What does a heat anticipator do?

A heat anticipator is a critical component in thermostatic control systems, and its primary function is to optimize the heating process by determining the length of the burner "on" cycle. When the thermostat detects a rise in temperature, the heat anticipator assesses how much additional heat is required to reach the desired setting. By anticipating the temperature change and cycle duration, it helps prevent overshooting the setpoint, ensuring that the system operates efficiently and maintains consistent comfort levels.

In this context, it enhances the overall operation of the heating system by providing smoother cycling of the burner, reducing energy consumption and improving performance. This function is different from safety-related components which may respond to system faults or excess flow issues, but do not contribute to cycle adjustments based on anticipated temperature needs.