How to Hook Up a Hunter Thermostat
The Hunter thermostat, manufactured by the Hunter Fan Company, serves as an upgrade replacement for a different brand of thermostat for a heating and cooling household system, or it can replace an identical Hunter brand thermostat in case of a device failure. Hooking up the Hunter thermostat to your wall requires only some basic tools and some attentive wire identification skills. The job can be performed by many homeowners in less than an hour. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Screwdrivers
- Hunter thermostat kit
- Pencil
- Drill (cordless and battery-operated)
- Drill bits (3/16)
Instructions
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1
Locate the main fuse box to your home. Likely locations will be in the kitchen, laundry or utility room. Identify the breaker switch responsible for your heating and AC and turn the switch to the "Off" position. If you cannot find the appropriate breaker switch, or the markings are unreadable, turn off the main power breaker switch. If you have to turn off the main breaker switch, it is advisable that you perform this operation during daylight hours with the curtains open to provide enough light.
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2
Stand in front of your wall-mounted thermostat and release the pressure snaps that open the small service door. If your thermostat has screws on the front cover, remove them with a screwdriver. Some service doors will unsnap and hinge upward. You will see several wires connected to a small electrical bus. The wires will be labeled with initials on the bus; disregard the wire colors. Open up your Hunter thermostat kit and pick out the wire labeling sheet, which has small, code-marked adhesive tabs.
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3
Find the wire that is marked with an "RH," "R," "VR" or "4" on your old thermostat bus -- not all of the numbers, just one of them. Pull out the sticky tab from the kit sheet marked with an "RH" and stick that tab to the wire. Look for the wire marked with a "G," "F" or "Fan." Place the kit sticky tab marked "G" on that wire.
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4
Find the "RC," "VC" 24-volt cool wire on the bus and stick the "RC" label on it. Locate either the letter "Y," "C" or "M" air-conditioning compressor wire on the bus and label it with the "Y" sticky tab. Find either the letter "W" or "H" heating wire on the bus and place the "W" sticky tab on it.
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5
Remove each one of the wires from your old bus by unscrewing them counterclockwise with a slot screwdriver. Locate the wall mounting screws on the thermostat backing plate. Unscrew them with a screwdriver. Pull off the backing plate, letting the wires slip through the access hole on the plate. Open the front case of your Hunter thermostat by pulling the bottom case upward with your fingers.
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6
Place the new thermostat up against the wall and see if the mounting holes match up with your existing wall holes. If so, pull all the wires though the center hole opening and screw in the old mounting screws with a screwdriver. If the mounting holes do not match, center the thermostat over the opening with the wires pulled through and use a pencil to mark the new holes.
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7
Remove the Hunter thermostat and use a drill and 3/16-bit to drill the new mounting holes. Push the kit expansion plugs into the holes, then insert the kit screws into the expansion plugs. Tighten the screws with a screwdriver. Look at the code letters and numbers on the Hunter thermostat bus.
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8
Match each labeled wire to its appropriate position on the bus, i.e., remove the bus screw marked "RC" with a screwdriver and attach the "RC" wire to the bus and tighten the screw. Match each labeled wire to its position on the bus and tighten each wire eyelet with the screwdriver. Snap the front case shut. Turn on the accessory breaker, or the main power breaker, and read the digital readout on the thermostat screen. Calibrate your new thermostat according to the Hunter instruction manual.
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Tips & Warnings
Due to the number of thermostat brands in existence, the directions above account for the various wire code numbers or letters that might be found on each model. If the directions on the Hunter thermostat list the letters "Y," "C" and "M," it does not mean that your unit will have all of these letters. Your unit might have only the letter "M," which identifies it as the "Y" Hunter connection.
You might have to provide a battery for your Hunter thermostat if it does not come equipped with one.
References
- Photo Credit Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images
