On a gas thermostat, the adjustable heat anticipator is associated with which electrical parameter of the control circuit?

• A. voltage
• B. resistance
• C. frequency
• D. current (amp flow)

Answer: (D)

The adjustable heat anticipator in a gas thermostat is a tiny heater that wastes a bit of electrical power to add heat to the sensing element. The amount of heat it generates is proportional to the current flowing through it (P = I^2R). Since the resistor value is fixed, changing the current changes how much heat the anticipator produces. That means the control aspect it’s tied to is the current (amp flow) in the circuit. Voltage and frequency aren’t what you adjust to control the amount of anticipator heat, and while the resistor value sets how much current will flow for a given voltage, the practical parameter being governed is the current.