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What is a programmable room thermostat?
... an explanation for householders
A programmable room thermostat is both a programmer and a room
thermostat. A programmer allows you to set ‘On’ and ‘Off ’ time periods
to suit your own lifestyle. A room thermostat 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.
So, a programmable room thermostat lets you choose what times you want
the heating to be on, and what temperature it should reach while it is on.
It will allow you to select diff erent temperatures in your home at diff erent
times of the day (and days of the week) to meet your particular needs.
Turning a programmable 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 programmable room thermostat to a lower setting will result in the room
being controlled at a lower temperature, and saves energy.
The way to set and use your programmable room thermostat is to fi nd the
lowest temperature settings that you are comfortable with at the diff erent
times you have chosen, and then leave it alone to do its job. The best way to
do this is to set low temperatures fi rst, say 18°C, and then turn them up by
one degree each day until you are comfortable with the temperatures. You
won’t have to adjust the thermostat further. Any adjustments above these
settings will waste energy and cost you more money.
If your heating system is a boiler with radiators, there will usually be only one
programmable 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.
The time on the programmer must be correct. Some types have to be
adjusted in spring and autumn at the changes between Greenwich Mean
Time and British Summer Time.
You may be able to temporarily adjust the heating programme, for example,
‘Override’, ‘Advance’ or ‘Boost’. These are explained in the manufacturer’s
instructions.
Programmable 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.
