Difference between thermostat and chronothermostat

Thermostat or chronothermostat? According to   Google Trends , the word thermostat is much more sought after, and actually if we also think about the way we express ourselves every day, most of us, when we think of the device used in the home to regulate the temperature, think of the word thermostat rather than chronothermostat, even if it is probably precisely the latter. So what is the correct term?

Thermostat or chronothermostat: what's the difference?

Is it a thermostat or a chronothermostat? In reality they are both called, quite simply because thermostat and chronothermostat are  two different devices .

The  chronothermostat  can be thought of as  a "temporal" evolution  of the thermostat , in the sense that turning the boiler on and off can be adjusted based on time bands. However, the two devices differ based on their function:

  • The  thermostat  allows simple temperature regulation that answers the question: "How many degrees do I want at most in the house?". In a certain sense it can be seen as  a switch that is opened or closed by a temperature sensor .
  • The  chronothermostat  instead  allows you to adjust switching on and off on an hourly basis , setting the comfort and reduction temperatures. When we use a programmable thermostat we are asking ourselves, "What time do I want to turn on the heating? What is the minimum temperature I want in the house? And what is the maximum?".

Is a thermostat or a chronothermostat better?

Probably at this point many of you are realizing that what you have in your home is a programmable thermostat, not a thermostat. If, however, you have found confirmation that you actually own a thermostat, then you may be interested in  replace it with a chronothermostat , for economic and environmental reasons.

The  advantage of the chronothermostat  in fact it lies right in  adjustment possibilities that it offers : turning on the heating only when really needed, playing on the time band, comfort and reduction settings, allows for significant savings in consumption which not only has a benefit on the bill, but also for the environment, reducing domestic emissions, which are among the main factors of  environmental pollution .

Let's see an example of use of the chronothermostat

Very often during the week we only live in the house at certain times: for work, study or commitments, we are out most of the time. Suppose we go out in the morning by turning off the thermostat, when we return in the evening, depending on the heat dispersion of our home, the temperature could have dropped significantly and it could take a long time to reach the desired comfort temperature, which translates into considerable consumption.

The  chronothermostat  allows you to avoid this problem  avoiding the generation of a large excursion between the reduction temperature and the comfort temperature, thus reducing the boiler ignition times .