DIY thermostat repair

In detail: do-it-yourself thermostat repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The first stage of the repair is to disconnect the water heater from the electrical network, then drain the water, remove the heating element from the water heater. Remove the thermostat from the heating element by carefully pulling it out. Drill out the copper rivets holding the body together, detach the body from the stem, this must be done carefully so as not to damage anything.

There are two methods of cleaning bimetallic plates: if the contamination (oxidation) is not very strong, try cleaning with a cloth soaked in alcohol, sticking a piece between the plates and wiping, if such cleaning does not work, clean the plates with the finest grit sandpaper. Better even if it is already used, so as not to break contacts.

It is possible that the NC contact (rocker) is sticking to the body. To eliminate this problem, disconnect the contacts, clean this place. The NC contact must return to the upper position automatically.

If this does not happen, remove the "rocker" from the device, clean it with fine abrasive emery paper, clean the place where it is installed (there may have been molten plastic sticking there), install it in its original place. If the "rocker" still does not return to its original place, glue a piece of insulating tape under it, choosing such a thickness that the contact plate returns to its upper position.

Insert the stem back, tighten the body with self-tapping screws, insert it back into the heating element.

In addition to the above, there are the following possible malfunctions of the thermostat, which can only be eliminated by replacing it:

Video (click to play).
  • The copper tube is worn out.
  • Electronics malfunction.
  • Malfunction resulting from voltage surges.

If you find that your device has stopped working, there are DIY ways to check the problem. To check the operation of the thermostat for the water heater, you will need to remove the thermostat and set it in the resistance change mode. We set the maximum possible temperature, measure the resistance in the input and output contacts of the device.

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Tester functionality

In the case when the device shows infinite resistance, you can safely conclude that it is malfunctioning. And if there is resistance, then turn the regulator to the smallest value and reconnect the tester to the contacts. Further, with the help of a lighter or a candle, we heat the device tube, if the device is working properly, the relay will operate, which closes the circuit, the resistance indicator will increase. If this does not happen, the device is faulty.

If it was not possible to repair the thermostat, in order to choose the right device, you should adhere to the following recommendations. The most correct decision would be to purchase the same device from the same manufacturer.

However, if you did not find it, when choosing, pay attention to its dimensions, the method of attachment to the water heater, the number of functions performed (only temperature control, or also protective), the voltage for which it is designed. When buying a new one, do not forget to take a technical passport for a boiler, or a broken device.

Video about the thermostat device:

Thermostats are widely used in modern household appliances, automobiles, heating and air conditioning systems, in manufacturing, in refrigeration equipment and during the operation of ovens.The principle of operation of any thermostat is based on turning on or off various devices after reaching certain temperature values.

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How to make a thermostat

Modern digital thermostats are controlled using buttons: touch or conventional. Many models are also equipped with a digital panel that displays the set temperature. The group of programmable thermostats is the most expensive. With the help of the device, you can provide for a change in temperature by the hour or set the required mode for a week in advance. The device can be controlled remotely: via a smartphone or computer.

For a complex technological process, for example, a steel furnace, making a thermostat with your own hands is a rather difficult task that requires serious knowledge. But to assemble a small device for a cooler or incubator is within the power of any home craftsman.

In order to understand how the temperature regulator works, consider a simple device that is used to open and close the damper of a mine boiler and is triggered when the air heats up.

For the operation of the device, 2 aluminum pipes, 2 levers, a return spring, a chain that goes to the boiler, and an adjusting unit in the form of a crane-axle box were used. All components were installed on the boiler.

As you know, the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of aluminum is 22x10-6 0С. When an aluminum pipe is heated with a length of one and a half meters, a width of 0.02 m and a thickness of 0.01 m to 130 degrees Celsius, an elongation of 4.29 mm occurs. When heated, the pipes expand, due to this, the levers are displaced, and the damper closes. As the pipes cool down, they decrease in length, and the levers open the damper. The main problem when using this circuit is that it is very difficult to accurately determine the response threshold of the thermostat. Today, preference is given to devices based on electronic components.

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Typically, relay-based circuits are used to maintain the set temperature. The main elements included in this equipment are:

  • temperature sensor;
  • threshold scheme;
  • executive or indicator device.

Semiconductor elements, thermistors, resistance thermometers, thermocouples and bimetallic thermostats can be used as a sensor.

The thermostat circuit reacts to the excess of the parameter over the set level and turns on the executive device. The simplest version of such a device is a bipolar transistor element. The thermal relay is based on the Schmidt trigger. A thermistor acts as a temperature sensor - an element whose resistance changes depending on an increase or decrease in degrees.

R1 is a potentiometer that sets the initial offset on thermistor R2 and potentiometer R3. Due to the adjustment, the actuator is triggered and relay K1 is switched when the resistance of the thermistor changes. In this case, the operating voltage of the relay must correspond to the operating power supply of the equipment. To protect the output transistor from voltage surges, a semiconductor diode is connected in parallel. The load value of the connected element depends on the maximum current of the electromagnetic relay.

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Thermostat operation diagram

Attention! On the Internet, you can see pictures with drawings of a thermostat for various equipment. But quite often the picture and description do not match. Sometimes the pictures may simply represent other devices. Therefore, manufacturing can be started only after careful study of all the information.

Before starting work, you should decide on the power of the future thermostat and the temperature range in which it will work. The refrigerator will require some elements, and the heating will require others.

One of the elementary devices, by the example of which you can assemble and understand the principle of operation, is a simple do-it-yourself thermostat designed for a fan in a PC. All work is done on a breadboard. If there are problems with the pallet, then you can take a solderless board.

The thermostat circuit in this case consists of only three elements:

  • power transistor MOSFET (N channel), you can use IRFZ24N MOSFET 12V and 10A or IFR510 Power MOSFET;
  • potentiometer 10 kOhm;
  • NTC thermistor of 10 kOhm, which will act as a temperature sensor.

The temperature sensor reacts to an increase in degrees, due to which the entire circuit is triggered, and the fan turns on.

Now let's move on to setting up. To do this, turn on the computer and adjust the potentiometer, setting the value for the off fan. At the moment when the temperature approaches the critical one, we reduce the resistance as much as possible before the blades rotate very slowly. It is better to make the adjustment several times to make sure that the equipment is working efficiently.

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Simple PC thermostat

The modern electronic industry offers elements and microcircuits that differ significantly in appearance and technical characteristics. Each resistance or relay has several analogs. It is not necessary to use only those elements that are indicated in the diagram; you can take others that match the parameters with the samples.

When adjusting heating systems, it is important to accurately calibrate the device. This will require a voltage and current meter. To create a working system, you can use the following diagram.

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Heating thermostat circuit

Using this scheme, you can create outdoor equipment to control a solid fuel boiler. The role of the zener diode is performed by the K561LA7 microcircuit. The operation of the device is based on the ability of the thermistor to reduce resistance when heated. The resistor is connected to the electricity voltage divider network. The required temperature can be set using the variable resistor R2. The voltage is supplied to the 2I-NOT inverter. The resulting current is fed to the capacitor C1. A capacitor is connected to 2I-NOT, which controls the operation of one trigger. The latter is connected to the second trigger.

Temperature control goes according to the following scheme:

  • with a decrease in degrees, the voltage in the relay increases;
  • when a certain value is reached, the fan, which is connected to the relay, turns off.

It is better to solder on a mole rat. As a battery, you can take any device operating within 3-15 V.

Carefully! The installation of self-made devices for any purpose on heating systems can lead to equipment failure. Moreover, the use of such devices may be prohibited at the level of services that supply communications in your home.

In order to create a fully functioning thermostat with accurate calibration, you cannot do without digital elements. Consider a temperature control device for a small vegetable store.

The main element here is the PIC16F628A microcontroller. This microcircuit provides control of various electronic devices. The PIC16F628A microcontroller contains 2 analog comparators, an internal oscillator, 3 timers, CCP comparison modules and USART data exchange.

When the thermostat is operating, the value of the existing and set temperature is fed to the MT30361 - a three-digit indicator with a common cathode. In order to set the required temperature, use the buttons: SB1 - to decrease and SB2 - to increase. If you carry out the setting while simultaneously pressing the SB3 button, you can set the hysteresis values. The minimum hysteresis value for this circuit is 1 degree. A detailed drawing can be seen on the plan.

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Thermostat with adjustable hysteresis

When creating any of the devices, it is important not only to properly solder the circuit itself, but also to think about how best to place the equipment. It is necessary that the board itself be protected from moisture and dust, otherwise a short circuit and failure of individual elements cannot be avoided. Also, care should be taken to isolate all contacts.