Odd question...

[Paddy]

I am looking for a wall thermostat - a simple device that lets you specify a temperature at which the central heating will come on.

link

What I have is fine, but it's white plastic. I am in the process of decorating and it would be nice to get something that would match the switches and sockets which are brushed steel.

I have contacted a few plumbing reailers who have pretty much laughed at me.

Anyone heard of anything like this?

[Wombat]

Yeah, you're calling the wrong people. Try an HVAC store, or try calling an interior designer.

[Helevitia]

I have never seen one in brushed metal of any kind. They are all plastic. I smell a mod coming on

A suggestion: Go buy the fake stick on bushed aluminum look. They sell them for cars, but I'm sure you could find a small enough decal to fit on the thermostat.

[Paddy]

Hvac???

[cjolley]

I don't remember what the acronym is (Heat V? Air Conditioning), but he's talking about a heating and air conditioning specialist parts store.
Like might sell furnace parts or AC compressors, air ducting, etc.


[edit]
Ventilation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HVAC

[Kooldino]

http://housewares.hardwarestore.com/37-188-contact-papers/metal-fx-stainless-steel-contact-paper-105303.aspx

[Paddy]

Cheers guys. I'll persue the interior designer route.
Modding an existing thermostat is an option, but i'll only do it as a last resort.
Cheers for the advice on paint/contact paper.

I take it that you all have chunky white plastic ones?

[Helevitia]

Yup, mine is white and chunky and plastic.

[cjolley]

Chunky off white plastic here too.

[Gurm]

Home Depot and Lowes sell them in any color you want... so long as that color is some shade of white.

[Fat Tone]

Mine is off-white plastic, from Screwfix. The difference with this though is that it allows you to program different temperatures at different times of the day.

For example, Mon-Fri 06:30 to 08:00 20C, 08:00 to 16:30 14C, 16:30 to 23:00 20C. Sat and Sun have constant temperatues all day, starting a little later each day. All can be customised easily.

It is fairly small - barely covering the pattress that the old mechanical stat covered. I have my boiler controls set to constant and this overrides them.

But you'll still need silver paint

[Paddy]

That sounds ideal T.
The controls on the boiler are somewhat crude so it would be nice to override them.

At the moment I am not sure if my thermostat has a third wire with power as it is electromechanical, so probably not. I guess that will limit my options for devices unless they do battery powered devices. . .

I think silver paint will look crap - especially if i do it!

[Fat Tone]

The wires to your stat may be either 3 in number, or just a pair. You only need a pair (timer-switched 240V in, return) for most stats. The one I mentioned takes a pair of AAA batteries that last ~6 months.

And I agree about the paint!

[cjolley]

...(timer-switched 240V in, return) for most stats.
...

OMFG! Line voltage to the thermostat?

Ours are 12-24V

Most of our computer opperated ones use batteries too.

[Gurm]

I'm not so fond of the computer-operated one. It's harder to just... nudge the heat up.

Then again, I'm not fond of the manual one upstairs.

Maybe I'll switch 'em!

*sigh*