How Does A Cylinder Thermostat Work?

Your hot water cylinder is designed to keep a ready supply of hot water for washing, showers and other household jobs. It holds a large volume of pre-heated water, ready for when you need it. Of course, water cools down over time. Even with insulation, your hot water cylinder will eventually cool down so that the water becomes tepid - not exactly ideal for baths and washing! To have an effective cylinder you need to have it kept at an optimal temperature. A cylinder thermostat is the clear choice for regulating the heating coil or element in your hot water cylinder.

A thermostat such as the Salus Cylinder/Pipe Thermostat is an economical high quality choice for fitting to your hot water cylinder.

View and Buy a Salus Cylinder Stat Here

You will probably be familiar with thermostats from central heating systems. These help maintain a steady temperature in the house by detecting the air temperature, and turning the heaters on and off depending on whether it is too hot or cold. The thermostat for your water cylinder works in much the same way. Instead of checking air temperature, it senses the water temperature at a certain point in the cylinder. When the water cools below the set temperature the thermostat turns on the element, bringing up the overall temperature. 

In practice you set the temperature at which you want the water to start re-heating, usually by turning a dial. The dials have a set of numbers around the edge - these are the temperatures; just match up the number for the temperature you want with the marker on the body of the thermostat. It's important to remember that the thermostat is really just an elaborate on/off switch - you can't affect the rate of heating by turning the dial up. That depends entirely on the efficiency and capacity of your cylinder heating element. 

A thermostat for a hot water cylinder is generally fitted to the body of the tank by a strap or band. This allows some degree of flexibility in the vertical positioning of the thermostat. The typical location is around one third of the way up the cylinder.

When installing a thermostat such as this cylinder stat, remember that fitting a thermostat will involve working with electrical wiring, so if you are not experienced it is best to hire a professional. Once properly installed a thermostat is typically long lasting and highly reliable.