If your thermostat doesn't say "off" it's probably a single-pole thermostat. That means it will automatically turn the heater on when the air temperature drops below the minimum point on the dial. We've talked about the difference between single- and double-pole thermostats in previous blog posts, but it's a good time of year for a reminder. Most people figure if your turn your mechanical thermostat dial all the way to the left (counterclockwise) or digital thermostat all the way down it will turn off. That's true if it's a double-pole thermostat. If it isn't a double-pole, then you just put the thermostat on "low" which means it will automatically turn back on when your room temperature drops below the set point. Let's be honest. Mechanical thermostats all pretty much look the same. So how do you know if you have a single- or double-pole thermostat on your wall? It's pretty easy: If your thermostat says "OFF" it's a double-pole thermostat.
The easiest way to tell if you have a double-pole thermostat is to see if it has an "off" position. Here's why you should know what you have on your wall: This is the time of year when you may start to see temperatures drop below that minimum point on your thermostat. It's easy to forget that when the temperature drops below that point, your heaters will be turning back on if they're hooked up to a single-pole thermostat. Be prepared. Make sure you don't have furniture, clothing, drapes or anything else blocking your heater.
