There are numerous types of greenhouse thermostats available on the market for purchase, with many different features. While these thermostats can control one or more systems, the best greenhouse thermostat provides control over a greenhouse's air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems. It is always better to purchase the best quality thermostat that offers the most options and features, and when possible, obtain one that controls all of the environmental controls from one device.
The majority of large greenhouses have air conditioning, heating, and ventilation systems installed in order to maintain perfect growing and reproductive conditions for the plants growing inside. The best greenhouse thermostat would be one that can effectively control all three of the internal environment machines. In some instances, this will not be possible, such as in very large greenhouses that have numerous sections and machines. In this scenario, the thermostat should still be able to control all the machines within at least one section. Depending upon the size of the sections, some thermostats allow the user to set various different temperatures for different sections, but these units are very costly and can be complicated to use.
The temperature differential function is also a feature that has to be considered in order to choose the best greenhouse thermostat. The temperature differential is the aspect of the thermostat that controls exactly when the machines that it runs will turn off and on. The internal environment of the greenhouse can be maintained more closely with accurate controls. If the temperature fluctuates up and down, specific plants may suffer, which defeats the purpose of having a highly controlled environment.
The final feature of a good greenhouse thermostat that needs to be evaluated is the heat anticipator function. This feature prevents large fluctuations in temperature within the greenhouse, such as on hot summer days or cold winter nights. The anticipator will adjust the internal temperatures according to the external environmental factors, which will ensure an ideal growing environment for the plants within. The more accurate the anticipator function performs on the thermostat, the better the greenhouse thermostat will be for maintaining the optimal growing and reproducing environment.
Choosing the best greenhouse thermostat begins and ends with the quality of the device. The thermostats that fall in the middle cost range are usually very effective when it comes to performance, and the higher end ones will usually have more advanced controls that are harder to adjust. The low end units may seem like a cost effective alternative, but these need to be avoided because their performance may be lacking when it comes to controlling the internal temperature of the greenhouse. The quality of the thermostat is dependent upon the cost of it, so the more features that are needed, the more costly the device will be.