
The O Wire can run to the W terminal, but that only applies to conventional systems. The O wire should connect to the O/B terminal. O position is an option that allows the reversing valve to ‘default to heating mode.’ The O terminal allows the heat pump to switch from heating to cooling. They energize the reversing valve on the heating mode. The primary exceptions are Rheem and Ruud. Most manufacturers use the O wire for reversing the valve. It controls the first heating stage in certain units. You encounter the same problem when connecting the W wire to the wrong terminal. If anything, they may feel cold when the heat pump should warm them or hot when the pump should cool them. As a result, their unit won’t heat when they set it to ‘Heating’ or cool when they set it to ‘Cooling.’ The system uses the O terminal if the reversing valve turns on while running cooling mode. Thermostats use the B terminal in systems with a reversing valve that turns on with heat mode. The heat pump is ‘O’ if it energizes in cooling and ‘B’ if it energizes on heating.
#Wiring goodman heat pump how to#
How To Tell If Heat Pump Is O or B?Ĭheck the configuration. You would be better off if that unit used the B wire in its configuration. Imagine a situation where an HVAC in a warm state fails on heat mode. If your weather is warm, the manufacturer wants the pump to fail on cool mode. They know that HVAC units and heat pumps will fail at some point, and they want that failure to occur on a mode that helps the consumer.įor instance, if you live in a cold region, the manufacturer wants the heat pump to fail on heat mode. Manufacturers do not expect their products to work indefinitely. Your location affects the wire the manufacturer will use. There are some factors that many consumers don’t consider. As to whether you should use an O or B wire, it depends on the unit. You can confirm this conclusion by checking the thermostat’s settings and searching for an emergency heat setting, which you tend to find in heat pump thermostats.

If you have O and B wires and terminals, you can safely conclude that you have a heat pump. Though, the principle of the wire’s operations remains relatively unchanged. They work in tandem with the reversing valve, a tool that affects the flow of refrigerant.ĭoes every unit offer O and B wires? Not necessarily. The O and B wires are easy enough to spot because they are ‘Orange’ and ‘Dark Blue,’ respectively. O wire shift the reversing valve from heating to cooling while the B wire does the opposite (Cooling to Heating). To successfully replace a thermostat, you must understand the functions the various terminals and their wires play, especially the O and B wires, because they affect your unit’s ability to heat and cool your home.
