Programmable Room Thermostats

A Programmable Room Thermostat is used to control both time and temperature in a heating system and used for switching the boiler directly or controlling one heating zone.

In programming the unit you would define 5 time and temperature setpoints (may vary depending on make and model) which are used to regulate room temperature throughout the day, switching the boiler on and off as many times as necessary in order to maintain the desired temperatures at the desired times.

A Programmable Room Thermostat is always on unlike a single channel programmer which has no temperature control element and works on an ON OFF principle.

Generally a normal programmer would be used in conjunction with a room thermostat to control a heating zone or cylinder thermostat to control the hot water circuit, or on its own if no temperature control is required.

Some people prefer the normal programmer on off principle in conjunction with the simplicity of a standard dial style room thermostat.

Others prefer the combination of time and temperature control within 1 unit which makes it very suitable for control of a combination boiler in place of a 2 channel programmer as no hot water control is required.

If using a programmable room thermostat you would leave the boiler on constant - allowing the Programmable Room Thermostat to 'ask' the boiler for heat as per the settings you tell it to do so.