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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
usually be only one room thermostat to control the whole
house (but building regulations Part L require houses above a
certain size to have more than 1 heating zone).
What is a Digital Room
Thermostat?
