Programmable thermostat wiring
#1

I was replacing a standard mechanical thermostat in my house with a programmable electronic one, but there were more wires attached to the old t'stat than the new one accepts. Specifically, I have a B and an O wire that don't attach to the the standard R, G, W, Y terminals on the new t'stat. I tried just capping them off and installaing as if they weren't there, but the furnace wouldn't start after this.
I know the standard thinking is that B and O wires have something to do with a heat pump system, but I think my house just has a standard oil furnace and central air conditioning system in a two-zone configuration. Another source tells me that the B and O wires control the electric heating and cooling dampers, which makes more sense.
The t'stat is a cheapo Lux TX500, but even the more expensive ones I looked at didn't have B and O terminals.
Is this a common problem, and is there a way to wire this so that my system will work correctly?
Any help would be appreciated.
I know the standard thinking is that B and O wires have something to do with a heat pump system, but I think my house just has a standard oil furnace and central air conditioning system in a two-zone configuration. Another source tells me that the B and O wires control the electric heating and cooling dampers, which makes more sense.
The t'stat is a cheapo Lux TX500, but even the more expensive ones I looked at didn't have B and O terminals.
Is this a common problem, and is there a way to wire this so that my system will work correctly?
Any help would be appreciated.