Thermostat: A Device that Maintains the Comfort Level

In simple terms, a thermostat is a device that is used to regulate the temperature of a system within a certain range. To achieve this, it controls the flow of heat energy in or out of that system directly or indirectly. They are commonly used in various commercial establishments where temperature regulation is required for a variety of purposes and also in home appliances such as steam or hot water radiators, gas fired heaters and also in car engines.

The most essential component of a thermostat is a thermometer. The most common and also considered the traditional model of a thermostat, the mechanical thermostat contains the thermometer in the form of a coiled bimetallic strip. The bimetallic strip is commonly made of iron and copper, hence the name bimetallic, and the structure of the bimetallic coil is composed of several layers. Since both the metals expand at different rates, there is variation in the sizes of the strips of metals when the temperature rises. Due to the variation in the sizes of the strips, the strip winds tightly when the temperature drops. This results ion the completion of the circuit and the furnace is turned on. The opposite happens when the temperature rises; the coil unwinds and the furnace is turned on. However, the bimetallic strip has been replaced by a temperature sensor in most of the modern ones that performs practically the same function as a bimetallic strip.

Care is taken by the manufacturers to ensure that it does not switch on or switch off the device too quickly. So, the temperatures at which the thermostat switches the heating mechanism on and off are separated by a few degrees. In a home appliance such as an air conditioner, it controls the cooling device and turns it off when the temperature of the room reaches the desired level and turns in on when the temperature of the room rises. Mechanical ones are instrumental in regulating the heat loss from buildings in cold periods as they regulate the dampers in the rooftop turbine vents. In a car engine, it is used to regulate the flow of the coolant.

Programmable thermostats that one can use for home appliances are really a blessing when it comes to saving on your electricity bills. With a programmable thermostat, the heating and air conditioning devices can be set on a schedule which saves the wastage of electricity when you are sleeping or when you leave the house unoccupied.