Room thermostat (temperature regulator) for a gas boiler. Wireless thermostat for a gas boiler: description, principle of operation, main types and connection
In addition to the water heater, the heating system is also recommended to be equipped with various useful automation with sensors. One such device is a room thermostat for gas boiler, which greatly simplifies the control of equipment for heating the coolant. This thermostat helps to significantly reduce fuel costs and ensures that the air temperature in the house is as comfortable as possible for people.
Why is a thermostat needed?
Without room thermostat a conventional gas boiler turns on and off by monitoring the temperature in the water heating pipes. When initially turned on, it heats the coolant to the set parameters, and then extinguishes the torch in the furnace. Then, as the water cools, it restarts and starts the heating cycle to the desired values again.
However, not only heating radiators affect the air temperature in the room. With equally heated batteries on a sunny day, it is slightly higher in the room, and on the contrary, on a cold night, it is slightly lower. The flow of heat from the sun and heat loss through windows with walls do not disappear anywhere.
As a result, the burner of the gas boiler constantly lights up and goes out, and there is no need to talk about thermal comfort in the rooms - sometimes it's cold, sometimes it's hot. You have to regularly open / close the taps on the radiators. However, not every heating scheme for a private house provides for this, which forces you to manually adjust the operation of the boiler itself. And this is inconvenient and requires constant walking to the water heater.
Installation of room thermostats for gas boilers allows you to:
Simplify maintaining the desired temperature in a heated cottage;
Save on gas, its consumption in the presence of an air thermostat is reduced by 20–30%;
Get rid of the need to control the boiler settings all the time;
Extend the life of boiler equipment.
Temperature control - saving you money
Water in batteries cools faster than room air. To keep the coolant hot, the gas boiler has to turn on for a couple of minutes four to five times an hour. And together with it usually works and circulation pump. Such a hard regime inevitably leads to their rapid wear. But if the system has a room thermostat, then the number of “on / off” cycles of the water heater and pumping equipment is reduced by one and a half to two times.
As a result, with an air thermostat, the equipment lasts longer than without it. Moreover, they are recommended to equip both gas and electric boilers for heating a private house or apartment. But with a solid fuel analogue, such a device should not be installed. It will be possible to regulate the process of burning wood or coal with it only if the stove has a fan for forced oxygen supply.
The principle of operation of a room thermostat
The air thermostat for a gas boiler has a temperature sensitive element inside. This temperature sensor contains a gas that expands when heated and contracts when cooled. As a result of these processes, the contacts of the gas equipment power circuit are closed / opened.
Depending on the model, the thermostat may have:
One or more temperature sensors;
Digital timer for programming the operating modes of the boiler;
Mechanical regulator for setting the required temperature;
Display with software control unit.
The simplest is a device with a mechanical switch, with the help of which the parameters of the modes for turning on and off the boiler equipment are set. The most advanced are thermostats with a programmable control unit that allows you to set the operation settings separately for day and night. It's like a pumping station and a simple pump for a well - in general, they perform the same functions, but their capabilities differ.
The main types and features of thermostats
According to the technology of signal transmission from the room temperature sensor to the control unit, the thermostats in question are wired and wireless. In the first case, the thermostat with a gas boiler is connected by wires laid throughout the cottage. The second option is a separate module next to the water heater and temperature sensors in the rooms of the house, transmitting information to the control device via a radio channel.
According to the functionality of the thermostat can be:
Simple (mechanical) - designed only to maintain a given room temperature.
Programmable - allows you to set modes for different times of the day and every day of the week.
With optional humidity sensor.
Choice specific model depends on configuration heating system and the wishes of the owner of the house in terms of the level of microclimate control in the home. But the more functions and capabilities the device has, the more expensive it is. Often it is best to choose the simplest, most reliable and inexpensive option.
When choosing a model of a room thermostat for a gas boiler, one should be guided by the temperature limits available for the device, the size of the room and the characteristics of the heating water heater.
If the repair in the rooms has already been done, then it is worth picking up a wireless device. You don't have to run wires for it. If at the forefront is the desire to maximize the functioning of the entire heating system, then there is no better option than a programmable thermostat. It allows you to more carefully control the temperature parameters of the air and the operating modes of the boiler.
When installing the regulator in question, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature sensors:
They were located at a height of about 1.5 meters and on the inner walls;
Didn't turn out closed curtains, curtains and furniture;
They were at least a meter away from windows, doors and heating radiators.
The air around the temperature sensors must circulate freely. Putting them in a closet or behind the decor is unacceptable. Also, these sensors should not be mounted on walls facing the street and near doors. This will result in incorrect readings due to drafts and greater cooling of the outer building envelope compared to the inner partitions.
Ideally, room thermostats should be purchased from the same manufacturer that made the existing boiler. So they are easier to connect and configure, and they will work together with fewer failures and last longer.
To install such a regulator, you do not need to have special skills in electrical engineering and thermal power engineering. Remote sensors are mounted on the walls. And the connection of wires is carried out by means of terminals on the case. You just have to not mix up the strands. In the instructions for the boilers and these devices, the connection diagrams are described in as much detail as possible. Such a device in a programmable version is not cheap, but it pays off in just a couple of heating seasons.
Gasified facilities must have protection systems against possible leakage and ignition of gas. There can be many reasons for this, and one of them is a fire in the room. A fire causes an increase in temperature that can reach the flammable limit of the gas and cause it to explode. To prevent this, special valves have been developed to cut off the gas supply in the event of a fire.
Thermal shut-off valve: purpose
An automatic type of valve that shuts off the gas pipeline to all gas-powered devices during a fire is called a thermal shut-off valve. This device reduces the risk of explosions, injury and physical damage.
The installation of KTZ thermal shut-off valves is regulated by the standards set forth in the fire safety rules. They prescribe:
- Equip any types of highways natural gas, regardless of their complexity, branching and the number of consumer devices by systems of temperature-sensitive control and cut-off of supply.
- Apply as protective devices valves designed to operate when the temperature is reached environment one hundred degrees Celsius.
- Install thermal shut-off modules at the entrance to the room.
Valves are marked in the form of KTZ with a number after it. The number indicates the diameter of the gas supply pipe on which this valve can be installed.
Operating principle
The thermal shut-off valve consists of a body with a threaded connection, a fusible insert, a spring mechanism and an element (shutter) in the form of a plate or a ball that closes the channel.
In the initial state at normal temperature in the room, the shut-off element of the valve is cocked and held by a fusible link. When ignited, the overall temperature rises, reaching its mark of 85-100 degrees leads to the melting of the insert and the release of the cut-off mechanism. The latter, in turn, under the action of a spring, blocks the gas flow channel.
The thermoshut-off valve (KTZ) can work with any gases. After operation, it is replaced with a new one. It is possible to replace the fusible insert with another and further operation of the product.
Installation rules
In order for the thermal shut-off valve to work reliably, it is necessary to adhere to the rules for its installation:
- Valves on threaded connection should be installed in lines with pressure not higher than 0.6 MPa. The valves do not withstand pressure up to 1.6 MPa.
- The flow capacity of the valve must not be less than the flow capacity of the gas line.
- It is necessary to install a thermal shut-off valve on the gas pipeline in the very first place, and then the rest of the fittings.
- KTZ should be installed indoors and protect fittings that are not designed for high heat.
- The valve axis can be located in any direction.
- The flow of gas, the direction of which is indicated on the body of the device, must be taken into account.
- Installing the valve in places close to heating elements, the air temperature near which may exceed 53 degrees, is excluded.
- The built-in thermal shut-off valve must be checked for leaks.
- After installing the KTZ, it should not be provided extra pressure pipes by bending or twisting the device.
- Access to the valve must be free and unobstructed.
Conclusion
When buying a thermo shut-off valve make sure that the channel cut-off mechanism has not been triggered, which sometimes happens during transportation. With complex gas distribution inside the premises and the presence of several fuel consumers located in different parts building, it is recommended to install several shut-off valves for each branch.
Heating your home is a vital part of it. Efficient Management this system helps not only to save money on heating, but also to extend the life of the building itself, heating equipment. In addition, it is always more pleasant to be in a room with comfortable temperature. The thermostat of the gas boiler copes with these tasks, and the wireless thermostat makes it easier to control the operation of the boiler in the house. Let's see what kind of device it is, how necessary it is and how to use it.
The device is a small device that is connected to a gas boiler using terminals and wires. When it comes to a wireless device, data is exchanged via radio waves. Wireless kit consists of two blocks, one of which is installed indoors. It has a temperature sensor and an interface through which the desired temperature is set. temperature regime. It is equipped with a liquid crystal display and a keypad. The second is attached to the boiler with terminals. The blocks are interconnected by a radio channel.
Based on this design, it becomes clear why a thermostat is needed: temperature control in the room through the function of turning on and off the gas boiler when the set temperature is reached. 
For comparison: when a double-circuit gas boiler is installed in the house, the system is guided by the temperature of the water that circulates through it. As soon as it falls below the set level, the boiler turns on for heating. Therefore, if they change weather, you need to manually reset the indicators on the boiler. During the season, you have to resort to such manipulations more than once. This mode is inconvenient in that the boiler often starts only on short intervals time, usually for a couple of minutes every 5-10 minutes. But the circulation pump of the system works constantly. Accordingly, there is a large overspending of electricity. For example, a 24 kW double-circuit boiler consumes about 60-90 W / h, that is, about 43-65 kW per month. Apart from big expense energy, there is a high depreciation of the gas boiler itself.
Attention!The main advantage of a heating system with a room thermostat is that it turns on the boiler depending on the room temperature. A system without a thermostat turns it on when the water in it cools.
If there is a thermostat in the room, it is easier, faster and more economical to regulate the temperature in the room. Principle of operation room thermostat allows you to set the desired temperature parameters directly in the room and not run to reprogram the boiler every time you need to change the temperature. 
Types of thermostats
There are several types of thermostats for controlling the temperature of central heating.
By connection method
The thermostat can be installed in the room or directly next to the boiler. In the latter case, we are talking about the central thermostat. The newer generation of thermostats mostly have a wireless connection to the boiler, while the old ones are connected to it by wires.
On a note!The recommended indoor air temperature is 20 °C, at night it can be one degree higher. But in the children's room and where the elderly live or with handicapped, it is worth setting 22 ° С.
The central thermostat turns on and off the heating throughout the house, and the room thermostat allows you to change the heating mode at any time, set a special mode for weekends, day and night, or for the period of departure of the owners. If the house has one boiler with a radiator, one room thermostat is sufficient. 
By functionality
By type of function, wireless thermostats for gas boilers can be divided into three main types:
- simple, which have only one function - maintaining a predetermined temperature in the room;
- programmers or programmable, which already have a number of useful features: you can set the operation of the heating system for a week, differentiate the temperature by time of day, and so on;
- with hydrostatic function. Such devices have a built-in hydrostat that allows you to control not only the temperature regime, but also the level of humidity in the premises, as well as adjust it to the required parameters.
Before you buy such a device, you need to calculate its required power. To do this, you need to know the total heated area and the approximate temperature level that must be maintained. So you save money by not buying a device that is too powerful, and you can also prevent breakdowns by changing the wiring in advance if it turns out that it cannot withstand such a load.
The operation of the device is as follows. It is necessary to set the desired temperature indicator on it. As soon as the air in the room cools one degree lower, a signal is sent from the thermostat to the gas boiler to turn on. The system turns on and warms up the premises. When the temperature is one degree higher than the set temperature, the thermostat sends a signal to turn off. And then both the boiler itself and the pump are turned off. 
Let's take a look at what the reviews say about the operation of wireless thermostats for gas boilers. On significant energy savings and reduced boiler depreciation. Its switching on and off is reduced tenfold, and electricity is saved by turning off the pump when the boiler is idle.
Also, when weather and other conditions change, there is no need to reset the temperature on the boiler. It simply does not turn on if it is already warm, and turns on when the temperature starts to drop.
On a note!Boilers without a thermostat show energy overruns of 25-30%. This is due to the fact that an increase in temperature over established norm even one degree leads to a large waste of fuel.
In addition to saving fuel consumption, there is a saving of electricity by about 30-40 kW per month. Not to mention less wear and tear on the equipment itself. Everything suggests that installing a wireless temperature controller for the boiler is a profitable investment.
How to properly install a thermostat for a gas heating boiler: connection diagram
It is necessary to install a room-type device in the most visited room. As a rule, this is a bedroom or living room. It is important that this be living room and not the kitchen, hallway or bathroom. If there are few people in the house, then the coldest room is selected. 
Before installing the thermostat, take care of the insulation of the premises. Otherwise, no savings will be obtained due to high heat losses.
When purchasing a wireless electronic thermostat for a gas boiler, we must remember that it needs a constant supply of air. Therefore, it cannot be placed behind furniture or covered with curtains. Also, it must be placed at a safe distance from electrical and heating appliances that interfere with radio waves. Danger is also touch switches and neighboring boilers that are across the wall. Also, places where the rays of the sun fall or there are drafts are not suitable, air flows from the air conditioner pass. If there are valves with thermal heads on the heating radiators in the room, it also makes no sense to install the device here.
The device is placed at a distance of one and a half meters above the floor. Given that warm air rises, and cold falls, at this distance the air has an average temperature in the room. This rule must be adhered to, even if heating is installed in the floor. The device is attached to inner wall buildings, as the outside is too cold, even if they are insulated.
The connection diagram of the thermostat to the boiler is indicated in the instructions for the device, but it is worth identifying the key installation requirements. Before starting work, always turn off the power in the house to protect yourself.
Choose a place for installation in accordance with the recommendations described above. Connect the phase and zero to it, then mount the thermostat. Now you need to connect the phase, zero and ground of the device with the corresponding contacts of the gas boiler. If the device uses standard markings, the pins are labeled N, L and PE respectively. After connecting them, the connection of the thermostat to the boiler is completed.
How to connect a thermostat to a gas boiler - see the video instruction
Advantages of using wireless thermostats for gas heating boilers
The main difference between the wireless thermostat for gas boilers is the built-in radio module, which is connected to the controller of the water heater. Accordingly, there is no need for wiring, which saves time, effort and money.
Attention!It is desirable that the thermostat is from the same manufacturer as the boiler. This will not only facilitate installation and debugging of the device, but also ensure device compatibility. Sometimes there are problems with the latter. Moreover, this complexity is typical not only for wireless, but also for wired devices. Therefore, always consult a specialist before buying.
Wireless thermostats for gas heating boilers are sometimes available with a GSM module. Such devices can transmit text information to the phone. Boilers of South Korean and European production have built-in Wi-Fi modules that allow you to control the heating system via the Internet, adjusting the temperature in the house from a distance.
Depending on these additional features the price of the device also varies. But if you take a simple thermostat, its cost will be low. At the same time, even an inexpensive unit allows you to significantly save on electricity, fuel, and carefully use the equipment of the heating system.
For more information on setting different temperature conditions in a room using a thermostat, see the video
The end result of installing an autonomous heating system is to obtain maximum thermal comfort for people living in the house. In addition to choosing a boiler, the future owner must take care of purchasing a minimum set of automation, which includes a room thermostat for a heating boiler. What kind of device it is, what is its role in creating a comfortable microclimate in the room, will be described in this publication.
Why an air thermostat for a heating boiler?
All happy owners autonomous heating know that a boiler is a device that, by burning fuel, heats the water circulating in the heating system. The heating boiler does not work constantly, but cyclically: it heated the coolant to a certain temperature - it turned off. The coolant cooled down by a few degrees - the boiler turned on. The temperature of the coolant is set manually by the owner, with a thermostat, which is an integral part of any modern heating boiler, regardless of its manufacturer and equipment functionality.
This system of thermoregulation has several rather serious drawbacks:
- The first inconvenience is that when the weather changes, the owner of the autonomous heating system is forced to visit the furnace room every time and set new temperature values on the boiler. This is not always convenient, especially if the boiler is installed in a separate furnace room.
- In order to maintain the temperature set by the user, the boiler often turns on and off the burner. This leads to an increase in fuel consumption and the development of equipment life.
To solve these problems, most manufacturers climate technology recommends using room thermostats for gas boilers. Sometimes on the network you can find the names of this device as: air thermostat, programmer or room temperature sensors.
The principle of operation of the thermostat
The simplest room thermostat is an electromechanical device, the "heart" of which is a temperature-sensitive element filled with gas that expands with increasing air temperature. Upon reaching the user-defined air temperature in the room where the device is installed, the temperature-sensitive element opens the contacts that connect the device with the heating boiler. This action is a signal for the boiler automation or for the gas valve, which turn off the burner or put it into support mode. It all depends on the model and configuration of the heating equipment.
When the boiler stops, the coolant in the circuit cools down. Naturally, this leads to a decrease in the air temperature in the room, while the thermocouple closes the contacts, and the heating system controller restarts the burner.
The advantages of using a room thermostat are as follows: comfort in a heated room depends on the temperature and humidity characteristics of the air, and not on the temperature of the coolant in the batteries. Air cools much more slowly than water. That is why when using a room thermostat, the most comfortable temperature for the inhabitants of the room is maintained with a significant decrease in the number of start-ups of the heating boiler.
In other words: using an air thermostat, you increase the resource of the equipment and get a comfortable microclimate in your home, getting rid of the frequent adjustment of the parameters of the boiler unit, saving money on the return of used fuel. Numerous observations show that when using a room temperature sensor, savings on the maintenance of an autonomous heating system amount to 35% per year.
Types of room thermostats
All types of air thermostats can be divided into two broad categories:
- Devices that use a cable to communicate with the heating system.
- Wireless temperature controllers, in which a radio channel is used to communicate with the boiler.
Wired devices are conditionally divided into mechanical and electronic. In mechanical systems, a temperature-sensitive element is responsible for controlling the operation of the boiler plant, an example of which was discussed above. In the electronic thermostat for the boiler, the temperature sensor is responsible for controlling the latter.
Wireless devices consist of two modules: the first is installed directly next to the boiler unit and is connected by cable to its terminals. The second module is mounted in a heated room. It has an informative LCD display and a numeric keypad for setting parameters. Between themselves, the controller and the executive module communicate via a radio channel, the frequency of which does not affect the operation of other electronic equipment in the house. 
The wireless group of thermostats can be divided into simple devices, whose work is only to turn off and turn on the heating equipment when peak temperatures are reached, and weekly programmers, which we will dwell on in more detail.
The weekly programmer is a modern multifunctional device that can not only monitor the maintenance of a fixed temperature, but also has the possibility of hourly and weekly programming thermal regime. Most models of programmers are non-volatile and can work with built-in rechargeable batteries.
Today, gsm thermostats for heating boilers have appeared on the domestic market of climate technology. One or two SIM cards are installed in these devices, thanks to which the owner autonomous system heating, it became possible to control the operation of the boiler remotely, using a smartphone or tablet PC.
Digressing from the topic, we want to inform you that we have prepared comparative reviews on gas boilers. You can get to know them at the following materials:
Do-it-yourself thermostat installation
Although by law all work with gas equipment must be carried out by certified specialists, anyone can install a room thermostat on their own House master having the skills to work with a screwdriver. Consider the stages of work on the example of a wall-mounted gas boiler.
- Power off the device.
- Remove the outer cover from the heating system. As a rule, it is dismantled by unscrewing 4 screws fixed from the bottom of the device.
- Loosen the screws securing the control box.
- Remove the cover from the control box. The task is to get to the control board.
- On the board you will see a jumper between the "TA" contacts, which must be dismantled.
- Instead of a jumper, connect a two-core insulated cable (preferably copper) with a conductor cross section of 0.5 - 0.75 mm 2.
The voltage that comes out of the control board to the thermostat connection cable is non-hazardous, 24 V. But, when working with electricity, follow all safety rules!
- Assemble the control box and install the boiler cover in reverse order.
- Connect the thermostat to the cable according to the instructions for the device.
Advice! If you are connecting a room thermostat that has more than 2 pins on the terminal block, use the ones that indicate a normally open contact. (H, NO). In devices from the Celestial Empire, contacts can be indicated by the numbers 1; 2; 3. You can determine the normally open contact using a tester.
Video on connecting the thermostat to the heating boiler:
- If you are on a budget, then get a simple, wired, electronic thermostat. Such devices are more technologically advanced, with a better response, and the quality of their work does not depend on contacts oxidized in air, as in mechanical counterparts.
- If you are concerned about saving energy resources, and at the same time your own funds, purchase a weekly programmer. This device will significantly reduce the temperature in the room, and, accordingly, the frequency of switching on the boiler plant during the hours when all household members are at work.
- If you have already made repairs, and there is no desire to ditch the walls for cable laying, then purchase wireless air thermostats.
In principle, any room thermostat is like any wall-mounted gas boiler. However, boiler manufacturers strongly recommend connecting only one brand of air thermostats. For example, according to the manufacturer, a room thermostat for a baxi gas boiler should only be of this brand. This is a marketing ploy to attract more buyers!
Automation in the heating system allows you to more accurately control the temperature in heated rooms and save on fuel. By installing a thermostat for a heating boiler, the owner of the cottage increases the efficiency of boiler equipment by 20-30% and greatly simplifies its maintenance.
We will talk about the types of thermostats used in practice, about the rules for their location and connection features. The article we have proposed describes in detail the options and schemes for connecting devices. Taking into account our advice, you will be able to correctly select the device and, if desired, install it.
A conventional heating system with water as the heat carrier consists of heating equipment or a connection to centralized network, internal wiring pipes and radiators.
In order to regulate the volumes of heat coming from it into the rooms, you either have to constantly monitor the boiler, or regularly close / open the valves on the batteries.
At the same time, the inertia of such a system does not allow maintaining the desired temperature throughout the day at the set level. If more firewood is added to the stove or gas is supplied to the boiler, then the coolant in the pipes will heat up more, while it will also give off more heat through the radiators.
At low temperatures outside the window, this is good. But with a sharp warming on the street in the house, the heat becomes unbearable. The fuel is already in the furnace, and the water has already warmed up, there is no way to get rid of the heat. Plus the boiler is still working.
Without a thermostat in the system, you have to turn it off manually. You can, of course, open the windows for ventilation and release the heat, but then the fuel bills for sure will ruin. The conclusion suggests itself: a thermostat for heating simplifies living, makes it as comfortable as possible.
A thermostat (thermostat) is a device for monitoring the temperature in a heated room and increasing / decreasing the heat supply to it
The thermostat for the heating system consists of:
- temperature-sensitive sensor (element);
- tuning block;
- control module;
- electromagnetic relay or mechanical valve.
In the most simple models the control block is missing. Everything happens through pure mechanics and change physical properties temperature sensitive element.
These thermostats do not need power. In terms of efficiency and accuracy of system adjustment, they are inferior to electronic devices, but energy-independent. In case of problems with the voltage in the network, they definitely will not stop working.
The principle of operation of the thermostat is as follows:
- The desired temperature is set using the control unit.
- When the required parameters are reached, the sensor is triggered, which leads to the shutdown of the boiler or the closing of the shut-off valve in the heating pipes.
- After the air temperature in the room drops, the boiler equipment or heaters are turned on again.
Module electronic control allows you to set not one temperature indicator, but several at once for each time of day separately. Plus, in the presence of such a unit, it is possible to install an additional temperature sensor on the street and link the functioning of the thermostat to data from it.
Depending on the type of device, the thermostat is connected directly to the boiler to regulate its operation or at the inlet to the radiator to control the volume of coolant supply
The simplest thermostat is shut-off valves with a temperature sensor, standing on a pipe near the battery. When the desired temperature is reached, it closes and reduces the flow of the coolant. And on cooling room air it opens again, as a result of which the volumes of incoming heat increase.
More complex and advanced models suggest the presence wireless sensors and control units. All communication between separate elements takes place over the radio. Wires in this case are not laid, which has a positive effect on the aesthetic side of the placement of such thermostats in the room.
Types of thermostats for boilers
The main difference between thermostats is the different types of temperature-sensitive sensors. Some are installed on the heating pipe, others inside it, and others are mounted on the wall. Some are designed to measure the air temperature, and the second - the coolant.
The choice of thermostat model depends on:
- boiler type;
- wiring diagrams of the heating system;
- availability of free space;
- the required functionality.
Many modern boilers are pre-designed for connecting thermostats to them. Moreover, the manufacturer of boiler equipment immediately prescribes all the nuances of this installation in the data sheet.
If an electronic model of the thermostat is selected, then it is best to give preference to the most efficient one - the one recommended by the boiler developer
Ideally, the thermostat should regulate the operation of the heating device itself, that is, the supply of fuel to it. This is the most efficient connection scheme in terms of fuel economy. In this case, the energy carrier will be burned exactly as much as the required heat.
But such a thermostat can only be installed on or. If , then adjust room temperature a thermostat with a mechanical valve, which is already mounted on the pipe, will help.
Battery-mounted regulators are designed to shut off the water supply when too high temperature in the room or near the coolant. In this case, the boiler stops working a little later, when its own temperature sensor is triggered inside, which prevents the equipment from overheating.
Group #1: Mechanical
The operation of a mechanical temperature sensor is based on the change in the characteristics of the material when its temperature changes. This is an easy-to-execute, budgetary, quite efficient and completely independent of the power supply option. It is designed to be installed on pipes for flow regulation.
Classic example mechanical thermostat– a device with a needle valve (lock) and a thermal head-bellows
As a substance that reacts to changes in temperature in mechanical thermostats are used:
- liquid.
When the liquid is heated, the gases expand, which leads to their pressure on the check valve stem. When the temperature drops, they shrink, the lock springs back, and the heated water again flows through the pipes into the radiators.
It is characterized by low sensitivity and large adjustment error. They only work when the temperature rises by 2 or more degrees. Plus, over time, the bellows filler loses its characteristics, the numbers on the installation knob of the required temperature parameters and the real degrees begin to diverge.
These thermostats have enough big sizes. The vast majority of them are designed to measure the temperature of the water in the batteries, and not the air in the room. It is often difficult to accurately adjust them the way the owner of the house wants.
Group #2: Electromechanical
These thermostats operate on principles similar to purely mechanical counterparts. Only a metal plate is used here as a temperature-sensitive element.
When heated, it bends and closes the contact, and when cooled, it returns to its original position and opens the circuit. And already through this circuit, a signal is sent to the burner control unit.
The electromechanical thermostat requires power supply, it controls the valves or burners in the boiler that regulate the flow of coolant by means of electrical signals
Another version of the electromechanical thermostat is a device with a sensor in the form of two plates made of different metals. In this case, the temperature-sensitive element is installed directly into the furnace of a solid fuel boiler.
At high temperatures, a potential difference arises between the plates, which affects the electromagnetic relay. Contacts in the latter either open or close. As a result, the air supply to the combustion chamber is turned on/off.
Group #3: electronic
This type of thermostats for hot water boilers belongs to the volatile category. Such devices have a remote temperature sensor that monitors the temperature in the room, and a full-fledged control unit with a display.
For electric boilers, such thermostats are a mandatory addition. Without them electric heaters will work without stopping, heating the air or coolant too much.
Boilers and boilers powered by electricity are in the vast majority of cases equipped with thermostats at the factory
AT electronic thermostat there are two main elements:
- Temperature sensor.
- microcontroller.
The first measures the temperature, and the second controls it and gives signals to increase / decrease the supply of thermal energy to the room. The sensor can send an analog or digital signal to the controller. In the first case, the thermostat is similar in capabilities to the mechanical counterpart, only greatly exceeding it in the accuracy of measuring temperature indicators.
Digital temperature controllers are the pinnacle of the development of these devices. They allow you to adjust the heat supply according to a predetermined algorithm. Plus, you can connect to them much more sensors located both indoors and outdoors.
Many electronic thermostats have the ability remote control via infrared or cellular. This allows you to control the room temperature not only with the remote control in the room, but also from any point outside it.
For example, even leaving work, you can send a signal to heat the room air to comfortable parameters, and by the time you arrive, the house will delight you with comfort and warmth.
Electronic devices intended for automatic adjustment qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the coolant are a mandatory component. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with their device.
Principal connection diagrams
All ways to turn on the thermostat in the heating system are divided into three connection options:
- directly to the boiler.
- to the circulation pump.
- On the pipe supplying the coolant to the radiator.
The first two schemes exclude deterioration bandwidth heating pipeline. No additional constipation is placed in it, the hydraulic resistance of the entire system does not change. The thermostat here controls the operation of only the pump or boiler, it “does not come into contact with water”.
When a thermostat is installed on a battery or a common pipe with several radiators, the hydraulic resistance, on the contrary, increases. Even in full open state the thermostat valve slightly slows down the movement of the coolant.
Ideally, the boiler piping project must be carried out immediately, taking into account all thermostatic and other devices.
Insert thermostats into existing heating pipes only as a last resort, maximum efficiency from their use can be achieved only if they are included in the system at the design stage
If the water heating system in the house is made according to, then it is better to immediately refuse the third option. When the temperature sensor is triggered, the valve will immediately close the entire branch of radiators in several rooms, and then you can immediately forget about comfort in rooms far from the boiler.
Connect the thermostat to the radiator inlet through. So when triggered, it will redirect the coolant flow around the battery. In this case, the water will return uncooled back to the boiler. The latter will stop heating it, thereby reducing consumption gas fuel or electricity.
When installing a thermostatic air temperature sensor, certain rules must be followed, otherwise, under the influence of neighboring devices or objects, it will falsely work
The temperature sensor must be installed:
- in a place where direct sunlight does not fall;
- away from cold bridges, drafts and rising heat flows from radiators;
- so that it is not covered by decorative screens or curtains;
- at a height from the floor within 1.2–1.5 meters.
If the sensor is installed incorrectly, the thermostat will give false signals. This can lead to overheating of not only the air in the room, but also the coolant in the system. And in the second case, not for long and before problems with the boiler.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
There should not be any particular difficulties with the installation of the thermostat. It only needs to be chosen correctly for a particular heating system. And the selected videos will definitely help you with this.
Video #1 Connecting a room thermostat to a gas boiler in all nuances:
Video #2 Overview of the wall thermostat:
Video #3 Technology for including a contact thermostat in a system with a circulation pump:
An addition to a heating boiler in the form of a thermostat is a great way to save on home heating, increase living comfort and reduce wear and tear on equipment heating the coolant. The money spent on thermostats pays off in one winter season.
In this case, you can choose as a simple mechanical option with manual control, and a more advanced device with a programmer.
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