Thermostat

Thermostat

A thermostat is a device that regulates the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint. The name is derived from the Greek words thermo meaning heat and statos which means standing, stationary, or fixed.

Function

The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed, to maintain the correct temperature. A thermostat can be used to control a simple heating device such as a baseboard heater or portable space heater, or it can be used to control complex, multi-zone, multi-stage HVAC systems.

Types of Thermostats

There are several types of thermostats used in various applications:

• Mechanical/Non-Digital Thermostats: These are the most basic type of thermostat and they use bimetallic strips or gas-filled bellows to control the switching of the heating or cooling system.

• Electronic Thermostats: These thermostats use electronic components to sense temperature changes and switch the heating or cooling system on or off.

• Smart Thermostats: These are a modern type of thermostat that can be controlled remotely using a smartphone or computer. They can also learn from a homeowner's behaviors and adjust settings to provide comfort and efficiency.

• Programmable Thermostats: These thermostats allow the user to set specific temperature setpoints for different times of the day and different days of the week.

History

The first thermostat was invented in 1883 by Warren S. Johnson. It was a simple device that used a bi-metallic strip to break an electric circuit when the temperature rose above a certain point.

See Also

• HVAC
• Home automation
• Energy conservation

References

Thermostat Resources
Latest articles Most recent articles Ongoing trials	Wikipedia