Digital Temperature Controllers, Taking Charge Of The Environment
Whether you know it or not, digital temperature controllers affect all of our lives. It would only take a quick look around your house to find an electronic temperature controller and while looking for the one you did notice you most likely missed several more. As it turns out, they are very important in the way we use and conserve energy. What are digital temperature controllers, how do they work and how do they save you money by conserving energy?
To understand how they work you have to go back to the basic, mechanical thermostat. If the device that it is heating is on, then it will stay on until it reaches the desired temperature. After it has cooled down to the predetermined point, it turns back on and the process starts all over again. For cooling it is the same process in reverse.
Now that is what they do, but how do they work? We can start with the older mechanical temperature controls. The most basic component is mercury. Mercury is a liquid metal just like the type found in thermometers. Wrapped around the mercury is a strip of bonded metal. One is usually made of copper and an additional metal. The 3 metals work together to set off the thermostat, either hot or cold.
You might be wondering what this has to do with a digital temperature controller and that would be a fair question. As far as what is going on inside, they are the same. The difference is how the thermostat is controlled. In the old mechanical thermostats a dial (if it is really old) or a level controls how it is set. The downside of these is that they are not very accurate in their setting and that they are static until reset. No longer is a thermostat set at about 74 degrees (meaning between 72 degrees and 76 degrees) but exactly at 74 via a keyboard entry. And, in some models, can be set to change temperature during the course of a day. These are two of the ways they can save you money.
Beyond money, digital temperature controllers sever us in other ways as well. These are situations were very precise control of the temperature is important. Think of hot tubs. There is a very fine line between a nice evening with friend and cooking them. The temperature window for a hot tub is very small.
Smaller than that is for tropical fish; they need specif temperatures to thrive. Since they can cost upward of $100 you want them healthy. Also, fluctuations are very important to make some types of fish reproduce. This is simply not possible to do with a less accurate temperature controller values. These are but two of the many temperature situations.
The use of the digital temperature controller has changed our lives. These temp controls allows us to be more comfortable in our homes both summer and winter. It also allows us certain luxuries that we would not be able to enjoy with out them. They were, after all, the next logical step in controlling our environments. At this, the digital temperature controller has served us well.
