Garage Thermostat Help

[n8marx]

I finally got around to installing a 60,000 BTU gas-fired heater in my garage. It is hooked up and working but I have a couple of questions. It came with a pretty cheasy thermostat.

The manual for the heater says to adjust the antipacitior on the thermostat to 0.6 amps. How do I do that? I see the potentiometer that I think acomplishes this but not sure how to measure the antipacitance so I know I adjusted it correctly. Any ideas?

Also, it seems my thermostat is off by about 20 degrees F. For example, in order to get 65 degress out of the heater I need to set the thermostat to 85. Will correctly setting the antipacitor fix this or does my thermostat just suck?

Any HVAC guys out there?

[Hugh R]

A long time ago, I worked for a division of Honeywell (they invented thermostats I believe) and I seem to remember that the purpose of the anticipator is that the air temperature heats up faster than the air will heat up the thermostat and it gets too hot in the room before it clicks off. Try turning the potentiometer screw clockwise 1/4-1/2 turn at a time, give it half an hour and see what happens, turn counter clockwise if you don't get the effect your looking for

[dad911]

Adjusting the anticipator properly will reduce the temp variations from when the furnace kicks off & on, and reduce cycling of the furnace. Last time I set one was on a mercury switch type thermostat, and the numbers were right on the adjustment. You can also use an ammeter to measure current flow as shown at this site: http://www.toad.net/~jsmeenen/anticipator.html

I have in my hand a new digital setback thermostat. I don't think these use an anticipator.

If your thermostat is mounted on an outside wall or in the direct sunlight, the readings will be off also.