Thermostat – Its Types and Which Suits You Better
Maintaining a comfortable and perfect environment inside your house or any other building is essential, whether the temperature outside is scorching hot or cold. To ensure a comfortable atmosphere indoors, you need the right type of thermostat. There are various options for thermostats in the market that may confuse you.
So, if you are wondering about the type of thermostat that suits you best, read this article to make a wise decision based on your needs. But before that, let’s look at what a thermostat is.
What is a thermostat, and how does it work?
A thermostat is a device that maintains a constant temperature in its installed area and turns the cooling and heating system on or off as required. This device is sensitive to the temperature in its surroundings and uses it to determine whether your cooling or heating system needs to be turned off or on. In this way, it ensures that an optimal temperature is maintained indoors. The operation of the thermostat will depend on whether the thermostat is mechanical or digital.
If your thermostat is mechanical, it will work by using a metal piece to break off the circuit and thus stop the flow of current to your cooling and heating system with the help of a bi-metal coil. This strip coil will expand with an increase in temperature and contract with a decrease in temperature from your optimal temperature setting.
This metal’s sensitivity to changes in temperature allows it to restrict or allow current flow through the circuit. Meanwhile, in a digital thermostat, instead of a metal strip or coil, built-in sensors sense the surrounding temperature and decrease or increase the electrical resistance in the circuit. After a specific level of resistance is achieved, the thermostat signals to turn off the cooling and heating system.
What are the types of thermostats concerning voltage consumption?
There are two types of thermostats, depending on the voltage required for operation.
1) High voltage thermostat
This type of thermostat uses high voltage to operate. It is also known as a line voltage thermostat. This type of thermostat indicates that your appliance is ready to be used by plugging into the socket. There are two further kinds of high-voltage thermostats.
· Single pole/two-wire thermostat
· Double pole/four-wire thermostat
The four-wire thermostat can turn off when needed, but the two-wire thermostat can only be switched to the lowest possible setting.
2) Low voltage thermostat
This low-voltage thermostat is a directly wired controller that can control any type of system, such as heat pumps, boilers, air conditioning, furnaces, or radiant heat. It uses a transformer to reduce the voltage to around 12 to 24 volts and requires a small battery. This battery allows the thermostat to recharge and use mainline power when required.
What are the types of thermostats concerning features?
There are various types of thermostats available in the market from which you can choose. These thermostats offer various features you should know about before you choose thermostats.
1) Manual thermostat
This is a traditional type of thermostat that controls the temperature. A mechanical manual thermostat consists of a dial used to change temperature, while a digital manual thermostat contains buttons and a digital display to allow you to change settings.
If you are not proficient in modern tech, this traditional thermostat is best for you. This option is also the best fit if the temperature in your locality does not change much. Even though they have a low upfront, easy-to-use, and cheaper option, they offer limited features and thus do not allow energy efficiency.
2) Customizable thermostat
This thermostat allows you to control your heating and cooling system more efficiently. You can set settings according to your schedule and different temperatures according to the hours you are present. It includes touchpad customization, voice-phone customization, air filter status, and other settings.
A thermostat that can be programmed and customized according to your schedule and the increased energy efficiency it offers is why it’s so popular. This thermostat will reduce your energy consumption and save on your Utility Bidder energy bills while allowing you to have increased control over temperature settings to maintain an optimal environment. However, they have a high upfront cost, take time to set up, and require time to grasp the settings and functions.
3) Data logging thermostat
This thermostat is usually used in the food industry, where a specific temperature needs to be maintained constantly to keep the stored items safe. This data logger will record the temperature setting over a specific period. This recorded data can then later be retrieved and viewed when needed. It can also be used to evaluate the temperature settings.
4) Smart thermostat
These thermostats are programmable thermostats that learn independently and do not need you to get involved in maintaining the right temperature. Over time, they learn about your needs, habits, and schedule and thus use them to provide a comfortable atmosphere.
They offer an energy-efficient way of using energy and saving on energy costs. These thermostats are best if you want automated systems to control your heating and cooling systems to avoid temperature problems. However, the upfront cost of this thermostat is very high, and you may lose control over the heating and cooling system if the services go down.
5) Communicating thermostat
As the name suggests, a communicating thermostat communicates with the heating and cooling system to make the desired changes. This is done by pairing like Bluetooth devices connect to communicate. Signals can be easily sent back and forth to bring about the desired changes. However, these thermostats will work only with a communicating heating and cooling system, which has an extremely high upfront cost but saves you money in the long run. These reduce your energy costs but have difficult installation and costly repairs.
6) Outlet thermostat
This type of thermostat is used with portable heating and cooling systems, making it best for small offices and homes where an HVAC system is not installed. You only have to plug in the device and set the temperature, and the rest will be handled automatically to ensure your settings are maintained. This thermostat is best for those with small working or living spaces who do not want to install the appliances.
Conclusion
The first thing you need to do when considering which thermostat is best for your house is to check your house’s type of HVAC system. This will allow you to find the most compatible option in the market. You must also check whether the thermostat’s features suit your needs. Hopefully, this article will help you start your search to get the most suitable thermostat for your home to ensure you have a perfectly comfortable environment.
