Home > Air Conditioner Videos > The Finalized Air Conditioner Thermostat Project

The Finalized Air Conditioner Thermostat Project

Here is the finished project, properly put together in a NEMA enclosure, powered by its own dedicated circuit. While working inside the breaker box, I found more improper wiring in the form of a circuit breaker that was completely inappropriate for use in the box. Another improvement was to add a fuse to protect the transformer in the event it or the relay/contactor were to short circuit. The Keykeeper did a lot of the carpentry and provided most of the tools for those jobs. I did all the electrical work and NEMA box assembly.

Related posts:

  1. How Do We Make Sure Our Thermostat Is Getting Power From The Breaker Box. How To Check A Breaker Box?
  2. How Do I, If At All, Rig Up A Window Air Conditioner To Work In An Attic?
  3. Water Was Leaking On To My Air Conditioner Plug And Now The Plug Keeps Tripping What Can I Do?
  4. What Power Protection Do I Need To Install My Air Conditioner?
  5. Becoming An Electrician – How To?
  1. Duratec86
    June 4th, 2009 at 04:29 | #1

    Wish I knew something about electrical work…oh well. Very cool as usual Bill! Nice work

  2. bulldog0046
    June 4th, 2009 at 10:33 | #2

    Man That looks good. But looks like alot of work for an air conditioner. 5*

  3. mgospeed31
    June 4th, 2009 at 10:59 | #3

    LOL I’d have put that together, turned it on, and blown every circuit breaker and fuse for 6 blocks. Haha! Good work uxwbill.

  4. eltatertoto
    June 4th, 2009 at 16:09 | #4

    nice job, pretty cool setup. but it seems like alot of work just to watch animals in the next room lol

  5. uxwbill
    June 4th, 2009 at 18:44 | #5

    It does more than that. There is a camera situated outside the house that keeps an eye on the neighborhood. The neighbors have been in favor of this, although this is a fairly quiet part of the world.

    This room also makes a neat little place to just kick back and relax.

    I may even make some money off of it, because as word has gotten around about this, other people with more serious theft problems have asked me if I would install such a system for them.

  6. uxwbill
    June 4th, 2009 at 18:45 | #6

    I guess you could say that work like this keeps me out of trouble. :-)

    I enjoy this kind of thing and keep in practice by doing this kind of stuff. And with the house the way it is, I can experiment with stuff and not feel bad if it doesn’t go 100% right.

  7. uxwbill
    June 4th, 2009 at 18:47 | #7

    I had the good fortune to know a very good electrician when I was younger. He was an older man, and some of his practices were different. (”How do you know the difference between 110 and 220? 220 hurts more!” is a nearly direct quote.

    But beyond that, this guy knew what he was doing, and he did a lot of work for people. Since he was a friend of the family, I watched whenever I could and learned a lot.

  8. jmcnamara96
    June 4th, 2009 at 20:28 | #8

    is roach palace were u live? and if so whos house is the one next door at keykeepers?

  9. BonhommeRichard91
    June 4th, 2009 at 22:57 | #9

    I’m noticing that comments on your videos are in a class by themselves. When reading comments left for Daves Farm videos you can feel your IQ drop about 20 points. If Dave had done a video on an air conditioner people would be asking if he took it up skyhill. Anyway, yours are informative and easy to watch. Thanks

  10. uxwbill
    June 5th, 2009 at 00:24 | #10

    I do not and never have lived in the Roach Palace. The big white house is where I live.

  11. uxwbill
    June 5th, 2009 at 00:33 | #11

    You have to start somewhere! I’ve certainly blown up some equipment over the years…at one time I was working on reviving a flooded out furnace, and I happened to power the main fan motor up directly a few times to make sure I’d fixed all of its problems.

    Anyway, I had to keep unplugging the wiring to test it with everything in place and fashioned. So one time I got a black (hot) and white (neutral) connected directly together. Heard the circuit breaker pop from the next room…what was that?

  12. uxwbill
    June 5th, 2009 at 00:36 | #12

    Took a second look and realized my mistake immediately.

    I have learned a lot of what I know over the years from a few different places–the Reader’s Digest Fix It Yourself book, taking things apart to look inside, drawing my own ideas out on paper and the ever-wonderful-I’d-really-like-to-find-another-copy-of-it Books That Work Wiring Simulator. I’ve also watched people work in their respective trades and asked them questions.

    So if you want to learn, that’s how I did it over many years!

  13. fordmoparguy
    June 6th, 2009 at 02:19 | #13

    dave still knows everything there is about them

  14. itscool1968
    June 6th, 2009 at 09:39 | #14

    how are you going to heat that room in the winter months?
    can i come live in that room lol

  15. uxwbill
    June 6th, 2009 at 14:32 | #15

    I don’t always agree with everything Dave says. He does know what he’s doing, though.

  16. Ajaces
    June 7th, 2009 at 05:09 | #16

    I imagine the thermostat above that white enclosure would bring quite a conversation.

  17. uxwbill
    June 8th, 2009 at 05:59 | #17

    I’m not sure I understand your comment. The thermostat is over on the other wall, away from this box.

  18. uxwbill
    June 8th, 2009 at 05:59 | #18

    I have a feeling that you’d get bored quickly.

    I will use an oil filled radiator. The house has working central heat, but it doesn’t have any registers upstairs.

  19. itscool1968
    June 8th, 2009 at 08:10 | #19

    actualy i would have fun watching the cams at night and if you provided net access i could watch you tube:)
    and if you so desided i would help ya fix up the old place she has a lot of potential :)

  20. Ajaces
    June 10th, 2009 at 07:56 | #20

    I was making mention if it was mounted around the white enclosure, It could make a discussion piece as it has the potential to draw curiosity-e.g. What does that white box do?
    The thermostat should be mounted in a convenient location for you.

  21. retrochad
    June 28th, 2009 at 18:04 | #21

    That’s a great system. We have 4 relay kits in our house which are very similar to control all of the window units….three of them control 120 volt units and the one in the living room has a heavy duty 30-amp contactor for the 240 volt Carrier window unit. I have that one wired up so it can control both the heat and the cooling features of the Carrier window unit. Also all of the control transformers are on timers which shut the units off at night except in the bedroom.

  22. chuck5104
    October 18th, 2009 at 03:21 | #22

    Actually, convenience shouldn’t be the only thing to consider when mounting a thermostat (e.g. away from heat and cooling sources, not on exterior walls, etc.).

  23. chuck5104
    October 18th, 2009 at 03:24 | #23

    You sure that 14/2 cable is alright stapled directly to the wall like that with absolutely no protection?

  24. Ajaces
    October 18th, 2009 at 07:26 | #24

    You are correct.

  25. bestbetsmditowner
    January 11th, 2010 at 03:25 | #25

    I’ve seen the entire series of this Air conditioner. Great Work on the videos and on those fixes to the carrier. I would never have thought that you could hook up an Electric thermostat to a Wall Unit!!! Take a look at my videos, subscribe+comment+rate

  1. May 3rd, 2010 at 14:09 | #1
  2. May 3rd, 2010 at 16:35 | #2
Powered by Yahoo! Answers