Despite modern advances, many homes still have mercury thermostats controlling their heating and cooling systems. While these dated mechanisms begin as an accurate way to keep the temperature of a home within a certain range, they grow less accurate over time. When disposed of, they often pollute the environment with their toxic contents.

Programmable thermostats offer a safe and efficient means to maintain your home’s temperature. All the options available can make it difficult to choose the right one for your needs. As you weigh your choices for upgrading your old thermostat, consider the following types of programmable thermostat.

Types of Thermostat

Millivolt – A millivolt thermostat is designed to work with systems that utilize a pilot light instead of an electrical circuit.
Fan Coil – This sort of thermostat works with systems that have a fan coil, like unit ventilators.
Heat Only – Heat only thermostats are made for a single heating source. They do well with baseboard heating or forced air systems.
Cool Only – Similar to heat only, this thermostat functions with a single cooling source.
Heat Pump – Systems with heat pumps require a special thermostat, which handles the needs of those designs.
Electric Heat or Line Voltage – This is a thermostat that works with electrical heaters, including baseboard systems.
Single Stage Heating and Cooling – These thermostats manage HVAC systems that utilize a single source for heating, and one for cooling. An example of this would be a system with central air conditioning and baseboard heating.
Multi-Stage Heating and Cooling – The big brother to the single stage system, these thermostats control multiple sources for heating and cooling. A programmable thermostat can save you money on your heating and cooling bills. A trained HVAC professional, can answer any questions, and help you choose which thermostat is right for you.