How to choose a thermostat?
Energy saving is one of the most important problems today against the background of the constant increase in heating prices. Today everyone is trying to use economical electrical appliances or gas boilers and in various ways to reduce the consumption of electricity and gas. In this situation, a thermostat comes to the rescue – a device that helps to save heating costs and makes temperature control in the house more convenient. If you are thinking about buying a room thermostat for your home or office precisely for this reason, or for more comfortable heating control, then the question arises before you: Which one to buy? After all, the choice of thermostats is huge: from cheap to expensive, from the simplest to the most complex and programmable. There is also a wide range of brands such as Viconics, Honeywell, Lux, etc. In this article, we will try to help you decide which specific device you still need and what you need to pay attention to when buying.
Thermostat working principle:
Usually, for example, if you have a boiler at home, then you regulate the temperature in the room manually using the control panel on the boiler itself. And this action must be repeated whenever the set temperature deviates from the indicators you selected. A thermostat is needed to make regulation and control more convenient. The room thermostat works with a sensor that monitors the air temperature and gives a command to the heating system. Thus, the setting of the desired temperature regime occurs by controlling the air masses, and not the coolant in the boiler.
How to choose the right thermostat:
Room thermostats differ according to the following criteria: by the type of installation, the type of device itself, and functionality.
- Let’s first pay attention to how you can install this equipment.
There are two ways:
- Wireless connection
- Wired connection
If you don’t want to bother with the installation and it is important for you that it goes through without much effort and problems, then a wireless connection is definitely your option. Such a thermostat works using short periodic signals from the controller. However, it should be noted that this device will be more expensive than its counterpart. But if the budget allows, then it is better to choose a wireless thermostat due to the fact that it is much easier to install and there is no need to make holes for wires. Before making a choice in favor of this type of device, do not forget that the signal strength will decrease due to walls and other structures. Therefore, if the room has a large area, this can cause problems and it will be necessary to install the regulator as close as possible to the heating source.
If the wireless thermostat is not suitable for you for whatever reason, you can choose the wired option. It is more difficult to install, but for the most part, it works no less efficiently. Its main advantage is that the signal can be transmitted over a greater distance than its wireless counterpart, which makes it more productive to use such a device in large rooms.
- Next you need to look at the type of the device itself. It can be:
- Mechanical
- Electromechanical
- Electric
It also depends a lot on your budget. The cheapest option would be mechanical thermostats. Their electromechanical and electrical counterparts will cost more. However, the latter are more functional than the first option. This applies in particular to electrical thermostats. Such a device can be used in the “Smart Home” system. This specification also benefits from the accuracy of room temperature measurements and corrections. But it should be understood that if such a device breaks down, its repair will cost more than that of mechanical and electromechanical types of equipment.
A mechanical thermostat is a design that is distinguished by its simplicity and, as a consequence, reliability. Of the minuses – less accurate measurement of indicators compared to its competitors.
Therefore, it is worth considering the budget and the need for accurate measurements. If the device is installed in a place where someone is constantly there, then it is better to choose an electrical option for the most comfortable stay in that room. Well, if you want to install a thermostat where you show up from time to time, for example, in a garage, then a mechanical analog is quite suitable for you.
- Now let’s look at the differences in functionality.
According to this criterion, thermostats are divided into:
- Simple
- Programmable
Simple thermostats are not very functional. Their main function is to maintain the required temperature in the room. Devices with the possibility of programming have a much larger number of settings compared to the first option. For example, they allow you to program the operating mode. That is, in the daytime, you can adjust one temperature, and at night, another. This is done so that during the day, while everyone is at work, not very much electricity is wasted, and by the evening the device will give a command to increase the temperature so that the rooms become warmer, some device variants have functions that allow you to set the thermostat several days in advance. And set different settings every day. Also, a programmable thermostat can control additional equipment, for example, weather-dependent automation or a solar collector.
If you pay attention to this parameter, then you should understand that a programmable thermostat will cost much more than a simple one. However, it has quite serious advantages over its counterpart in the form of various convenient settings to maintain a comfortable atmosphere in the house. It will also help you save more on energy bills than other thermostats through features that allow you to customize the device as you want.
So, after reading this article, you have an idea of how thermostats differ and you know what you need to pay attention to first of all. After thinking carefully and deciding what is most important to you, you will choose the option that best suits your space. The new thermostat will be an excellent purchase, and will also help save time, effort, and heating costs.