What Is a Thermostat?

The word thermostat comes from the combination of two Greek words, thermos (meaning heat) and states (meaning static). Hence, a thermostat is a device that is used to maintain a constant temperature in any area. A thermostat turns any heating or cooling system on or off as needed. It senses the temperature in the surrounding area and knows if your HVAC system needs to be turned on or off to maintain your desired temperature.

Types of Thermostat

Low-Voltage Thermostat

These thermostats are more efficient for controlling air flow. Because of this, low-voltage thermostats are used in central HVAC systems that use electricity, gas, and oil as well as water heating systems. Low-voltage thermostats allow you to accurately control the air current and make it easier to use programmable controls. Low-voltage thermostats operate on 24 V to 50 V, whereas line-voltage thermostats operate on 240 V.

 Digital Thermostats

Digital thermostats utilize modern technology for sensing room temperature. It uses this information for tuning the cooling or heating system. With it, you can have many options for controlling temperature. One of the best things about digital thermostats is that there are programmable and you can use them according to your needs. They offer efficient ways of managing the circuits & there is even a quick response to the changes in temperature. Digital thermostats are also smaller and come with many capabilities. The only downside is that the installation can be long and more expensive.

Mechanical thermostats

Are the older version. They heat and cool your water by using principles of thermal expansion that generate electricity using metal strips or gas. This expansion moves discs that activate the mechanism. The later gas models use the gas’s expansion and contraction to operate metal discs that change the thermostat’s settings. This allows them to react more quickly to changes in temperature, saving you money by not running when the system isn’t needed.

Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature according to preset times. Having this capability makes it easier to limit energy usage since your home won’t need to be at your preferred temperature when you’re not there. There are many different models of programmable thermostats. Basic models let you program daytime and nighttime temperature settings, while more complicated ones can be programmed for certain days of the week and the exact time of day.

Smart Thermostats

These are the latest models in thermostat technology. They use advanced learning algorithms to automatically adjust the temperature of your house to suit your preferences. This means that after you set the temperature a certain way enough times, a smart thermostat will automatically program that in as your pattern. This way, you don’t have to worry about racking up your utility bill because you forgot to set the thermostat for the night, for a business trip, or for the busy workday.