Ricability - research and information for older people and people with disabilities

Thermostats

Room thermostats are fixed to the wall. When the air temperature around the thermostat reaches the level you’ve chosen, they switch the heating off. When the temperature falls below this level, they switch it back on again. There are two types – those with a dial you turn until it points to the temperature you want, and those which show the temperature (and sometimes other information) on a small LCD screen.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) are fitted to radiators. They turn the radiators off when the temperature around it has reached the level you have set. This means:

A digital room thermostat

it’s easy to turn off a particular radiator altogether. If you need to do this a lot, a TRV may be a good idea. However cold rooms sometimes get fusty, so a low level of heat with background ventilation helps prevent this

TRVs can save money because they can turn off individual radiators if the room gets too hot – because it gets the sun, or you are doing a lot of cooking in the kitchen, for example

it’s easy to have different temperatures in different rooms. For example some people prefer bedrooms to be cooler than living rooms

you can change settings easily, without affecting the temperature in other parts of your home

Zone Control
In most homes the central heating is controlled by one thermostat. Some systems can be fitted with zone controls – you have separate thermostats for each area, say bedrooms and living rooms, so you can control them separately.

Report Contents

About this guide

Tables


Home About us Research services Reports Childcare products Continence Household products Mobility Telecoms and alarms General Surveys Design Ordering Links Site map change text size and colour ?		Taking Control - A guide to buying or upgrading central heating controls(view report contents) A typical room thermostat Thermostats Room thermostats are fixed to the wall. When the air temperature around the thermostat reaches the level you’ve chosen, they switch the heating off. When the temperature falls below this level, they switch it back on again. There are two types – those with a dial you turn until it points to the temperature you want, and those which show the temperature (and sometimes other information) on a small LCD screen. Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) are fitted to radiators. They turn the radiators off when the temperature around it has reached the level you have set. This means: A digital room thermostat it’s easy to turn off a particular radiator altogether. If you need to do this a lot, a TRV may be a good idea. However cold rooms sometimes get fusty, so a low level of heat with background ventilation helps prevent this TRVs can save money because they can turn off individual radiators if the room gets too hot – because it gets the sun, or you are doing a lot of cooking in the kitchen, for example it’s easy to have different temperatures in different rooms. For example some people prefer bedrooms to be cooler than living rooms you can change settings easily, without affecting the temperature in other parts of your home Zone Control In most homes the central heating is controlled by one thermostat. Some systems can be fitted with zone controls – you have separate thermostats for each area, say bedrooms and living rooms, so you can control them separately. Back to top Report Contents About this guide Central heating basics Types How to buy What consumers want from central heating controls Registering for priority service Thermostats Room thermostats buying guide Room thermostats - summaries Thermostatic radiator valves buying guide TRVs - summaries Programmers Programmers buying guide Digital programmers - summaries Mechanical programmers - summaries Programmable thermostats - summaries Tables Digital and mechanical programmers Programmable thermostats Help with money Keeping bills down Main gas and electricity operators Helpful organisations Help with seeing and gripping Manufacturers
		Home \| About us \| Research services \| Reports \| Ordering \| Links \| Site map

Taking Control - A guide to buying or upgrading central heating controls(view report contents)

Thermostats

Report Contents