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An explanation for householders
A room thermostat simply switches the heating system on
and off based on room temperature. 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 the boiler and radiators. Neither does the setting
affect 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 house insulation quality is a key factor
in heating control.
The way to set and use your room thermostat is to find 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 until you are comfortable with the
temperature (20°C is the usual preferred set point). You won’t
have to adjust the thermostat further. Any adjustment above
this setting will waste energy and cost you more money.
If your heating system is a boiler with radiators, there will be
only one room thermostat to control the whole hosue (but
building regulations Part L require houses above a certain
What is a Digital Room
Thermostat?