What is a cycle rate?

Your thermostat is designed to control temperature to +/- 1 F, the cycle rate setting is one factory that helps the thermostat maintain your temperature setting. How often your heat turns on and off depends on may factors including the type of heating system you have as well as how much your system needs to run to maintain your temperature setting (in other words, how cool or cold it is outside). A typical forced air system will cycle about five times in an hour, this is normal. A typical hot water system would cycle less then that. Every heating system type will deliver heat to the house at a slightly different rate. Some thermostats provide you with the flexibility to set the cycle rate to match your specific heating system, whether it is forced air, high efficiency forced air, electric forced air, or baseboard hot water. Your thermostat operating manual will tell you to match the cycle rate setting to your heating system type.