From sensing and reading our home temperatures to regulating how our home heating system works, thermostats are responsible for giving us that desired temperature we at times desperately crave for while at home.
Regardless of whether you use a digital or analog thermostat, there’s no denying they are important at home. But, how does a thermostat work? Do you know what it is and the types that exist out there? And what if you’re planning on acquiring one, which thermostat is best for you? I hope this post helps you answer these and more.
What is a thermostat?
Before you learn how thermostats work, what’s a thermostat? It’s simply a device that’s in charge of regulating how hot or cold we want our rooms to be at home. They are mostly placed on an interior wall and how they work depend on the type of thermostat being used.
Types of thermostats
- Non-programmable thermostat. Just from the name, the non-programmable thermostat is a type of manual thermostat that allows you to switch on heating and cooling, set the ideal temperature, and control the system fan. Adjustments are made manually although some non-programmable thermostats have digital displays, backlight and touchscreens.
- Programmable thermostats. These thermostats enable their users to digitally schedule the room temperature and they do your home heating and cooling automatically. So, you can set your home temperature for the time you’ll be at home and another when no one’s at home. This can also help you save up on energy bills.
- Wi-Fi thermostats. These thermostats are connected to your home Wi-Fi network and they can be controlled remotely using your smartphone or PC.
- Smart thermostats. These thermostats sort of learn your living habits and set the appropriate temperature based on what you do regularly. They can learn about your arrival time at home and take note of the pattern in order to adjust your indoor temperature accordingly. Many smart thermostats are compatible with home automation tools such as Alexa.
How does a home thermostat work?
Digital thermostats are quite easy to comprehend since they act as a small computer to automatically sense whether your home temperature is right. They also allow programmable settings and Wi-Fi connectivity. Some have buttons on them that help the user to easily control the temperature. An example is the ‘hold’ button. So, what does hold mean on a thermostat? It’s simple,if you press hold, your thermostat automatically locks the current room temperature and if you press ‘run’, it goes back to your normal programming.
Analog thermostats on the other hand are quite difficult to grasp. They have a bi-metal coil or metal strip that moves when the room temperature changes. This causes mercury to flow at the end of the vial, meaning it’s time to turn on heating or cooling.
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