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From: wasser@rainbo.DEC (John A. Wasser)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Thermostat for Oil Filled heaters
Message-ID: <326@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Date: Wed, 8-Jan-86 13:17:09 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.326
Posted: Wed Jan  8 13:17:09 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 9-Jan-86 06:10:51 EST
Sender: daemon@decwrl.DEC.COM
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Lines: 38


> QUESTION FOR THE NET:  Does a typical house thermostat switch 110 VAC or
> can it be made to do so?
>		-Ed Greenberg

	No. Typical home thermostats are designed for 24 Volts AC.  You
	could get a 24 volt transformer and 24 VAC relay from Radio Shack
	and have the thermostat control the relay which would control
	the heater.  The relay should have 115 volt (at least) 15 amp
	(at least) contacts.

	Most home thermostats have a little heater wire that heats up
	when the thermostat is on.  This causes the thermostat to shut
	off a little before the room gets to the right temperature so
	that the heat will coast up to the right temperature and not
	overshoot too much.  This wire usualy has a sliding contact
	so it can be adjusted for the current draw of various control
	relays.  The control is usualy marked in Amps so the easiest
	way to get a good initial setting is to measure the current
	draw of the relay and start there.

	You might try an electrical supply store for a thermostat
	used in electric baseboard heating. You might have trouble
	finding a set-back model, though.

		-John A. Wasser

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