Most of our homes have thermostats in them that help to regulate the cooling and heating of our living spaces. From controlling central cooling and heating systems to baseboard heaters and even gas fireplaces, thermostats deliver a user-friendly operation for a variety of home comfort systems.
Knowing what thermostats can control is one thing, but have you ever wondered how they actually work? Keep reading to find out.
Types of Thermostats
Mechanically, thermostats can be divided into two basic types, manual and digital. In addition to these types, there are several varieties of each to choose from. Our Thermostat Buying Guide provides more information on the subtypes of thermostats.
Manual Thermostats
These non-digital, or analog thermostats, are something that many of us are familiar with even if we didn’t necessarily know what they were called. You may have seen them in the home you grew up in or in your dorm room at college. For many years they were the common thermostat found in most homes.
There are a few major elements that comprise this type of thermostat.
- Bimetallic Strip: This is the part that moves as your home’s temperature increase or decreases. It’s really just two pieces of metal joined together. Each piece of metal expands at a different rate at certain temperatures. As one side expands more than the other, the metal curves one way or the other, and that’s how the thermostat knows the precise temperature.
- Contact: The contact opens and closes based on the movement of the bimetallic strip. At the set temperature, the contact either opens or closes to engage or disengage your heating and cooling.
- Heat Anticipator: An electrical resistance wire that’s connected to the bimetallic strip, allows fine-tuning of when the thermostat turns your furnace on and off.
Digital Thermostats
Unlike their non-digital counterparts, digital thermostats provide a more user-friendly operation. They’re increasingly becoming more popular in both new construction and as replacement thermostats. Key components of digital thermostats include:
- Thermistor: This is what measures your room’s temperature. It’s a resistor that allows for electrical resistance changes based on the temperature.
- Microcontroller: The microcontroller measures the resistance created by the thermistor, converting the resistance to an actual temperature reading.
- Programmable Settings: What really separates digital thermostats from manual models is its programmable functions. From programming schedules, such as turning the heat up before you return home in the winter to setting a precise temperature for summer cooling. Some are even Wi-Fi enabled, meaning you can control them from virtually anywhere.
How to Choose the Right Thermostat for Your Home
When deciding on the best thermostat for your home it’s important to take into account your individual needs.
- Zoned Cooling and Heating: With manual thermostats you’re only going to be able to set a temperature for the entire home. Multiple programmable thermostats can be used in your home, for example one on each floor. These thermostats can be wired to a central control panel allowing you to set different temperatures in different rooms.
- Thermostat Compatibility: Not every thermostat is going to work with every heating and cooling system. You’ll want to take a look at the type of system in your space and make sure it’s compatible with your desired thermostat.
- Desired Features: From the ability to program a different temperature every day of the week and automatically switching over from cooling to heat based on ambient temperature, to controlling your heating and cooling from anywhere, today’s thermostats are equipped with a variety of features. Take stock of what you need your unit to do and look for models that are capable of accomplishing your goals.
What About Installation?
Knowing how thermostats work is only part of the buying process. Once you’ve decided on your perfect thermostat it’s time to actually install the unit. Usually replacing an existing thermostat is a great do-it-yourself project, however don’t be afraid to contact an HVAC professional if you’re uncomfortable installing it yourself.
Replacing an existing thermostat involves:
- Turning off electricity to the thermostat via your home’s circuit breaker.
- Removing the existing thermostat, taking to care to label all the wires.
- Installing your new thermostat’s wall plate.
- Connecting the new thermostat by attaching the wires you labeled.
- Attaching the thermostat’s faceplate and turning your electricity back on.
In Summary
Whether analog or digital, thermostats work by monitoring your home's temperature for any increases or decreases to your set temperature and relaying that information to your heating and cooling unit to increase comfort.
Still Have Questions?
Not sure what's best for you? We can take the guesswork out of decision-making. Contact one of our air treatment specialists at 1-800-934-9194. We want to help make your indoor and outdoor environment healthy and comfortable. Be sure to connect with us through the Sylvane Facebook and Twitter pages.
