
Usually, it’s either blue or black however, if the installer did his own rewiring, then the common wire can be of any color. The color of this wire is not standardized. If you used to have a regular thermostat and you are now considering switching to a smart device, then the chances are high that you’ll need to run a new cable from the HVAC unit that is going to be the C wire. Though the power is flowing from the R wire, the C wire is the part that makes the flow continuous by completing the circuit. This common wire enables a continuous flow of 24VAC power to the device. It is a wire that powers the LED screen, internal processor, and Wi-Fi connection. The majority of smart thermostats require a C wire or the ‘common’ wire. Read: HVAC Thermostat Problems What Color Thermostat Wire Is Common? Your HVAC system is going to need a common wire if it has to be connected to a power source 24/7. This is a common wire that is connected to the heat pump. If you don’t have a dual transformer setup, then the Rh wire can be marked as R. These wires go through the air handler and terminate at the compressor contactor.Ĭonnects to the fan of the air handler or furnace (and terminates there).Ĭonnects to 24VAC (Rh for heating, Rc for cooling).

Color of the WireĬonnects to the heating system and terminates at the furnace or air handler.Your thermostat can have more than one white wire if your HVAC system has a few heating stages.Ĭonnects to the cooling system (your air conditioner). Here are the most common thermostat wire colors and the ‘meaning’ behind them.
