Heating thermostats; How they work, types and which one choose

Heating thermostats

Nothing is further from the truth, temperature control environment is one of the most complicated tasks that exist in the field of smart regulation and efficiency energy.

For example, the Mediterranean countries experience variations in sudden temperatures between night and day and, depending on their areas geographical. Monitor these changes, it is already a necessity for the energy saving.

Given this situation, we need a programmer of heater , a device called a thermostat or a chronothermostat but… How choose the right device to adjust the heating? .

Content menu:

What is a thermostat?

It is a small device that is used to manage the heating or cooling system , in order to keep it on only when it's really necessary. They are control systems that work closing or opening the electrical circuit according to the temperature .

What function do they have? … With careful use of these devices we can reduce the consumption of energy , avoid waste and reduce emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, keeping your home warm and comfortable.

What does the control measure? thermostatic?

Measuring the internal ambient temperature is essential to the when carrying out a thermostatic regulation , but there are a number of context factors that need to be taken into account. account, such as:

To control the three points, we use systems intelligent regulation; thermostats and programmable thermostats that work perfectly in gas, diesel or pellet boilers (See article on biomass boilers and the use of pellet stoves), soils radiant…etc These devices affect two key temperatures:

energy saving temperature

Inertia temperature – Comfort temperature = Intermediate temperature

Intermediate temperature should be controlled to save energy at home. We must always ensure that between the comfort temperature and the inertia temperature never have more than 5 degrees , otherwise we will be spending more money to feel comfortable in the house.

Types of thermostats heating

If you have an independent heating system, these devices allow you to better manage the team, have a home always warm, cozy and zero waste, so Let's see what types of thermostats there are on the market:

1.- Thermostat analogue

Old analog thermostats, the ones with a manual wheel, allow to adjust only two temperatures, one for the day and one for the night .

heating analogue thermostat Turns decoding on and off heating to keep the temperature constant established . Its operation is also called on/off because it activates the system when the room temperature is lower than set and deactivates when it exceeds it.

Senses the temperature of the house and is sensitive to heat changes caused by the number of people in a room room, the sun and lighting the fireplace, kitchen or oven.

2.- Thermostats digital

They are more efficient and precise than the previous ones, In addition to maintaining a low cost and easy use and facility. It has a screen digital (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 have a higher average sale price than the previous ones, which They are the cheapest we can find on the market.

3.- Thermostats programmable

It is a digital smart thermostat programmable , from a more technical perspective, are called chronothermostats , but both manufacturers such as stores, in many cases sell them as a “Programmable Thermostat” since it is a more familiar term by users:

smart programmable thermostat

Used to program the on and off of heating throughout the week or even the month, at the time 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 devices must connect to a boiler to be able to activate or deactivate a heating system, a chronothermostat offers a more precise control to the have a more complex team , so we get some greater energy savings . But as we have already discussed, many times we will find them designated as «Programmable thermostats»

4.- Thermostats wireless

Next generation devices can be managed remotely, these are the thermostats wireless devices that are also programmable and with digital display.

They are suitable for independent heating systems and thermostatic valves can be added smart devices, if compatible, to differentiate the temperature in the rooms.

5.- Smart thermostats with WIFI

They are the most complex and due to their characteristics they are usually of the expensive range of the market. With new technologies you can turn on, turn off, manage and schedule heating remotely via smartphone or tablet.

digital thermostat with wifi

You can monitor and control your heating via of applications with Smartphones, PCs, tablets and smartwatches when you are not at home.

wifi thermostatic control

Some have Geo capabilities location . This function makes the thermostat interact with your smartphone device, recognizing your position when you leave home by activating the heating when approaches the house.

6.- Thermostats modulating

This system is highly recommended for boilers that allow the use of this thermostat, technologies that Get the maximum energy savings possible. These systems have the function singular to modify and alter the power of the boiler depending on the temperature of the room, not only the on and off.

modulating heating thermostats

The modulating thermostat can present themselves with different connectivities and capacities; intelligent, wireless, programmable, etc. Its disadvantage is which can only be used in modular boilers. Have generally the highest cost of all thermostats, but it is worth your purchase for its great savings and its energy efficiency .

Elements complementary

To be more effective, there are other associated devices to the previous ones as it can be:

rain gauge accessories thermostats

Remember that we have an extensive article that we investigated in the types of air conditioning systems for homes and the zoning.

Which thermostat saves more energy?

The choice of the right thermostat or chronothermostat depends on the need to schedule the times of home heating in more or less detail , calibrating them according to our habits and lifestyle.

Let's not fool ourselves, this is like almost everything in life, how much The more investment we make, the greater the savings will be since the temperature monitoring will be much more accurate and detailed, and this involves using the thermostats digital programmable devices or thermostats modulating if our boiler is compatible.

The device we buy should be mid-range – high and should have:

heat control

smart thermostatic head

Which heating thermostats can I buy?

The market is flooded with heating controllers in offers and prices that vary greatly depending on quality and options that each thermostatic device has. be consistent with buy a wireless thermostat (Wi-Fi ones and that they work with the mobile), they are not cheap, that is the reality. Look for recognized brands; Nest from Google), Tado , Netatmo , Baxi , Somfy , etc.

The Google Nest device is one of the best you can get see HERE, but also in price it is expensive. Below are others more affordable options.

From the Amazon platform you can see offers interesting from good companies and at consistent prices; look for and compare, and please, ask at the neighborhood store, which sometimes they surprise with low prices! and in big surfaces such as Bauhaus , Leroy Merlin , Bricomart , Corte English and even in Media Markt , etc. Other examples of quality are:


netatmo thermostats The Netatmo thermostat with Wifi is a good option, which many times it is on sale, with good opinions and it is a company I would be. You can check the price in the official store.

It is compatible with most models of boilers (electricity, gas, fuel, wood or heat pump)


tado smart thermostat Another is the Tado thermostat (They also have thermostatic heads for individual radiators), with a price similar to the previous one and with capabilities to work together with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit Or the Google Assistant. You can check the price at Leroy Merlin that is often discounted from HERE .


And remember, in the end, all electronic devices that are cheap, in the long run, are expensive and of course, compare and ask about the warranty.

How much do you save by installing a thermostat?

Although in reality energy saving is designated by many factors like; by the systems outdated heating that we use, due to our habits of energy consumption, where the house is located, due to the weather...etc. There are some reports and tools to give them an idea of how much energy saving and economic we can achieve.

Access to the tool that calculates economic savings from HERE (It no longer works) and we can configure the type of housing, year built and surface of the same (No we sponsor the products they sell from the web). Remember our article of more than 30 tips to save energy in the house.

A report of the most serious on the subject that we can consult HERE with the title «influence of the regulation of temperature of thermostats in energy savings. Us indicates four important points as a conclusion:

, and being in real values – means (Remember that depends on many factors), that the average saving that can be reach

To have another comparison, there is a report that was made over 7,000 Homes from the US And the economic savings were from:

economic savings with thermostats

How can we test, in colder areas, the savings economic are higher than in warm areas. In both cases previous, digital thermostats were used smartphones monitored by the mobile .

If you liked the article, rate it and share!

# electrical load calculations, # building contractors company, # decorative brickwork company, # tiler.