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What is a programmable room thermostat?
... an explanation for householders
A room thermostat simply switches the heating system on and off as
necessary. It works by sensing the air temperature, switching on the
heating when the air temperature falls below the thermostat setting,
and switching it off once this set temperature has been reached.
Turning a room thermostat to a higher setting will not make the
room heat up any faster. How quickly the room heats up depends on
the design of the heating system, for example, the size of boiler and
radiators.
Neither does the setting aff ect how quickly the room cools down.
Turning a room thermostat to a lower setting will result in the room
being controlled at a lower temperature, and saves energy.
The heating system will not work if a time switch or programmer has
switched it off .
The way to set and use your room thermostat is to fi nd the lowest
temperature setting that you are comfortable with, and then leave it
alone to do its job. The best way to do this is to set the room thermostat
to a low temperature – say 18°C – and then turn it up by one degree
each day until you are comfortable with the temperature. You won't
have to adjust the thermostat further. Any adjustment above this
setting will waste energy and cost yo u more money.
If your heating system is a boiler with radiators, there will usually be
only one room thermostat to control the whole house. But you can have
diff erent temperatures in individual rooms by installing thermostatic
radiator valves (TRVs) on individual radiators. If you don't have TRVs,
you should choose a temperature that is reasonable for the whole
house. If you do have TRVs, you can choose a slightly higher setting to
make sure that even the coldest room is comfortable, then prevent any
overheating in other rooms by adjusting the TRVs.
Room thermostats need a free fl ow of air to sense the temperature, so
they must not be covered by curtains or blocked by furniture. Nearby
electric fi res, televisions, wall or table lamps may prevent the thermostat
from working properly.
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