On Sep 12, 1:24*pm, Reed wrote:
Jennifer Eden wrote:
Hi,

Can Cat 6 wire (not sure of solid or stranded) be used as thermostat
wire? I have 1000ft of the former and none of the latter!

Thanks in advance.

Thermostat wire is normally 18 gauge, Cat 6 is 22 or 24. (The smaller
the number, the larger the conductor.) So you might want to pair up 2
conductors of the Cat 6 for 1 "wire" of the thermostat. Especially if
it is a fairly long run from T-stat to furnace.

And I believe that is likely a violation of the NEC. They have
requirements for low voltage wiring too. And I would believe that
the prohibition against paralleling conductors would apply there as
well. Perhaps someone knows for sure.

Overall, given the low cost of thermostat wire, using it for a
thermostat is a bad idea for all the reasons already given.