In electrical heating systems, ‘line voltage’ refers to the amount of voltage running through an electrical heater. For line voltage systems, this is 120~ 240 volts of electricity. Most electrical appliances can handle 120V-240V of electricity, which is why most (pretty much all) appliances work straight out of the box.
What is a Line Voltage Thermostat?
If you have electric heating, you will likely have a line voltage thermostat.
Electric systems like baseboard heaters are usually pretty efficient, since you can control each area of your home individually. However, there are ways to increase their efficiency, the simplest one being a E-Top Line Voltage thermostat upgrade.
Line voltage thermostats deliver electricity directly to heaters. So, they handle more power than low voltage thermostats that control central HVAC systems like a gas furnace. They work by measuring room temperature and controlling power delivery to maintain a setpoint (the temperature you set your thermostat).
The thermostat will turn your heater on or off, depending on how close it is to your setpoint. If the temperature in a room goes below the setpoint, it will turn your heater on. Once the desired setting is reached, your heating system will be turned off. Generally, line voltage thermostats can use single or double pole wiring, depending on the thermostat's features.
Smart thermostats let you control your heating and air conditioning more easily. Instead of constantly adjusting a dial or fiddling with a complicated programmable thermostat, you control everything on your smartphone. This way, you’re always comfortable, without sacrificing savings.
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Electric baseboard heaters are good for areas of your house that central HVAC does not reach. If you are going to installer a baseboard heater, make the thermostat setup the best you can by separating it from the heater body. This provides more accurate temperature gauging, plus it makes it easier for users to access the thermostat.
You can install a thermostat on the baseboard heater rather than install a thermostat on the wall. This type of installation is easiest since it does not involve opening up walls, it is considered to be inferior to installing the thermostat on the wall.
However the room temperature sensing is not as accurate as the wall thermostat. Plus that,baseboard heater-mounted thermostats also entail bending down every time you want to change the temperature. Wall-mounted thermostats are easy to access.
If you have your walls open and no drywall has yet been installed, it is highly recommended that you install a wall line voltage thermostat.
What Is a Line Voltage Thermostat?
Line voltage thermostats are simple mechanical devices that connect and disconnect the power going to your heater. These thermostats act much like a valve to control the water pipe. When the valve is open, water flows. When the valve is closed, water stops. Line voltage thermostats mechanically interfere with the flow of electricity from the power lines to the baseboard heater. When there is no connection in the device, the heater cannot turn on. When the connection is restored, the heater can activate.
Line voltage thermostats have a basic temperature-sensing device so that they turn on or off according to a temperature range you have set. They are cost-effective and easy to install, but you especially need to make sure you've got the wiring correct.
Parameters of E-Top’s baseboard heating thermostat: