Thermostats have changed so much over the years that you pretty much have a mini computer doing all the work. This can make you wonder how they actually work, since it may not be as obvious as it once was with old-fashioned thermostats. Here is what you need to know to better understand your HVAC system.

The Temperature Sensor

The thermostat essentially has the job of turning the HVAC system on and off, and it does this through the temperature sensor. You set the desired temperature of the room, and the thermostat activates the switch when necessary to provide heated or cooled air to get it to that temperature. The temperature then switches the HVAC system off when it senses the temperature of the room is where it needs to be.

One thing to keep in mind is the ways that a manual thermostat and a smart thermostat are different when it comes to the temperature sensor. Most thermostats have the sensor built into the thermostat itself, so it is only capable of reading the temperature in the room that the thermostat is in. It cannot sense how hot or cold other rooms of your house are. Meanwhile, smart thermostats have the option to use a secondary temperature sensor, which can be placed in another room and used to base the home's temperature on that room.

The Temperature Setting

Many people have a misconception about what the temperature setting actually does. Be aware that the temperature setting doesn't control the temperature of the air that is being produced, but simply what you want the room temperature to be. This means that setting the thermostat to a high temperature in the winter is not going to produce hotter air and warm up your home faster. The air being produced is consistent at all times, so just leave the temperature setting based on how you want the room to feel.

The Schedule

There are a lot of differences in how to create a schedule these days. Old-fashioned thermostats do not have the option of any schedule at all. You set the temperature on the thermostat and it stays there until you change the temperature. The main advantage of this type of thermostat is that it doesn't need a battery, so there is no way for it to fail.

You would need to get a programmable thermostat or a smart thermostat if you wanted to create a schedule. A very basic programmable thermostat is going to allow you to create settings for when you wake up, leave the home, return home, and go to sleep. As you spend more money, the thermostat will offer a lot more options for creating a schedule. 

For more information about air conditioning services, contact a local company.