3 ms·
Mercury switches were reliable, but were they accurate? What's the tolerance of a bimetallic spring? How about repeatability?
by joezydeco 3y ago
Mercury switches were reliable, but were they accurate? What's the tolerance of a bimetallic spring? How about repeatability?
- calamari4065 3y agoThey are surprisingly accurate, actually. It's an effect of the physical properties of the metal, which we can measure quite precisely. I couldn't immediately find an exact figure. Repeatability is not so great, but mostly because the mechanisms are designed as cheaply as possible. But typically it's within a couple of degrees. It turns out to not be that big of an issue because you want a few degrees of hysteresis in a thermostat.