Wire an Exhaust Fan to a Thermostat

A typical greenhouse uses an exhaust fan to cool off high temperatures in the room. This type of fan is equipped with a thermostat that measures room temperature and triggers the fan when temperatures rise to a certain level. After the temperatures have cooled off to the recommended level, the thermostat triggers the exhaust fan to switch off. Through this function, the greenhouse is able to produce in an optimum manner to achieve expected targets.

Wiring the exhaust fan to a thermostat is not a difficult thing and it is something that you can do by following a few simple steps while having the necessary tools and materials.

Step 1 – Safety First

The first thing to do is to switch off electrical power that connects the exhaust fan. This ensures that you are safe from harm. Working on the fan without turning off electrical power is risky. Make sure you remove the right breaker. Also, use the voltage tester to ensure that wires have no current in them.

Step 2 – Install Electrical Box

Identify a suitable place to put up the electrical box on the wall. The thermostat is located inside the electrical box. Set the box at plant height or the height at which you feel comfortable.

Step3 – Connect Wire

Select a wire of the appropriate gauge and connect the switch box to the exhaust fan. The wire should be of good quality having two hot wires and a ground wire. Depending on the amperage use a wire that has either gauge 12 or 14. Use wire strippers to strip insulation from the wires to a length of 1 inch. Use wire connectors to connect the wires from the switch box and the exhaust fan. The wires should connect according to their matching color, that is the black wire to the black wire, the white wire to the white and so on.

Step 4 – Connect Wires to Thermostat

Use the screwdriver to remove the cover of the thermostat. Use the wire nuts to connect the wires from the thermostat to those of the fan. Connect the black wire from the fan to the red wire from the thermostat. Also, connect the white wire from the fan to the black wire from thermostat. In addition, the ground wire should attach to the terminal screw in the electrical box. Make sure the wires securely connect to one another.

Step 5 – Fasten Thermostat

Attach the thermostat to the electrical body and use the screwdriver to put the cover back on to cover the thermostat. Clear the working area and remove the bits and pieces of wire and debris on the ground.

Step 6 – Turn On the Power

Put back the circuit breaker that you had removed and switch on electrical power. Use your voltage tester to check whether current is flowing. Observe the workings of the exhaust fan to see if they are working as expected.