Help with my thermostat!

[Bicoastal]

As someone who grew up in LA but now lives in NYC, I've secretly never been able to deal with these things, but I've been too embarrassed to ask how they work.

My current apartment has a thermostat with only one moving part--a moving dial between 60 and 90. So here's my one and only question: do I move the dial higher (towards 90) or lower (towards 60) to make the apartment warmer?

(Someone has to re-explain this to me every year)

[Scruffy Rumbler]

1. Set it at the temp you want. Putting it at a higher temp causes the heating device to turn on. Same

as setting the temp on your oven. When the air in the room with the thermostat reaches the temp s you have set on the thermostat, the furnace (radiator) turns off.

[Bicoastal]

4. Got it. Classic left-brained individual over here.

I can write an off-broadway show but I can't remember shit like this to save my life.

[A Simple Game]

2. If it is a dial, turn it clockwise. If it slides up and down, slide it up.

If that doesn't work, try going the other way.

[PoliticAverse]

3. The temperature you select is the room temperature the thermostat will roughly try to maintain...

So if you set it to 70, when the temperature in the room drops below 70 the thermostat will turn on
and start the furnace.

So:
If you set it to 60 the thermostat will try to maintain a room temp of about 60.
If you set it to 90 the thermostat will try to maintain a room temp of about 90.

[Turbineguy]

5. That's why I was so glad

I could rid myself of the VCR.

[Major Nikon]

6. Neither

You put an ice bag on it when you want it to get warmer and hold a lighter under it when you want it to get cooler.

[PoliticAverse]

7. "hold a lighter under it when you want it to get cooler."

Sounds like you could end up with the whole house getting warmer, quickly...

[Major Nikon]

10. You do have to remember to douse the wall when it catches on fire

[cbrer]

11. Beat me to it...

[truedelphi]

8. One other thing to know -

If your thermostat takes batteries, there could come a day when your AC/heating unit no longer heats or cools. (Or does so very erratically.)

Before calling a heating and air conditioning service shop, (or you landlord) replace the batteries. That can be a very good way to save $ 6,000!

(There will be a gizmo on the top of the thermostat unit that flips open, and then it exposes the batteries.)

[Festivito]

9. Up and down, left and right do not matter.

The temperature you want should be CENTERED in front of you.

Center the 70 for 70 degrees. If that room then goes above 70 your dial might be misaligned or your neighbor might be warming your place through the wall or floor. You'll save money if it's the neighbor and have to open a window if so inclined to be cooler. Otherwise just adjust it until you find a centered number you like for your own comfort. Write the number down and save it for next year.

Center between 60 and 70 to save money. Wear a sweater inside.

Center between 70 and 80 to stay warm. Run around in your PJs.

Welcome to snowland.