- Examine the Thermostat Remove the thermostat cover. Using a torpedo level, make sure the thermostat body is level on the wall. ...
- Locate the Heat Anticipator Look for the small disc with calibration marks, located at the center of the thermostat. ...
- Adjust the Heat Anticipator If the furnace is cycling on and off too frequently, move the heat anticipator adjustment lever closer to the "LONGER" setting by one calibration mark. ...
- Test the Thermostat Once the appropriate adjustment is made, let the furnace run and the temperature stabilize for a period of two to three hours. ...
Full Answer
How do I adjust the heat anticipator on my thermostat?
To adjust the heat anticipator, perform the following steps: Remove the thermostat cover. Make sure the thermostat is installed level. If it is not level, the mercury switch will not work properly. Locate the small disc with calibration marks at the center of the thermostat.
What is a heat anticipator?
A heat anticipator is an electrical resistor device mounted in the center of many mechanical thermostats. It fine tunes the point at which the thermostat turns off the furnace burners.
How many amps should a heat anticipator be?
A typical heat anticipator scale runs beetween a low of 0.10 Amps and a high of about 1.2 Amps. Higher heat anticipator settings: according to the manufacturer, a higher heat anticipator setting will result in less self heating of the thermostat, longer burner on-cycles, and possible overshoot of the room temperature.
What is the range of adjustment of a typical Honeywell heat anticipator?
where we note that the range of adjustment of a typical Honeywell heat anticipator was between 1.2A and 0.10A. The current powering most heating system thermostats is 24VAC.
What should my heat anticipator be set at?
Use the manufacturer's recommended thermostat heat anticipator settings based on printed control circuit data. The heat anticipator Amps setting should be set to match the current (Amp) rating stamped on the name plate of the primary control that the thermostat is controlling.
How do I set the anticipator on my Honeywell thermostat?
How to Adjust a Honeywell Thermostat Heat AnticipatorStep 1: Adjust the Thermostat Dial. ... Step 2: Switch It to Cool. ... Step 3: Remove the Cover. ... Step 4: Find the Heat Anticipator Pointer. ... Step 5: Adjust the Pointer. ... Step 6: Increase the Burner Time. ... Step 7: Decrease the Burner Time. ... Step 8: Adjust in Small Increments.
Why is it important to properly set the heat anticipator?
The heat anticipator in the thermostat prevents the temperature in the conditioned space from rising above the thermostat setting. The cold anticipator starts the cooling system early to allow the air conditioning system to get up to capacity when needed.
What does longer cycles mean on a thermostat?
The standard for electric heat is nine cycles per hour. The longer it takes the system to emit all its heat, the longer a cycle should be. Of course the longer the cycles, the fewer there are in an hour. Cycle rate adjustment with electronic thermostats is very simple.
How should you determine the heat anticipator setting on the room thermostat when using a package sequencer?
How is the setting for the heat anticipator determined? It is determined by adding all the current draw in the 24V heating circuit that passes through the thermostat control and heat anticipator.
How do I adjust my Honeywell Round thermostat?
0:482:47Honeywell Round Thermostat Temperature Reading AdjustmentYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPut it in there and you can actually see how I can turn it. And move where I want the temperature toMorePut it in there and you can actually see how I can turn it. And move where I want the temperature to read.
What is anticipator on Honeywell thermostat?
The heat anticipator is an electrical resistance heater that provides a tiny source of extra heat right inside the wall thermostat of some older room thermostats like the Honeywell T87 bimetallic spring mercury bulb model.
What does anticipator mean?
One who anticipatesNoun. anticipator (plural anticipators) One who anticipates. A device in a thermostat that determines when to turn on or shut off the heating or cooling mechanism.
Do all thermostats have heat anticipator?
You won't find a heat anticipator in all thermostats. In fact most newer room thermostats use a thermistor to sense room temperature and they do not usually include a heat anticipator device.
How many times should a furnace cycle in an hour?
On average, furnaces should kick on and off anywhere from 3-8 times per hour. However, if your furnace does so more frequently, don't assume it's short cycling just yet.
How often should a thermostat cycle?
A typical forced air system will cycle about five times in an hour, this is normal. A typical hot water system would cycle less then that. Every heating system type will deliver heat to the house at a slightly different rate.
Why does my thermostat setting not match my home's temperature?
Poor air flow, bad sensors, or other broken components can also cause room temperatures to be different than your thermostat setting. The biggest clue that your furnace is the culprit is your heating bill.
Do digital thermostats have heat Anticipators?
Digital thermostats do not use an anticipator setting. Amperage (current draw) based anticipator settings and anticipator setting references often found on appliances only apply to older style mechanical thermostats.
What is anticipator?
Noun. anticipator (plural anticipators) One who anticipates. A device in a thermostat that determines when to turn on or shut off the heating or cooling mechanism.
What does a cold anticipator do?
What does a cold anticipator do? A cooling anticipator causes the thermostat to start the air Conditioning compressor early so that it will be up to capacity at the correct time.
How do I adjust the sensitivity on my thermostat?
0:403:40Adjusting the thermostat anticipator part 2 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI say two tenths of an amp. Then I would go to the thermostat. And I would set the dial so it saysMoreI say two tenths of an amp. Then I would go to the thermostat. And I would set the dial so it says two tenths. If instead it was much higher than that. I would set it to whatever was higher. So if I
What is initial setting on a heat anticipator?
The initial settings are intended simply to make sure that we don't send too much or too little current (amps) through the little heating coil or wire that comprises the heat anticipator.
What Should Be the Heat Anticipator Settings on a Room Thermostat?
If your heating system seems to be working OK, without excessive burner on-off cycling and without troubling room temperature overshoot, leave the heat anticipator alone.
What is the shortest burner on time?
Lower numbers on the Amps scale give a shorter heat-on cycle. The shortest burner-on time will be when the heat anticipator puts out the most heat. This warms up the thermostat's room temperature sensor and therefore tells the thermostat the room is up to set temperature earliest.
What does Adjusting the Anticipator do?
Adjusting the anticipator up or down to higher or lower Amps numbers will lengthen or shorten the heat-on or cooling-on cycle.
Why is a heat anticipator important?
Properly adjusted a heat anticipator also prevents the room from getting warmer than the thermostat set temperature, and it prevents the heat from shutting off before the room has reached the thermostat set temperature.
What is the purpose of a heat anticipator?
The purpose of a thermostat heat anticipator is to "de-sensitize" the thermostat so that when actual room temperature is hovering close to the set temperature on the thermostat, the thermostat switch won't keep switching the air conditioner or heating system on and off too often - which can damage the equipment.
How long does a furnace blow warm air?
Forced warm furnaces continue to blow warm air for a minute or so after the thermostat stops calling for heat - in a purge heat from the furnace heat exchanger.
What is heat anticipator?
A heat anticipator anticipates the room temperature before it gets uncomfortable. It is a resistor and it creates a resistance to the load of the control it’s connected to, such as a gas valve or electric furnace sequencer. The load on this resistor is measured in amps. Because these loads vary from furnace to furnace it requires ...
How Should You Accurately Determine The Heat Anticipator Setting On A Room Thermostat?
To accurately adjust a heat anticipator on your room thermostat it requires an amp probe or am-meter as they are sometimes called.
Why Is The Anticipator Setting Important?
What should a thermostat differential be set at? The correct anticipator setting is the one that keeps your home at the temperature you set the thermostat to heat. That’s how you achieve the ideal thermostat swing.
Why do furnaces require an anticipator?
Because these loads vary from furnace to furnace it requires that the thermostat have an adjustable feature that compensates for these different load and that adjustable feature is called an anticipator.
What amps should an anticipator be set at?
If you’re experiencing symptom number one with the wild temperature swings, the anticipator is probably set at the longer cycles position of .8 amps or close to it.
What does it mean when a thermostat calls for heat?
When a thermostat has a call for heat (which simply means the switch in the thermostat closes and wants to turn on the furnace) their is a time lag. It take a minute or two for the furnace to heat up and the fan to kick on.
How to adjust furnace cycle?
Whether your furnace is electric, gas or oil matters not, and you have a non-digital thermostat and with the cover off you can see a small dial inside that reads “longer cycles” you can make some simple adjustments. Turn the dial counter clockwise for longer cycles for furnace on time and clockwise for shorter cycles.
How to increase burner time?
Increase burner time by moving the pointer to the next higher number on the scale. This makes the burner put out less heat and prevents the thermostat from turning the system off too early. This method should stop the system from frequently oscillating on and off when room temperature nears the thermostat's set point. Advertisement.
How to reduce burner time on thermostat?
Decrease burner time for your thermostat if the room gets too hot by moving the pointer to the next lower number on the scale.
How to check if a thermostat is working?
Step 1. Adjust the thermostat dial to the farthest point toward the left to check the system's heating operation. Set the thermostat's system switch to the right, or 'Heat,' setting if the unit is fitted with a sub base. Adjust the thermostat dial until the setting exceeds room temperature; the system should start blowing hot air.
How does a Honeywell thermostat work?
If you notice your system "hunting" or oscillating on and off when the room temperature reaches the set point of the Honeywell thermostat, you can correct this by adjusting the heat anticipator to increase burner time. If the room gets too hot, adjust to reduce burner time.
How to remove clip on cover on Vision Pro thermostat?
There are several types with an easy-to-remove clip-on cover; however, if you have a "Vision Pro" thermostat, press down on the hidden buttons on the top and bottom of the unit while pulling the cover away from the wall.
Where to insert pencil tip on a knurled disk?
On models with a knurled disk, insert the pencil tip in the hole provided on the left of the pointer. Once you've done this, move the pointer to the recommended setting as shown in the instruction manual.
What is a heat anticipator?
The heat anticipator, not found on all thermostats, is a tiny little electric heater that will , depending on its setting, warm up the inside of the themostat, thus warming the thermostat's room temperature sensor, thus fooling the thermostat into thinking the room is a little warmer than it actually is.
How does moving a heat anticipator work?
Moving the heat anticipator pointer (the open triangle at the top of the copper arm) changes the effective wire length and thus the electrical resistance and thus the heat output of the heat anticipator inside the thermostat.
What is a Thermostat Heat Anticipator & How Does it Work?
Many room thermostats use a flat bi-metallic spring shaped into a coil that responds to changes in room temperature by moving a mercury switch (older units) that turns the buildings heating system on and off.
What does the blue arrow mean on a heat anticipator?
When we move the heat anticipator adjusting arm we are moving an electrical contact (blue arrow) along the flat-wound resistor wire, effectively increasing (to the higher current numbers on the left) or decreasing (to the lower current numbers on the right) the amps or current flow through this tiny heating device by lengthening or shortening the total length of wire included in the heater circuit.
How many amps is the heat anticipator?
Below: the heat anticipator pointer has been moved down towards the right end of the scale, and is set to about 0.15 Amps.
Where is the heat anticipator located?
A heat anticipator, found inside some room thermostats, and usually near the bimetallic spring is itself a tiny electric heater - a wire that gets warm.
Why stop the call for heat a little early?
Stopping the call for heat a little early allows for the delivery of residual heat that is already in the boiler or furnace but that has not yet reached the living space.
How to adjust anticipator?
Adjust anticipator to match current rating of primary control. Rating is usually stamped on the control name- plate. Move the indicator to the marking that matches this rating. Indicator may be moved with fingers or pencil point through the hole shown in Fig. 8.
What does a lower heat anticipator do?
Lower heat anticipator settings: according to Honeywell, setting the heat anticipator to a lower number (lower Amps number) setting will result in shorter burner on-cycles, ie less room-temperature overshoot. A typical heat anticipator scale runs beetween a low of 0.10 Amps and a high of about 1.2 Amps.
What does Honeywell mean by "less heat anticipation"?
Honeywell is saying for a longer heat-on cycle (less heat anticipation) move the heat anticipator adjustment in the direction of the arrow - towards the higher amps end of the scale.
Why do furnaces adjust anticipators?
The main reason for the anticipator adjustment is to match the thermostat with different furnaces.
What happens when you raise the current on a heat anticipator?
When you raise the current value on your heat anticipator setting, according to Ohms law the resistance goes down as the amperage is inversely proportional to the voltage R=E/I which gives off less heat in the anticipator coil which allows the furnace or boiler to run longer
What does it mean when a thermostat makes a little extra heat?
Making a little extra heat inside the thermostat means that the thermostat thinks the room is a little warmer than it actually is - which leads the thermostat to stop calling for heat a little early - hence the name "heat anticipator".
What does it mean when a thermostat is anticipating?
The thermostat is anticipating that some additional heat will arrive into the room after it turns off the boiler. More heat inside the thermostat means sooner burner off time (shorter burner on-cycles) and less room heat overshoot. By Ohms Law, I = E / R or. Current (Amps) x Resistance (Ohms) = Voltage = E.
How to determine heat anticipator?
Wait until all the relays and components are energized (on a typical gas furnace, you will see the greatest amp draw coming when the gas valve is energized), and then take your reading. Divide it by 10, and you have your heat anticipator adjustment value. Simple as that.
What is an anticipator in a thermostat?
In short, the anticipator is simply a resistor built into the thermostat that is in series with the heat call low voltage circuit (i.e., the “W” terminal). That resistor generates a tiny amount of heat to preheat the bi-metal and end the furnace cycle a little bit earlier, anticipating the residual heat from the furnace and fan off delay to cover the temperature gap and avoid overheating the space. Now, even though it’s a resistor, you don’t set it by ohms. You set it by amperage—the amperage drawn by the heat control circuit.
How many times does a thermostat wire go through a meter?
Get a nice, very long piece of thermostat wire, which you will repeatedly wrap around your meter clamp, so it goes through it 10 times .
What is the temperature range of a gas furnace?
Every gas furnace data plate/tag has a specification for the temperature rise through that furnace. It is shown in a range, like 50-80° or 45-75°. Those two numbers are the lowest recommended temperature rise, and the highest allowed temperature rise through the furnace is usually a 30° difference. When possible, we….
Does Honeywell have a guideline for heat?
This procedure, by the way, is still explained in modern install manuals. Honeywell also gives a basic guideline for different heat types: To adjust cycle times further, if the actual setting doesn’t seem to work quite right, you may change it accordingly:
