How does a furnace thermometer work?
Sarah Martinez
Published Apr 05, 2026
How does a furnace thermometer work?
An electromechanical thermostat typically contains either a bi-metal coil or a metal strip. When the temperature changes, this coil or strip will move, causing a vial containing mercury to tip to one side. The mercury flows to one end of the vial, signaling that the heating or cooling needs to be turned on.
What happens when a furnace thermostat goes bad?
HVAC system won’t turn on: The most obvious sign of a bad thermostat is that the HVAC system in your building won’t turn on or respond to the thermostat. You should be able to turn on your heating or cooling system from the thermostat, or change operation back and forth from heating to cooling.
How does a thermostat control a furnace?
Mechanical thermostats regulate heat thanks to the expansion of their internal metallic strips. This strip carries electricity through the connected circuit, switching on the heating. As the strip heats up, one of the metals expands enough to open the circuit and switch off the heating, cooling the room down.
Can a faulty thermostat cause high electric bill?
A broken or faulty thermostat can force your system to constantly turn on and off. This makes the system function inefficiently and will cause your electric bill to rise. It’s common for thermostats to give off a reading as much as 10 degrees warmer or cooler than the actual room temperature.
How does a temperature control work on a furnace?
The signal activates a control relay to begin the process of firing up the boiler or furnace and delivering heat via forced air or through radiators. When the temperature has increased to the desired temperature, the signal from the thermostat turns off and the boiler or furnace shuts down.
How does the thermostat work on a gas furnace?
Depending on the temperature you set, when the thermostat detects the air temperature dropping below that number, it activates the furnace. When the thermostat sends its signal to the furnace, the furnace gas valve opens and ignites the burner component beneath the combustion chamber.
What’s the difference between a thermostat and a temperature control?
Thermostats (or temperature controls) are devices that are used to sense and regulate the temperature of the air, a liquid such as water, or another process. Whereas thermometers provide a temperature reading or value, thermostats are designed to take action to increase or decrease the temperature to the desired point from its current value.
How does a programmable furnace thermostat save energy?
It has user controls that allow you to set the days of the week, the time, and the temperature as well as custom programming functions. An electronic programmable thermostat can save energy by allowing you to set back your heat at night or when you are away.
How does the temperature of a temperature controller work?
This sensed temperature is constantly compared to a user setpoint. When the actual temperature deviates from the setpoint, the controller generates an output signal to activate other temperature regulating devices such as heating elements or refrigeration components to bring the temperature back to the setpoint.
Depending on the temperature you set, when the thermostat detects the air temperature dropping below that number, it activates the furnace. When the thermostat sends its signal to the furnace, the furnace gas valve opens and ignites the burner component beneath the combustion chamber.
How does the temperature sensor work on an air conditioner?
If the air is warmer then your desired setting, the sensor will activate the compressor or in other words, begin to cool the inside of the building. It also works in reverse if the air passing the sensor is lower, or at the same temperature set on your thermostat. If this happens, it will shut off the compressor.
How does the thermostat read the temperature of the air?
As the air is sucked through the return vents, the air passes by the sensor and the coils. As the air passes the sensor, it reads the temperature and compares that reading to the setting on your thermostat.