RC and RH are the positive terminal connection ports for 24 volts AC from your thermostat or air handler. There is usually a jumper from RH to RC if you only have one supply of 24 VAC. For two power sources which are quite unusual, the heating appliance will be connected to RH, and the cooling appliances will be connected to RC.
What is the difference in wiring RC and Rh?
The RC wire (C for Cooling), if connected properly, controls your HVAC cooling. The RH wire (H for Heating) provides power to your HVAC heating. If you are planning to replace your home thermostat, it will be essential that you know which wires to connect to the right terminals in your thermostat.
What is the RH terminal on a thermostat?
RH: The RH terminal is the 24-volt heating power supply. Y/O: The Y/O terminal is used to control the cooling condenser. When the thermostat calls for cooling, signals are sent to power up the condenser and the blower fan, cooling your home.
What is the green wire on a thermostat?
Thermostat Wire Colors Explained
- Types of Thermostat Wiring. The type of wiring on your thermostat usually depends on factors such as the nature of your HVAC system, how many devices you have connected, and ...
- Details of Thermostat Wire Colors. This wire is present in all thermostats and is used to power your HVAC system. ...
- Common Questions & Answers. ...
- The Verdict. ...
- Sources
What does Rh mean on a thermostat?
what does RH and RC mean on a thermostat? Rh stands for Red-Heat and Rc stands for Red-Cool. If you only have a single red wire the jumper between Rh and Rc are required for some heating and cooling hybrid systems depending on your thermostat. Yellow/Y is the AC compressor. White/W is the Heating element. Why is there a jumper between R and RC? Rc and R are the same terminal. For nest you don't need a jumper. The reason for the 2 terminals is so you can use one thermostat for 2 types of units.
Do I use RH or RC on thermostat?
In a thermostat, the R wire is responsible for powering the entire HVAC system (through a transformer). If you have both an Rh (Red-heat for powering the heating) and an Rc (Red-cool for powering the cooling), then the R wire can be connected to either Rh or Rc.
Does the red wire go to RC or RH?
There is no standard for the colour of the RH wire, but most units use a red one. The RC wire, on the other hand, refers to “red cooling”. It's the same with the RH wire in that it powers the thermostat. For the RC, it powers the cooling system.
Do I use R or RC on thermostat?
If you have two wires, R or RH go into the R terminal and RC into the RC terminal. If you have more than one wire (for example, you have a wire labeled R and another wire labeled Rc), remove any jumpers between the R and Rc terminals or push the switch to open the RC terminal to insert a wire.
Do I need a jumper from RC to RH?
In most cases, the heating and cooling system share a single transformer by leaving the jumper in the lower right corner it connects the RC and RH to power heat and cool features. The only time this jumper would be removed is if the heating and cooling systems have their own transformer.
Is RC wire same as C wire?
The C and Rc wires are not the same. To install this thermostat you should follow the exact same wiring of the previous thermostat.
What does RH mean in a wiring layout?
The "R" still indicates it's a hot wire and terminal connection, and the "H" simply means heating. The RH wire connects to the RH terminal and controls the heating part of the thermostat.
What happens if you wire a thermostat wrong?
Potential consequences of improper installation could include: Electric shock. Blowing a circuit breaker. Damaging the thermostat unit, the electrical system or even the AC/furnace unit itself.
Is R and RC the same?
R in general R , Rh , and Rc are all the same, but not. In general terms, the R terminal is where you connect the signal voltage source. In low voltage controlled systems, there will be a step down transformer that provides the power to the control circuitry.
What is the Rh wire on the Nest thermostat?
What is the Rh wire on the Nest thermostat? The Rh wire is the power input to the heating system of your air conditioning. If the connection is not established, your air conditioning will stop working.
Can I connect RH and RC together?
If you have separate heating and air conditioning systems, you might have separate Rh and Rc wires that come out of the wall and are connected to your system. These are not jumper wires, and you can insert the Rc wire into the Rc connector and the Rh wire into the Rh connector.
What is the RC wire for?
Rc wires are for air conditioning systems or dual transformer systems. Dual transformer systems refer to a setup with a cooling and heating transformer. Rc wires connect to the RC terminals on your thermostat.
Which thermostat wire is for heat?
This is the most typical thermostat wiring style, and it applies to systems that regulate both heat and air conditioning. The wires are typically arranged as follows: red for 24-volt hot, white for heat, yellow for cooling, green for the fan, and blue for common (although the common wire may be a different color).
Basic functions of RC and RH terminals
Many homeowners want to replace a faulty HVAC thermostat themselves but are not electricians or technically trained people. They can sometimes get confused with the terminals marked “RC” and “RH.”
Wire the RC and RH terminals correctly when installing a new thermostat
You will most probably only worry about the terminals and what the markings on them mean when you are either troubleshooting or replacing an existing thermostat.
Terminals other than R, RC and RH
It is always good to know what the terminal indications, other than R, RC and RH mean. The other most commonly terminals found on thermostats are:
What happens if terminals are wired incorrectly
With all this said, you might wonder what happens if you wire a thermostat incorrectly. Potential consequences include electric shock, blowing a circuit breaker, and in severe cases damaging the thermostat unit, the electrical system or even the furnace or air conditioning units themselves.
What is the difference between RH and RC on a Nest thermostat?
What is the difference between RH and RC on Nest thermostat? If the air conditioning thermostat has one transformer to power both the heating and cooling system, then the wire from the transformer goes directly to the RC terminal and is called the RC wire.
Is there a second RH wire?
Effectively there isn't a second RH wire, although there is an RH terminal. This wire is also known as the RH wire. Click to see full answer. Simply so, do I use RH or RC on Nest thermostat? Here are some general guidelines: An R wire can go into a Nest Learning Thermostat's Rc or Rh connector.
Is Rc the same as R?
Rc and R are the same terminal. For nest you don't need a jumper. The reason for the 2 terminals is so you can use one thermostat for 2 types of units. Rc is for the indoor air handler when you run the AC.
Does the Nest thermostat have an R wire?
The Nest Thermostat E only has an R connector, which is typically where an R wire would go. is Rh the same as R on thermostat? R , Rh , and Rc are all the same, but not. In general terms, the R terminal is where you connect the signal voltage source. This allows current to flow from "into" the R terminal and "out of" the appropriate signal terminal ...
