Wiring Help (NF)

[sneak_e_pete]

Hi there, hoping someone can help. Just moved into a new house with a roughed in central vac. I have finished the piping for it, but am thoroughly confused about the wiring. They used Cat3 wire for the outlets ( 4 wires in total....red, black, yellow, blue). I have standard 2 wire cable to connect it to (red and white). I don't know which of the 4 colours to connect to red and white. Can anyone help?

[smally21]

pete (i assume) central vacs only require 2 wires to fire the remote canister when contact is made in a hose port. as it is low voltage there are essentially no rules for running it. the rough in installer should have used only two of the wires in the cable they ran. if you open a hose port in the house at random you should be able to see which two colors they have selected, and they should all be the same. connect your red and white to either one of those and test. if the rough in did not include connections thru the house just pick any two of the four, and make your own port connections.

 

you could also remove wires from a hose port, connect them together and then begin testing wires in sets of two for continuity with a voltage meter. the one the makes a circuit is your combination.

 

good luck i'll keep an eye out for further questions.

[sneak_e_pete]

Thanks, the rough in did not come with the outlets wired... I need to do that myself. Sooo, if I understand you correctly, I will choose 2 of the 4 wires to connect to the outlet, and make sure I use the same colours to connect to the motor...correct?

[Fishnwire]

Do you own or have access to a volt meter?

[bigbuck]

U got it!! It's only 2 wires so pick the 2 you like most and use those. It is a very low voltage system used to start the central vac so that's why the wires are so thin.

[sneak_e_pete]

AWESOME! Thanks so much. I was on the net until 2am last night trying to figure it out.

[irishfield]

I would actually use all 4... twist the red/yellow together and the black/blue together. That way you have the insurance that it will work even if a wire is broken in a run somewhere.

[misfish]

I would actually use all 4... twist the red/yellow together and the black/blue together. That way you have the insurance that it will work even if a wire is broken in a run somewhere.

 

I just twist the green ones,and alls fine here.

 

Seriously. Nice to see the community helpped another member.

[smally21]

as big buck mentioned pete pick any two and git er dun.

[sneak_e_pete]

You guys are awesome. As always, this board has helped me out. Hooked it up and it works like a charm....the wife thinks I'm a genious

[Big Cliff]

the wife thinks I'm a genious

 

You can't have been married too long then. make the most of it while you can, it doesn't last very long