Everything You Need to Know About UK Thermostats

The history of thermostats goes way back. It all started in 1830 with Andrew Ure, a Scottish chemist, who patented the bi-metallic thermostat. However, it wasn’t until 1885 that thermostats made their real first appearance thanks to Albert Butz, a Swiss-born immigrant who created the first company able to produce thermostats. From here on out, the thermostat exploded in popularity becoming a mainstay in properties across the world. Including – of course – the UK. So, to help you have a clear understanding of everything you need to know about thermostats, we will cover the following topics: What is a thermostat? How does it work? What are the different types of thermostats? Where is the best place to put a thermostat in your house? What temperature should your thermostat be set at? Benefits of having a thermostat Uponor type of thermostats What is a thermostat? A thermostat is a device that senses and regulates the air temperature of a room. In simple words, a thermostat is a control that commands your heating and cooling system and commands the system when to turn on and off. How does a thermostat work and why it is important? The room thermostat is connected to your boiler or heating system via an electrical signal or wireless signal when there is a need for heat on or off. This means that the thermostat has detected that your room temperature has dropped below the set temperature and the signal fires up your boiler or heating system to deliver heat to satisfy the room. Once the room has reached the desired temperature, the same signal coming from the thermostat will turn off the heating system. Without a thermostat, your heating system will constantly continue to run without knowing when to stop. What are the different types of thermostats? Since 1885, thermostats have massively evolved, and now various types of thermostats are available: Non-programmable (the temperature is adjusted manually) Programmable (the temperature is pre-programmed) Wi-Fi (the temperature is adjusted remotely from your smartphone or tablet via a wireless connection) Self-diagnostics (learns your living habits and stores this information to adjust the temperature accordingly) Where is the best place to put a thermostat in your house? Since the thermostats sense the ambient temperature, their position is important to obtain an accurate reading. The best place to locate a thermostat should be on a wall in a room where the highest heat losses are (i.e., patio doors). You must ensure that your thermostat is about 5 feet above the floor to help gauge the ambient temperature in the room. If you have a SMART Thermostat, ensure to place it near a Wi-Fi with a strong connection and ensure that nothing blocks the sensor. What temperature should the thermostat be set at? It is recommended that during the day you set your bedroom temperature at 18°C and 21°C for living rooms, with a setback temperature during the night of 16-18°C making the 24-hour period eco-friendly. For more information on this, check out our article what temperature should your house be? Benefits of having a thermostat Having a thermostat in your house will make a big difference because of the many benefits they provide. Some of these benefits are: It allows you to take control of your heating at any time during the day. Creates a wellbeing zone by setting up the right temperature in your house and keeps your home warm. Saves money on your energy bills. Uponor’s types of thermostats Uponor offer Smatrix controls with the recent addition of Smatrix Pulse with options of wired and wireless thermostats. Smatrix Base are wired thermostats and Smatrix Wave are wireless thermostats. The Uponor Smatrix Pulse range of thermostats offers up to 48 heating control zones which can all be set up and controlled via an easy-to-use app. You can also control your thermostat with your voice via the Alexa or Google smart home controls.