Fridge Use Mechanical Thermostat And Electronic Thermostat, Difference, Pros And Cons

 

Every refrigerator has a thermostat. A thermostat is so important for ensuring that the refrigeration system built in a fridge works optimally. This gadget is set to turn on or off an air compressor, balances the temperature of a fridge, and also allows you to dictate what the temperature should be set. This article discusses the difference between mechanical thermostat and electronic thermostat.

 

 

What is a mechanical thermostat?

A mechanical thermostat is using a bimetal strip with two different metals that expand or contract to temperature change at different rates. This causes the metal to bend, and complete a low voltage circuit, or vise versa. A mechanical thermostat uses some type of mechanical device to complete a circuit to activate heating or cooling at a certain temperature (often set on a mechanical dial or slide). Mechanical thermostats are simple, cheap and fairly reliable. The disadvantage is that they are typically not programmable for different temperatures at different times of the day.

The Pros and cons of mechanical thermostats

Pros

• Their cost is more affordable
• They are more resistant to power outages and fluctuations
• They are more familiar to most people and much easier to use
• Thermostat troubleshooting is quite easy with a simple device

Cons

• A longer delay on temperature changes
• Fewer options when it comes to control and customization
• Expensive maintenance

  

What is an electronic thermostat?

 

An electronic thermostat is using temperature sensitive resistor to create an electrical signal which can then be converted to a digital temperature. The advantage of digital thermostats is that they are much more accurate and typically have many more features than a mechanical thermostat. For example, they are digital and able to be programmed for different temperatures at different times of the day. And electronic boards are usually compactible with other electronic devices to realize functions such as WiFi control or other sensors.

The Pros and cons of electronic thermostats (digital thermostats)

Pros

• Immediate response to temperature change
• They can set very accurate temperature
• Energy efficient
• Easy to use and programmable
• Digital functions may be integrated to the same board with control access

Cons

• Higher cost

 

The HMI of these two kinds of thermostat are quite different

Mechanical thermostat temperature control uses a mechanical dial or slide, see below mechanical thermostat temperature control on Nenwell refrigerators:

 

Electronic thermostat temperature control uses digital display screen with touch panel or button. See below thermostat temperature control on Nenwell fridges: