickTech (Feb 13, 2005)

well after all the banter, here is a link to honeywell with the wiring scheme. the R terminal transformer is the transformer the common is to be taken from, ensure the jumper to there rc and r terminal is removed.

http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/69-0000s/69-2057EFS.pdf


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

Nick.

I already went over the wiring with him on the DIY site.

And I think you miss read that manual.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

Mr. Light, I am for sharing and helping... in general. I also am aware that there are many diyers who are quite capable of figuring out how to fix X. I don't begudge diy, nor do I begrudge giving out info. However, this is a business thing. 
Picture this: Lady asks Mr. Lee the local cleaner, how he gets shirts soo clean... Sssshhhh, ancient Chineese secret....Mrs. Lee calls her husband some hotshot while rolling her eyes. The final scene...We need more Cal-Gon!!!..... Oooohhh, ancient Chineese secret eh? questions the lady.

First of all, I really don't see Mrs. Lee shouting about the Cal-gon thing would ever happen, but whatever. Anyways, dolling out hvac advise to the diy is similar to Mrs. Lee's actions.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

flashheatingand said:


> Anyways, dolling out hvac advise to the diy is similar to Mrs. Lee's actions.


In other words, you're against revealing to the world that (to borrow from a standing joke in the Electrical forum) it's so simple that a 12 year old could do it?

You would probably have appreciated being a guild member back in the Middle Ages; they loved to shroud their trades in secrecy. :laughing:

First off, most people are quite willing to hire a pro when it comes to the technical trades, acknowledging their own limitations.

DIYers are no real threat to professionals. Those who try it and screw it up are going to provide you with more work and profit than if they had just called you in the first place. Those who do all of their homework and get it right are only going to do so a few times in their life, and will be inefficient at it due to lack of experience and resources.

And as a former DIY-almost-anythinger, I can vouch for the fact that eventually almost all of them wind up getting the hint after a decade or two of forehead-bricking, and just pay to have the work done while they concentrate on more appealing pastimes.


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## NickTech (Feb 13, 2005)

beenthere said:


> Nick.
> 
> I already went over the wiring with him on the DIY site.
> 
> And I think you miss read that manual.



uggh, yer right. i just breezed through it. its the Rc. i wish i was older to blame it on old age.:no:


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

Never been against sharing the knowledge. If you want to do so, do it here, write a blog, heck form a local hvac group to discuss local matters once a month. But, this is our business (heating, plumbing, carpentry..etc), do you go to a used tool store and ask the shop keeper where he gets his supplies? Why doesn't KFC just put their secret recipie on-line?

Am I alone here? What, no back-court support?


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## beenthere (Mar 5, 2009)

NickTech said:


> uggh, yer right. i just breezed through it. its the Rc. i wish i was older to blame it on old age.:no:


Do you wear glasses. if so. Blame it on not having them on when you read it. :laughing:

Thats what I do. Although. It usually is because I'm really not wearing.


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## Electric_Light (Nov 25, 2007)

:w00t:


flashheatingand said:


> Never been against sharing the knowledge. If you want to do so, do it here, write a blog, heck form a local hvac group to discuss local matters once a month. But, this is our business (heating, plumbing, carpentry..etc), do you go to a used tool store and ask the shop keeper where he gets his supplies? Why doesn't KFC just put their secret recipie on-line?
> 
> Am I alone here? What, no back-court support?


There are two ways to protect it. Patents, and trade secret. "trick of the trades" usually don't fall under legally recognized definition of trade secret. If you/your company have proprietary knowledge specific to your organization (i.e. source code to program, recipe etc) just keep it hash hash. If it's something that goes around in the industry, thats not considered proprietary information. 

If you've got something truly new and unique, patent it and you'll get something like 20 years of exclusive rights. 

Something that's "common knowledge" in the industry doesn't count.


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## flashheatingand (May 3, 2008)

What are you talking about? We gladly share about energy savings tips, proper ductwork, the difference in appliances, and contractors. But, it's not our duty to teach or share how to fix a furnace. In general, its on a case by case basis. Many diyers are capable of doing it and chose to take on the task. When they aren't certain, they seek free information (no hate). But here's cool breeze in Miami telling Chicago diy how to fix it's and one less customer on the Chicago list. It could be a plumbing problem or a leaking roof, or a medical one.

This is a contractor site, and I am talking to other hvac contractors and/or small contractors. I think I have given several examples and my point should have been taken. If you want to help at the diy, go for it.


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