<sod>A '''thermostat''' is a component which senses the [[temperature]] of a [[system]] so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired ''setpoint''. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed, to maintain the correct temperature. Thermostats are used in any device or system that heats or cools to a setpoint temperature, examples include building [[heating]], [[central heating]], [[air conditioning|air conditioners]], [[HVAC]] systems, as well as kitchen equipment including [[oven]]s and [[refrigerator]]s and medical and scientific [[incubator (culture)|incubator]]s.<eod>
<sod>A '''thermostat''' is a component which senses the [[temperature]] of a [[system]] so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired ''setpoint''. <eod>