"Stretch" wrote in news:1117683951.619712.94360
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

special wiring requirements. The common is often blue, but some use
brown or black. The electrons don't really care what color insulation
is on the wire, it just makes it easier to service.

Right. I assume you are being facetious here. I'm familiar with
electrical systems in general so I grasp the basic connection part. I've
never delved into HVAC systems except for a prior stat replacement which
worked right out of the gate. I haven't had to troubleshoot them or track
their wiring down.

How you heated your home without strips in extremely cold weather I
don't know. You must live in a mild climate.

One word - Phoenix.
I used the heat about 5 times over the "winter" here, so a heat pump is
mostly sufficient for the task. The problem I ran into is I wouldn't turn
it on until it was about 60 inside and 30 outside, so it would have to run
forever before it would start blowing something resembling tepid air.

Thanks for the informative reply!