Relocating Thermostat

[cubanChris]

Okay so I've got some home repairs which are, thankfully, under the my 1 year homebuyers warranty and – by and large – extremely minor.

However, there was one thing I asked about that had me confused. Basically, I have a thermostat in the middle of the wall, which would normally be fine, but between that and the useless intercom, i've lost some wall space I'd really like to use to hang some oversized pictures and stuff. When I asked if it could be moved, whether by him or through another electrician he said no bc the wire wasn't long enough and so he wouldn't be able to move it except vertically. I'm absolutely clueless about electrical work (so please forgive my descriptions and general ignorance), but that seemed a very limiting technicality... I assumed one would be able to splice in more wire if it was too short. I suppose I'm wondering if anyone knows if this is true or if i should get an different electrician in?

Additionally, we have an intercom system that has the main intercom on the 1st floor (which is not the main floor). Whenever someone rings, we never use the intercom bc we come down the stairs and can see who is outside before we would get to the main intercom anyway. When asked if we could put the main intercom on the 2nd floor we were again told, bc of the wires and how it was installed, no you can't... which of course, sucks. Again, I'd like to know if this is worth a second opinion.

Thanks ahead of time to everyone who is much more knowledgable than me!

[droodu]

I would definitely bring in another electrician. Those are pretty simple jobs. The most difficult part is fishing the lines to the new location. Depending on the layout of your house this may be a pain and would likely require several holes cutout in your drywall and could take a while. You can buy the wire at home depot.

[Politburo]

It's possible that rewiring is not covered by your warranty and that is why they were saying they couldn't do it.

[qweezyq]

He probably didn't want to deal with drywall repair?

Can anyone recommend a good HVAC guy? I want to turn my 4 story 1 zone system into at least 2 zones if possible.

[cubanChris]

It's possible that rewiring is not covered by your warranty and that is why they were saying they couldn't do it.

That is possible, I'll have to make it more clear that I would pay for it outside of the warranty costs.

Glad to hear it is doable, it doesnt even have to move far! Just a foot or two.

[loveisnoise]

It is the same as running telephone wire. Super simple.

[HomeInspectorBC]

Hello and Happy Friday,

When relocating a thermostat make sure that it is away from windows and exterior doors so as to not adversely affect the heating/cooling systems along with your energy bills and indoor comfort levels. The best location is usually a wall that is protected or not in direct line with an exterior door that is open/closed frequently such as a front door. Good luck with the project, Utube has videos that give demonstrations and most wiring is color coded if you have a hankering to try a do it yourself project.

Thermostat wiring is low voltage so getting shocked is not an issue and intercom wiring is typically low voltage too.

[JasonMcElroy]

Glad to hear it is doable, it doesnt even have to move far! Just a foot or two.

Try this:

Remove the cover of your current thermostat. Underneath you will see screws that attach it to the wall. Remove them. Pull the thermostat away from the wall gently until you can grasp the wire. Pull the wire gently to see if there's enough slack in the run to move it over a foot or two. It's likely there is enough. Only a real ham-fister would put a wiring run in tight enough that you couldn't move it over a foot or so.

Remember, you're moving laterally too. . . won't take much slack to move it horizontally assuming the run is coming vertically up through the floor. You could also pick a new mounting position slightly lower to gain enough slack.

Once you've ascertained you can do it, it's easy to do yourself.

Jason

[NE19149]

Try this:

Remove the cover of your current thermostat. Underneath you will see screws that attach it to the wall. Remove them. Pull the thermostat away from the wall gently until you can grasp the wire. Pull the wire gently to see if there's enough slack in the run to move it over a foot or two. It's likely there is enough. Only a real ham-fister would put a wiring run in tight enough that you couldn't move it over a foot or so.

Remember, you're moving laterally too. . . won't take much slack to move it horizontally assuming the run is coming vertically up through the floor. You could also pick a new mounting position slightly lower to gain enough slack.

Once you've ascertained you can do it, it's easy to do yourself.

Jason

You didn't mention wall studs - usually located 16-24 inches apart.
If a stud is seperating the area, best bet is to re-route the wiring through a new hole below.
This type of job should actually be tackled by someone experienced.

[billy ross]

Thermostat wiring should be a home run. If it is exposed underneath you can either replace it or relocate the terminus. If it's not exposed underneath you can accomplish what you wish by making a few holes.

You should find out whether your studs are wood or steel. Each requires a different approach.