Importance, Types and Functionalities of a Thermostat

How do you control your home’s temperature? Today there are many options, ranging from smartphone apps to the traditional temperature dial. These are all forms of thermostats. At its core; a thermostat is simply the controls used to regulate the temperature in a home. You can set a preferred temperature, and the thermostat works to keep your room or boiler at this desired level. If the home starts to drop in temperature, a thermostat switches the heating on to warm it up. After the interior temperature has reached the set point, the thermostat works to switch off the heating introducing in some cooler air just to keep the temperature at desire.

How does a thermostat work?

While a thermometer is a tool to read a room’s temperature, a thermostat is able to control it. Whether it’s wall or boiler-mounted, this control dial is essential for regulating your home’s temperature.

Within this basic framework, there are a number of features and options:

  • Some thermostats are wireless and battery-operated
  • Others are connected with wires to the boiler itself.
  • Programmable thermostats use a set schedule to run the heating at certain times of the day.
  • Smart thermostats learn and adapt to your routine

Let’s take a deeper look at what a thermostat is, what types of thermostats there are, and how they work.

Types of thermostats

Thermostats come in a range of shapes, sizes, and styles. The main two types of thermostats are digital and mechanical. These vary in a few key ways. Today, most new thermostats are digital or electronic. Digital thermostats have internal components capable of providing an accurate, responsive reaction to room temperature. The electronic sensors read the current interior temperature and can fine-tune the heating accordingly, keeping the room within a single degree of the target setting.

By contrast, a mechanical thermostat usually controls the temperature with the use of two bits of metal. These are laminated together in the thermostat’s sensor in a bimetallic strip. As the different types of metals expand and contract with temperature changes, an electric circuit connected to your heating system is switched on and off. This is how the thermostat is able to read and regulate heat. What’s important to note about a bimetal thermostat is that it isn’t as accurate as a digital model would be; the temperature can vary as much as five degrees from the target setpoint. However, some prefer mechanical thermostats because of their affordability and easy-to-use on/off switch.

How to set your thermostat?

Here are a few handy tips for how to use your thermostat.

  • This type of device needs to be located in an area of the home with a fresh flow of air. If you place your thermostat in a particularly sunny area or behind a curtain, it won’t be able to sense the temperature accurately.
  • To get started, set it to the lowest temperature that you find comfortable. For most people, this will fall in the 18 to 21-degree range.

While it may be tempting to turn up the thermostat on cold days, this isn’t necessary. The idea behind a thermostat is that it will react to the colder weather and make sure the heating is kept on long enough to warm up the house to the set point of your choosing. However, because it can take longer to warm up a house on a chilly day, you could program the heating to switch on earlier.

Programmable thermostats have both time and temperature settings so that you can regulate the temperature at different periods of the day. This allows to you save energy by turning off the heating when you’re at work, yet still, return home to a warm house later in the day. You’ll need to take the warm-up and cool-down times into account when programming your thermostat.

Does Installing a Thermostat Save You Money?

So to the question you’ve all been waiting for. Yes, it is true: You can save money on your electricity bills by simply resetting your thermostat at night and when you are away from home. According to research, “you can save as much as 10 percent per year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day from its normal setting.” The savings is greater for buildings in milder climates than for those in more severe climates.

Imagine not installing a thermostat in your home and having your AC freeze all night or all-day. Yeah, your guess is as right as mine, hike in electricity bills which is not good because remember we are trying to save mother earth by being conservable right. Thermostats are just the “smart-reminder-devices” that prompt us unknowingly to turn down the AC or the water heaters; the good thing is they actually take care of the hard work as well.

So you see to get a thermostat fixed is not only to control your room temperature but to save money on electricity bills in a smart way. Your air-conditioner and boiler will not be a problem anymore. Trust your thermostat to help you save money now. For a quote on your desired thermostat, and installation cost book a handyman on HouseClap today or call/WhatsApp +233200054188.