What is a Thermostat?

A room thermostat is used to regulate and maintain a desirable temperature throughout your home. It works by switching on or off your heating system as the temperature varies throughout the day, it is a common fixture in most homes. In the winter, room thermostats ensure the heating system does not fire up unless the temperature of the house falls below a pre-set level.

A thermostat is normally a control unit for a central heating boiler, but these days it can also control electric heating. You are able to choose the temperature that you would like the house to be at via a dial or a digital display on the thermostat. The thermostat then monitors the ambient temperature of the air and instructs the boiler/heating system to turn on or off accordingly.

If the temperature of the ambient air is lower than the requested temperature set on the thermostat, it will fire a message to the boiler to fire up and send hot water to the radiators to heat the house.

If the air temperature is too high, the thermostat will send a message to the boiler to switch off, which obviously should result in the home cooling down.

Using a thermostat will therefore ensure that the house stays at a regular temperature and rooms don’t overheat. The thermostat will ensure that the boiler keeps a constant temperature in the house, which results in an efficient heating system that will save you money on your gas bills.

A thermostat should be correctly positioned within the home not near a draught as this will record a lower room temperature which then will instruct the boiler to fire up. The best place to position a central heating thermostat is on an interior wall, a comfortable distance from the likes of windows and doors, air vents and the kitchen or hallway.