Introduction
An important component of any heating is a thermostat. Whether is it thermostats for underfloor heating or traditional central heating panels, the principles remain the same. Here we guide you through the different types of thermostat available and the steps needed for successful installation.
What is a Thermostat?
Before we go too much further, let’s start with some basics: what is a thermostat? Put simply, a thermostat is a device you would have in your home that helps you to regulates temperature. You may be able to turn the temperature up using the thermostat or the device will activate heating in your home automatically, should there need to be a boost to reach the set temperature.
The aim of a thermostat is to avoid those moments when you must switch the heating on and off to maintain a regular temperature. In reality, the name tells us all that we need to know about the function of a thermostat. This gadget manages the status quo (stat) of the heat (thermos) in your house. It keeps it at the same level.
Most thermostats work by monitoring the temperature using thermal expansion. When something gets warmer it expands – the thermostat uses this idea to flick the circuit for the heating on and off. There are two common means of achieving this: bimetallic strips that bridge the gap in a heating circuit and gas-filled bellows which move two metal discs together or apart.
Thermostats have come into the future and are now connected via The Internet of Things. What does this mean? Well, it is now possible to regulate your thermostat from your mobile devices, such as your Android or your iPhone. This is a means of controlling energy and saving money. You may have a timer that works to your working day – so that it only heats the house to the comfortable level when you are home. However, this leads to a lot of waste. So, now, you can switch the thermostat on whilst you are on the move – meaning the house becomes warm just as you walk through the door.
What are the Different Types of Thermostat?
Not all thermostats are the same. Depending on the level of sophistication and the amount of money you want to spend, you can get a thermostat for your wishes. There is the most basic form of thermostat – a dial that is non-programmable and requires manual usage, through to the communicating thermostat that tells you when it has switched on – and then there is a thermostat for everything in between. Let’s take you on a tour of some of the most popular thermostats you might choose.
Dial type thermostats
The dial type thermostat is the most basic form of thermostat. As the title suggests, this can just be a simple dial that can be turned up and down based on the temperature you want. Often, there is no display of the temperature selected – which can make it a little imprecise. However, this does the basic job of keeping the status quo of heat being pumped into a room.
There is a higher-tech version that comes with an LCD display. This basic display shows the actual and the set temperature for when the heat is on. You can lock the temperature and it is the easiest thermostat to quickly move the temperature up and down. It is possible to set the temperature between 05 and 35 degrees on most examples.
This is an affordable option for controlling the level of heat in your home.
Slimline thermostats
A slimline thermostat sits neatly on the wall of your house – offering a large digital display of the temperature you require in your home. This makes it easier for you to be precise within a degree. This is important, as experts claim a single degree can make a significant difference to the cost of the energy for a household.
There is a lot of choice with the level of sophistication of these thermostats. There is the option on installing a non-programmable unit – or you can programme for the week and then for weekend – or you can programme for each day separately. There is also the option for a self-learning optimum start – which works out the levels you want for your house based on the decisions you make when you first use the thermostat.
This thermostat is relatively basic, but it still offers four level of comfort per day; a remote air sensor facility; a temperature hold facility and the option for remote control. There is even the chance for holiday programming.
Touchscreen thermostats
We live in the age of the smartphone; therefore, we are used to touchscreen programming options. This is why programmable touchscreen thermostats have become increasingly popular. You pay a little more for the touchscreen – but the simplicity and ease of use is highly desirable. You can make it more affordable by choosing a standard programmable model – but if you want to control your floor heating with more precision, you may want to choose the multimode touchscreen thermostat.
The display is a blue back-lit touchscreen and you can select programmable or non-programmable – which can be changed within the software. The touchscreen thermostat comes with most of the functions of a standard thermostat – including heating for the weekday and weekend or programming for each individual day. There is also the holiday function.
The reason you would choose this touchscreen gadget is the ease with which you can increase or decrease the temperature.
Wireless thermostats
On a simple level, a wireless thermostat could be a standard thermostat with WiFi connectivity – meaning it just attached to your internet. On a more sophisticated level, you can have a colour touchscreen that allows you to set unique temperatures for different areas of your home – with up to 32 zones with distinct names. These can be programmed during the initial installation of your thermostat – allowing you to have ultimate control over the amount of energy being used in your home.
There is the option for setting up different profiles, which allow for different sets of comfort levels to be available for different zones and at different times. This is brilliant for people who have ever-changing shift patterns – and you can select the profile to match your shifts. It is possible to export your profile history via USB – and to update the firmware of your thermostat via the same USB.
There are some unique functions when you get to thermostats of this level of sophistication. You can press the temperature hold button, for instance, should you find yourself staying up late into the night. You can also make a quick boost to your hot water and view a history of the thermostat for the last 4 weeks. An interesting feature for some thermostats at this level – is an Auto GMT which changes the time based on whether the clocks are on British Summer Time or Greenwich Mean Time.
Overview of How to Install a Thermostat
Obviously, it is possible to ask the engineer installing your heating or underfloor heating to install your thermostat. Equally, if you are just changing thermostat, you could hire in an electrician. However, you might feel you have the necessary skills and confidence to install the thermostat yourself. Here is a step by step guide on how to do this. Installing a thermostat isn’t as hard as you think – so it is not impossible to believe you are right to feel you could do it without professional support.
These are general instructions, and you should look to the specific instructions for your thermostat to be certain you are following the correct steps. You should also cross reference this with the heating system in your home.
Step One: Collect together the correct tools.
You will need to make sure you have all the necessary tools to install your thermostat before you get started. You should gather:
- a Philips head screwdriver
- a flat-headed screwdriver
- wire cutters
- wire strippers
- a drill
- assorted drill bits
- a spirit level
It is also a good idea to have a pencil handy – not for writing – but for twisting the wires around so they don’t fall through the wall during the installation.
Step Two: Choosing the site of your thermostat
You may want to put your new thermostat where your old one was placed. This might not be the best place for your thermostat – it might be a particularly draft-filled area – or it might be hard to find. Therefore, if you are choosing to put your new thermostat in a new site – you need to choose this site carefully.
An optimal position would be in a room on an inside wall about five feet from the ground. You should avoid a corner, in an alcove or behind a door that can be left open. Ultimately, you need to think if there is unusual heating or cooling circumstances where you place the thermostat. An obvious example would be close to the oven or by a window that gets lots and lots of hot sun.
If the place you choose for your thermostat is a long way from the original site, it is likely you will need professional support to deal with the additional in-house wiring required.
Step Three: Switch off the power
Before installing your thermostat, you should switch off the power to your house. It should be switched off for the entire time that you are working on the installation. This is important for your safety.
Step Four: Removing the old thermostat
If you are replacing an existing thermostat you should remove the cover. Once the cover is off, it is a good idea to take a photograph of the wires for this thermostat before you start the replacement.
Alternatively, you can write down the letter by the port for the colour of the wire. There should be an “r” for instance where the red wire terminates. You should also be given a sheet of stickers that can help you label the wires before you get started. This should be provided in the new thermostat box. This is important because not all wires in the wall will be different coloured and the colour may not correlate to function. Therefore, you will need to match the sticker to mark the letter codes with the stickers.
When disconnecting the old thermostat make sure the wires don’t fall back into the wall by wrapping them around a pencil. Make sure the unconnected wires do not touch each other.
IMPORTANT: The labelling of stickers is crucial. Your new thermostat may not have the same coding. The new thermostat should be wired exactly the same as the way your old thermostat was wired. This is why the photograph is important in the installation process and why you need to label the wires.
Once the wires are disconnected one at a time, remove the screws from the old thermostat – used for mounting. Make sure the stickers do not come away from the wires when you remove the backplate.
Your existing thermostat could include mercury. Make sure you dispose of this thermostat in an appropriate way.
Step Five: Prepare the wires
You should then use the wire cutters to remove any wire that is affected by corrosion. You should then use the wire strippers to make sure there is three eighths of an inch of bare wire showing. You can then pack the hole with non-combustible insulation material to stop drafts coming through the wall and impacting on the efforts of the thermostat.
Step Six: Mount the back plate
Take your new thermostat and remove the back plate. This usually happens easily enough by pressing the corners of the unit and gently pulling the back plate off. It may be that the back plate and the thermostat are separate in the box.
Then, feed the wires through the backplate. Hold the back plate against the wall, using a spirit level to ensure it is straight, and use the screwdrivers to attach the backplate to the wall. You may need to make holes for the new thermostat with a drill and use anchors for the screws to sit within.
Match the wires in the wall to the fixings inside the thermostat. This should be easy enough – as there should be lettering on the backplate that guides you. There should be a letter “R” for instance where the red wire should be attached – or where the wire you labelled “R” with the stickers should go. You should make sure the bare wire is held all the way into the terminal blocks. There should be no bare wire exposed.
It may be that your new thermostat has different coding on the backplate to your old thermostat. If this is the case, you should refer to the guide that comes with your thermostat to make sure that the wires are connected to the appropriate terminal. If you are uncertain, you should contact the customer services department for your chosen thermostat. The customer support should offer detailed technical assistance for all points of the installation process.
Remember to only attach the wires for the current thermostat to this new thermostat. These wires will either be screwed in or they will be pushed into a terminal. Check whether you need to keep the jumper wire that connects the R and the RC terminals.
Step Seven: Check whether you need batteries
Some thermostats require batteries to power the display. Check in the guide to see what batteries you require. Some thermostats will connect to the power in your house. Check with the guide and the technical support assistance for your particular thermostat to ensure you are making appropriate choices for this part of the installation.
Some units have heavy power wires – these are either 110 or 120 VAC. Make sure you read the guide that comes with the thermostat to make sure it can be attached to the main power of your house.
Step Eight: Attach the rest of the thermostat to the backplate
Likely the easiest step in the process will be clicking the rest of the thermostat in place. This should be a matter of pressing this into the fixings – you will have disconnected this when removing the backplate earlier in the process. It may that you need to gently push the wires down to make sure the thermostat is fixed securely in place.
Then, switch the power back on for your house.
Step Nine: Set up the display
Once you turn the power back on to the house, the thermostat display should switch on. You can then begin the process of programming your thermostat. If you have a Wi-Fi thermostat you will be guided to attach the thermostat to the internet.
In Short
Attaching a thermostat tends to follow four easy steps: remove the old thermostat, attach the backplate of the new thermostat, attach each wire to the new backplate; set up the display.
If you are moving the thermostat to a place where the existing cables do not reach, this is probably a time when you should call in a specialist. This will require some experience with the wiring of houses.
Summary
If you want your underfloor heating to be responsive to your changing needs, then you will need to control the temperature created using a thermostat. Choosing the appropriate thermostat is down to your budget and your taste. Remember the more control you have over the temperature of your house, in the different zones that are occupied or not, the more money you could potentially save. With the current expense of energy, choosing a cheaper thermostat could be counter-productive.
Once you have bought your thermostat, replacing the old one could not be simpler – if you are choosing to put it in the same place as the old one. You remove the old thermostat, label and prepare the wires, attach the new backplate and then attach the new thermostat. You will then need to setup and programme the thermostat.
This is the best way to make the most of your underfloor heating – an easy and simple money saving activity – that makes your life more straightforward and comfortable.
