Controllers and Thermostats for Water Heater Radiators

Contents

    – Aquastat: basic thermostat present on all heaters

    – Room thermostat: indispensable!

    – Heating programmer: comfort and savings

    – Outdoor sensor: to anticipate climatic variations

    – Thermostatic faucets or thermostatic valves

Many devices regulate and program heating or domestic hot water production. They allow you to handle your different heat sources better and control your consumption.

Aquastat: basic thermostat present on all heaters

Every heater has at least a straightforward thermostat placed on the heating water circuit or heater:

    – This basic heating programmer is present on the heater itself.

    – It has the function of a heating controller: it measures the temperature of the water circulating in the circuit and keeps it constant and at the set temperature display.

    – However, it only measures the system’s internal temperature and is indifferent to the temperature of the rooms. But by varying it manually, you can regulate your heating!

Room thermostat: indispensable!

Room thermostats are very widespread, and they allow you to set a set room temperature throughout the house (18°C, for example):

    – Connected directly to the burner of the heater, it plays the role of a heating regulator since it modulates its operation to maintain the temperature constant.

    – Installed in a reference room (living room, hallway) where the temperature is supposed to be homogeneous, at the height of 1.50 m from the floor (avoid an outside wall), it allows you to correct temperature variations within the house.

    – Economical, starting at $20, a room thermostat allows energy savings of up to 10%.

    – Available with or without wire, it is now often coupled with a heating programmer.

Heating controller: comfort and savings

The heating programmer is an electronic device that the user can set. You can take advantage of it in several ways:

    – Heating controllers switch on and modulate the heating according to the programmed times and days. They typically offer 3 different regimes:

        ◦ comfort mode where the heating operates normally: evening or weekend;

        ◦ economy mode where the heating operates weakly: during the night or short absences;

        ◦ frost-free mode where the heating is on standby: extended absences.

    – Heating programming can be done:

        ◦ according to time: from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., for example;

        ◦ according to the time of day: day/night, morning/afternoon/evening;

        ◦ according to the day of the week: workdays/weekends.

    – Three highlights of the heating programmer:

        ◦ Energy savings: you only heat when necessary! If during the day the house remains unoccupied, you can choose to program the heating in standby mode from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., for example.

        ◦ Increased comfort: the heating programmer allows you to anticipate your needs. For example, the bathroom heating will turn on 30 minutes before you wake up.

        ◦ Functional and automatic: once the programmer is set, you don’t have to touch anything!

    – The price of a heating programmer is between $150 and $300. The device quickly pays for itself through the savings generated.

Outdoor sensor: to anticipate climatic variations

The outdoor sensor among the various heating programmers allows you to anticipate climatic variations and thus maintain a certain level of comfort inside.

    – The outdoor sensor measures the temperature outside the house. It is recommended to place it on a north or northwest wall.

    – The temperature sensor transmits any change in the outside temperature to the heater’s heating controller, which automatically adjusts the heater’s speed accordingly.

    – An outdoor sensor keeps the temperature inside the house constant, regardless of weather variations, while shortening the standard response time of the system.

    – Prices start at $40.

Thermostatic faucets or thermostatic valves

Always with the objective of optimized and comfortable heating, there are thermostatic valves, which are mounted on water radiators.

    – The thermostatic valve allows to regulate independently the heating of the radiator on which it is mounted, and thus modulates the temperature according to the room and its use (bathroom and bedroom do not require the same comfort).

    – Thermostatic faucets or valves vary the temperature of the water circulating in the radiator, so you don’t have to change the heating speed. Setting the thermostatic valve to 5 will not make it heat faster!

    – Expect to pay between $20 and $40 per valve, or $60 including installation.