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Thermostats in heating
Nothing is further from the truth, the control of the room temperature is one of the most complicated tasks that exist in the field of smart regulation and energy efficiency.
For example, the Mediterranean countries suffer abrupt temperature variations between night and day and, depending on their geographical areas. Monitoring these changes is already a necessity for energy saving.
Given this situation, we need a heating programmer, called apparatus thermostat or achronothermostat but… How to choose the right device to adjust the heating?.
What is a thermostat?
It is a small apparatus used to manage the heating or cooling system, in order to keep it on only when really necessary. Are control systems that work by closing or opening the electrical circuit depending on the temperature.
The time control of the on, off and regulation of the heating helps to make it more effective when we really need it
What function do they have?… With careful use of these devices we can reduce energy consumption, avoid waste and reduce CO2 emissions and other pollutants, keeping your home warm and comfortable.
What does the thermostatic control measure?
Measuring the internal ambient temperature is essential when carrying out a thermostatic regulation, but there are a number of context factors to consider, such as:
- Humidity: in the same way that it happens in tropical zones, the feeling of embarrassment increases with the relative humidity, for that reason it is necessary to measure this parameter.
- CO2: the concentration of this gas, produced by the act of breathing itself, generates discomfort, so it must be kept within limits.
- External temperature: measuring this variable to take into account the control of the interior can be of great help when regulating (for example, in hydraulic systems). It can also help, for example, to use fresh air from outside during summer nights if it has a suitable temperature (“freecooling”).
To control the three points, we use smart regulation systems; thermostats and chronothermostats that work perfectly in gas, diesel or pellet boilers (See article on biomass boilers and the use of pellet stoves), underfloor heating… etc. These devices affect two key temperatures:
- Inertial temperature: Minimum temperature of the house.
- Comfort temperature: The one that the home must reach so that its inhabitants are comfortable.
Inertial temperature - Comfort temperature = Intermediate temperature
The intermediate temperature should be controlled to save energy in the home. We must always ensure that between the comfort temperature and the inertial temperature we never have more than 5 degrees, otherwise we will be spending more money to feel comfortable in the home.
Heating thermostat types
If you have an independent heating system, these devices allow you to better manage the equipment, have a home that is always warm, cozy and without waste, so let's see what types of thermostats there are on the market:
1.- Analog thermostat
The old analog thermostats, the ones with a hand wheel, they allow you to set only two temperatures, one for the day and one for the night.
Turns the heating on and off to keep the set temperature constant. Its operation is also called on / off because it activates the system when the ambient temperature is lower than the set temperature and deactivates it when it exceeds it.
It detects the temperature of the house and is sensitive to changes in heat caused by the number of people in a room, the sun and when lighting the fireplace, stove or oven.
2.- Digital thermostats
They are more efficient and precise than those mentioned above, in addition to maintaining a low cost and easy use and installation. It has a digital display (Usually liquid crystal LCD) where the temperature of the room is indicated and where we see what temperature is the one we really want.
The digital thermostats for heating They have an average sale price higher than the previous ones, which are the cheapest that we can find in the market.
3.- Programmable thermostats
Is a programmable digital smart thermostat, from a more technical perspective, they are called chronothermostats, but both manufacturers and stores, in many cases sell them as a "programmable thermostat" since it is a term more familiar to users:
Is used for program the heating on and off throughout the week or even the month, whenever you want, reducing consumption and avoiding wasting energy. They are directly connected to the boiler with cables. The new generation models allow weekly programming with multiple time slots.
The difference between thermostat and chronothermostat, although both appliances must be connected to a boiler to be able to activate or deactivate a heating system, a chronothermostat offers more precise control when having more complex equipment, so we get some greater energy savings. But as we have already commented, many times we will find them designated as "Programmable thermostats"
4.- Wireless thermostats
New generation devices can be managed remotely, these are the wireless thermostats They are also programmable and with a digital display.
They are suitable for stand-alone heating systems and can be added thermostatic valves smart, if supported, to differentiate the temperature in rooms.
5.- Smart thermostats with WIFI
They are the most complex and due to their characteristics they tend to be in the expensive range on the market. With new technologies, you can turn on, turn off, manage and program the heating remotely through a smartphone or tablet.
May monitor and control heating through applications with Smartphones, PCs, tablets and smartwatches when you are not at home.
Some have capabilities Geo location. This function makes the thermostat interact with your smartphone device, recognizing your position when you leave home by activating the heating when you approach the house.
6.- Modulating thermostats
This system is highly recommended for boilers that allow the use of this thermostat, technologies that achieve themaximum possible energy savings. These systems have the unique function of modifying and altering the power of the boiler depending on the temperature of the room, not just switching it on and off.
The modulating thermostat they can be presented with different connectivities and capacities; smart, wireless, programmable, etc. Their disadvantage is that they can only be used in modular boilers. They generally have the highest cost of all thermostats, butit is worth your purchase for its great energy savings and energy efficiency.
Complementary elements
To be more effective, there are other devices associated with the above, such as:
- Hygrostat. It is a tool that detects the degree of humidity in the house to better regulate the heating and thus have a comfortable and healthy environment, avoiding mold and other problems related to excess humidity. Some models also allow you to manage the plant directly.
- Weather Station. It detects and displays information on temperature, humidity, external pollution, CO2 level on smartphones and tablets to better manage the thermostat of the same series.
- Weather station rain gauge. It measures the level of precipitation and as soon as it starts to rain it sends a warning to the weather station and to the thermostat of the same series.
- Ultrasonic anemometer. It measures the speed and direction of the wind and communicates the perceived temperature to the weather station and to the thermostat of the same series.
Remember that we have an extensive article that investigates the types of HVAC systems for homes and zoning.
With which thermostat do you save the most energy?
Choosing the right thermostat or chronothermostat depends on the need to program the home heating times in more or less detail, calibrating them according to our habits and lifestyle.
Make no mistake, this is like almost everything in life, the more investment we make, the greater the savings since the temperature monitoring will be much more precise and detailed, and this involves using the digital programmable thermostats or the modulating thermostats if our boiler is compatible.
The device that we buy should be mid-range - high and should have:
- The simpler analog models only allow temperature control, while the new generation digital instruments have additional remote control functions, allowing you to better manage the heating system and adapt it to your lifestyle and habits.
- Geo-location: it is a function that makes the thermostat interact with your smartphone device, recognizes your position when you leave home and activates the heating when you approach the house. It turns off automatically when you move away from the house.
- Control and management of consumption: it allows to establish a maximum spending ceiling and keep consumption under control.
- Presence detection: With a sensor integrated in the thermostat that only starts the heating if there are people in the house and turns it off when it detects the empty house.
- Holidays and absences: thanks to this function you can suspend the programming on the days you are not at home, without having to delete the time bands and the set temperature levels.
- Thermostatic valve control: to remotely control one or more "smart" thermostatic heads and adjust the temperature inside each room differently.
- Antifreeze: allows you to set a minimum temperature to protect the system from possible frost damage.
- Summer and winter: schedule and manage both heating and cooling throughout the year.
- Window opening: It has a sensor that turns off the heating when the windows are opened to change the air.
What heating thermostats can I buy?
The market is flooded with heating controllers in offers and prices that vary greatly depending on the qualities and options that each has thermostatic device. Be consistent when buy a wireless thermostat (those of WiFi and that work with the mobile), they are not cheap, that is the reality. Search for recognized brands; Nest (It's from google), Tado, Netatmo, Baxi, Somfy, etc.
Google's Nest device is one of the best you can see HERE, but it is also expensive in price. Below are other more affordable options.
From the Amazon platform you can see interesting offers from good companies and at consistent prices; search and compare, and please ask at the local store, which sometimes surprise with low prices!
The Netatmo thermostat with Wifi is a good option, which is often on sale, with good opinions and is a serious company. You can check price from HERE on Amazon.
It is compatible with most boiler models (electricity, gas, fuel, wood or heat pump)
Another is the Tado thermostat (They also have thermostatic heads for individual radiators), with a similar price to the previous one and with capabilities to work together with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit or the Google assistant. You can check price from HERE on Amazon.
And remember, in the end all electronic devices that are cheap, in the long run, are expensive and of course, compare and ask for the warranty.
How much do you save by installing a thermostat?
Although in reality energy saving is designated by many factors such as; because of the outdated heating systems that we use, because of our energy consumption habits, where the house is located, because of the weather … etc. There are some reports and tools to give you an idea of how much energy and economic savings we can achieve.
Access to the tool that calculates economic savings from HERE (It no longer works) and we can configure the type of home, year built and surface area of it (We do not sponsor the products sold from the web). Remember our article of more than 30 tips to save energy in the home.
A report of the most serious in the subject that we can consult HERE with the title "influence of the regulation of temperature of thermostats in the energetic saving". In conclusion, he indicates four important points:
- First, they are very effective for the cost involved in purchase and should be one of the first options to optimize the air conditioning of homes.
- Second, energy savings (Proportionally) are greater in summer (Cold control) than in winter (Heating control).
- Third, the temperature control of thermostats It has an influence on the thermal comfort of users, but to achieve an ideal comfort situation it is also necessary for people to adapt to the new thermal environment.
- Fourth, as the thermal quality of the exterior cladding improves, the temperature control of thermostats has a lesser influence on reducing energy consumption.
, and being in real values - average (remember that it depends on many factors), that the average savings that can be achieved
To have another comparison, there is a report that was made on 7,000 Homes from the US And the economic savings were:
As we can test, in colder areas, the economic savings are greater than in warmer areas. In both previous cases, they were used mobile-monitored smart digital thermostats.
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