Know Your Thermostat/HVAC System Compatibility
The most common question that arises in the mind of thermostat buyers is that whether the product is compatible with the HVAC system or not. Now, most of the thermostat devices works with different HVAC systems. As in case selecting the wrong device may harm your system. So in order to know the compatibility of your thermostat device you can relate to the following points:
Compatibility with your heating or cooling system
This is the point where the user finds it difficult to select the thermostat device for your heating or cooling system. Also, if you are not having the technical expertise then it would be very difficult. The main reason behind this confusion is that there is a wide range of systems available in the market and this is the factor that determines the type of thermostat device you can use. For example you may have a gas furnace, electric baseboard or heat pump based system. This results in a lot confusion for the user. But once the type of system is known then you can easily select from three different types of thermostat devices to choose from. Following are certain points to be considered:
-Low voltage systems are very common these days. They require only 24v of power supply. Most thermostat devices are compatible with this system.
-High voltage systems require 110v to 240v power source to operate. These are generally baseboards while other electric systems need special attention(Not all thermostat are compatible with these). In old homes these 240v power was used for the thermostat devices.
-The gas or oil furnaces are the ones with 24 millivolt systems that don’t use electricity, wall or floor type.
These are the distribution for thermostat compatibility when it comes to power. But once you understand the system then it will be very easy for you to select the best thermostat device for you.
System Stages
You are likely come across the terms “Öne Stage” or “Two Stage” more often, But there is certain information about the stages:
-The stage one heating or cooling system means that the units will work at their full capacity or they will not work at all. It can be understood as the same mechanism of the on/off switch.
-The stage two or multi stage system means that the system is capable of heating and cooling on the both the low and speed speeds.
There are multiple ways by which you can check what type of system you are having and the stages of your heating or cooling system. But, it usually refers to having look inside your current thermostat device. This gives you the insights about the power source of your thermostat device. Then, the best thing to do is to call a technician for help.
Check the heating and cooling stages
In case, If you want to check the system yourself. It is very easy to confirm the number of stages that the system has. You have look inside your existing thermostat device. This is more likely to be done with a series of numbers and letters. For systems with more than one stage for cooling there will be wires attached to the “y1” and “y2” terminals. The same applies for a two stage furnace. If you have a two stage heating or furnace system, then the wires will be attached to the “w1” and the “w2” terminals.
Wrapping it up
In case, if you have a low voltage system. Then you can use most of the thermostat devices. There are some programmable thermostat devices that will work with the one or two stage heating or cooling systems. Also, the manufacturer always states this is in the product description.
