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The thermostat is one of the most common items HVAC repair technicians work on. What should you know about thermostats and how can you choose the right one for your home?
To have your home heating system at the exact temperature will not only keep you warm and cozy but will also significantly reduce your electricity bills. Effective heating controls are one of the most important parts of an efficient home heating system. Smart use of thermostats can aid in minimizing power consumption by making sure that every room is at the perfect temperature where you can be comfortable while avoiding excessive heat.
But for those who do not have the technical know-how, finding the correct thermostat can be quite a pain. The primary reason is that there are extensive ranges of various home heating systems on the market and this could make selecting the right type of thermostat quite a task.
The key, however, is to determine what kind of home heating system you have. For example, you may have a heat-pump based system, oil fired with a boiler, electric baseboard, or a gas furnace system (to name but a few). All of these may sound very confusing but once you determine what kind of home heating system you have, choosing the right thermostat will be quick and easy.
There are actually only three different thermostats to choose from, and they are:
1. Home heating systems with low voltage are the most widely used today and only require a power supply of 24 volts. The majority of the thermostats available on the market is well-suited for this system.
2. High voltage or direct line systems use a 110v-240v power supply. These are normally baseboards and other heating systems powered by electricity that require serious attention when searching for the right thermostat as not all thermostats will run with these. Another thing to remember is that in some older homes, high voltage systems are also used to power the thermostat.
3. 24 millivolt systems are commonly oil or gas powered furnaces that don’t use electricity, floor or wall type.
Given the above, you might think that there seems to be “no light at the end of the tunnel.” However, if you try to learn and remember some of the basic terms you’d probably encounter, then it won’t be that hard to know which type of thermostat to choose.
Additionally, in your search, you will possibly come upon the terms “one stage” and two-stage” quite a lot, so just to help you with that, here’s what they actually mean:
- Stage one heat and cool means there are units that run either at full capacity or are totally not working; it’s similar to an on/off switch.
- Multi-stage or stage two means the system is capable of cooling or heating on either low or high speed.
There are ways to find out what kind of system you have and what stage it is, but this typically involves examining the inside of your heating system. This will provide all the necessary information, but since this will also mean that you’ll have to deal with a power source to your system. If you’re not sure of what to do, it’s still best to ask an HVAC technician to assist you and provide you expert advice.
Remember, when it comes to fast HVAC services, trust only the Air Repair Pros! For inquiries about what we do, call us at 972-704-1334.
