GCI60 Thermostat Questions

[Skier76]

We are currently looking into getting the Hampton GCI60 from a local stove shop. I've been there twice this week to look over the stove. Coming from a wood stove background, I really liked the flame pattern (amongst other features of the stove). The stove will go into a fireplace we no longer used. It will be heating about 1,700 sq/ft.

Does the T-Stat come with the unit?

Is the T-Stat wired up like a traditional thermostat....so an aftermarket unit could be used in place?

Does the wiring for a t-stat have a C (Common) wire? I'm hoping to hook this up to a wifi unit and operate remotely.

In general, how does the t-stat control the unit? Do you just leave the stove on a certain stove setting...then when the t-stat calls for heat, it turns on the stove...turning it off when it hits the set point?

Ideally, I'd like to have a wifi t-stat hooked up to the stove and be able to monitor and control the temp when not at home.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Realtor]

My gci60 came with a cheap thermostat. Only two wires running from the stove.

 

[Bill L]

I believe this stove is the same as the Enviro M55? The M55 thermostat is a 2-wire with millivolt power. Most of the wifi thermostats that are available are 12volt power. There was a thread here about converting in a 12 volt thermostat to millivolt. You will also still need to run the wires to the stove, which can be difficult in a masonry fireplace unless you don't mind running them along the base if the wall. I went with the Skytech wireless thermostat. It is not wifi, but it is programmable and works great as a remote control to turn the stove up or down when I'm in the room

 

[Skier76]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback.

Yep, same stove as the Enviro55. Made cross shopping a bit easier.

Why does the wire need to be run back to the stove? Curious about that. Which wires run from the stove? Trying to get an idea of how to wire up an aftermarket thermostat.

I currently have a wifi t-stat controlling the boiler and central air units. My setups didn't have enough voltage to power the c-wire so I had to use an external transformer to power the stat. Thinking that may be the case here.

 

[Skier76]

Went to the stove store today and we took a look at the wiring diagram. It's basically two woes coming off the control board. Need to figure out how this two wires would be hooked up to a regular ol' t-stat.

 

[TimfromMA]

If its like mine, the thermostat calling for heat will short those 2 terminals together.

 

[Skier76]

Thanks Tim. Gives me a good place to start. Wish the wiring diagram was a bit more detailed.

 

[Bill L]

The wiring is actually pretty simple, just connect the two wires of a two-wire millivolt thermostat to them. The 12 volt thermostats won't work unless you build a transformer of some type, I think ther was a thread on this. You need to run the wires from the thermostat to the stove unless you get a wireless model. The wireless ones have a receiver with battery power that you connect to the stove wires, and the thermostat sends a wireless signal to the receiver so you don't have to snake the wires. This is not to be confused with a wifi thermostat, which you can control through the internet but still needs to be hard wired to the stove (unless it is a wirelss wifi tstat)

 

[Skier76]

Thanks Bill.

From what I see, could those two wires (from the stove to the existing stove t-stat) be run to a wifi thermostat...then hook up an external power supply?

 

[Bill L]

Here is the thread I was thinking of:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/installing-24-volt-wifi-thermostat-on-millivolt-stoves.114018/

 

[Skier76]

Bill,
Some really good info there. Looks like a number of people have made it work. The Ecobee and Honeywell seem to be good choices.

 

[Skier76]

In the link above, the poster used a relay. Is this necessary? With my current wifi t-stat setup on my HVAC system, I have it powered with a transformer; no relay? What role does the relay play in the setup?