That brown-sheathed, low voltage wire from the air handler to the AC unit outside tells
the contactor when to engage. This allows the high voltage to pass from one side of
the contactor to the other, flowing on to the compressor and condenser fan motor. Without
this low 24 volt communication, the AC won’t start. So, shouldn’t we protect that wire
as much as possible from potential damage and UV rays? Isn’t it in the electrical
code that we have to use some sort of perspective conduit with wiring outside the house? That’s
what we’re going to talk about today on Fox Family Heating and Air Conditioning.
If this is your first time watching our channel please click subscribe down here on the bottom
right, and if you click that little bell next to it, you’ll be notified of all our videos
as they come out. Now I’ve never heard of any low voltage
wire that we use in residential heating and air conditioning that is rated for outdoors,
including wet or damp conditions. So why when I service equipment and go on HVAC inspections
around the Sacramento area do I find dried up, brittle sections of thermostat wire simply
taped to the suction line from the wall to the AC?
I spent hours researching this online and am having the hardest time finding in the
National or California Electrical Code citing when I need to protect the low voltage wire
in outdoor conditions such as the installation of an air conditioner. So, if you ARE aware
of the part of the book that talks about this topic, please let me know in the comments
section down below. As always, I admit, I don’t know all the answers, but I’d really
like to know if you wouldn’t mind sharing. Article 725 of the National Electric Code
talks about this type of control wiring. And I can’t find one part in there that says
Class 2 wire (like the 24 volt thermostat wire we use in residential HVAC) must be protected
by or enclosed in conduit. On one side of this conversation the stat
wire is not rated for outdoor use, let alone wet or damp conditions which I feel leaves
it exposed to damaging elements like landscapers who use weed eaters, a dog’s incessant need
to chew up things in the yard, the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun, and the arid nature
of summer and winter which dries up just about anything that stays outside long enough.
On the other side, installing stat wire inside liquid-tight conduit really doesn’t make
it a dry environment either. And according to what I’ve found (and not found) in my
research, a dry environment isn’t even needed for class 2 wiring anyways.
But, ever since my first hvac installation, I was required by my foremen to protect the
stat wire with ½” seal-tight conduit, so I’ve always taught my techs to do the same.
It undeniably protects the wire better than just strapping it to the suction line without
seal-tight and leaving it exposed to the elements. It’s also in the best interest of the customer
to ensure the stat wire lasts as long as the AC itself.
If the stat wire dries up and becomes dry and brittle, it takes almost nothing, like
a bump by the lawn mower to expose the bare wire within the sheathing and have the wrong
wires touch each other. This shorts out the low voltage system, rendering it inoperable.
This requires the homeowner to call a service technician to come out to troubleshoot and
fix the issue. But it’s not in the code books. So, when
I see newly built residential neighborhoods with exposed stat wire at the AC, I cringe,
but I have to remind myself it’s not actually required.
If it’s not required, why do so many inspectors write up correction letters to us for doing
retrofit changeouts, and not protecting the stat wire with some sort of conduit? The answer
may be, “that’s the way they want it.” Remember, local jurisdictions can tighten
the rules as they deem necessary. And the tightest provision of any code is the one
that gets enforced. If you really wanted to push the issue, you
could ask the code inspector (nicely) where you could find the source of their local rules.
One that lists their requirements which are more restrictive than the National Electric
Code. I mean, I get it, there ARE several sections
in the code book that say wiring must be protected from potential damage, but never mentioning
it specifically when it comes to Class 2 control wiring.
With that said, lets take a look at what it would take to upgrade your customer’s low
voltage wiring to a more protected state. It doesn’t take much work to do, and the
cost of the parts are minimal compared to the protection you’re giving the stat wire
for the future. Taking the old dried up stat wire off the
existing suction line insulation and cutting it back to about six inches from the wall,
will allow you to splice on new wiring to run through the conduit. Once it’s been
wire nutted and taped for protection, leave a little bit of the colored wires there so
if a future technician comes and has to troubleshoot, they can search back to your splice and easily
see the wires that are connected giving them the possibility of using that third wire as
an alternate if needed. Shove the wire nuts into the penetration of
the wall where it comes out and slip the new wire through the conduit. Fasten the conduit
to the unit and strap it to the rest of the lineset and high voltage conduit going to
the AC. This makes for neat and clean workmanship of your repair, which IS required by the electrical
code. So, the next time you see exposed thermostat
wire coming from the wall to the AC, think about your customer and what’s right for
them. If you’re a homeowner, this job shouldn’t be too expensive to have done to your system
by your local HVAC company. And, as always, whether dealing with high
or low voltage electricity, there are inherent dangers and mechanical failures that can happen
when dealing with them. So, let’s leave it to the professionals.
Once again, Id love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so leave a comment down below.
If this is your first time watching our channel please click subscribe down here on the bottom
right, and if you click that little bell next to it, you’ll be notified of all our videos
as they come out. Thanks so much for watching and we’ll see
you on the next video!