Mechanical Thermostats
There are two basic types of mechanical thermostats:
Creep Action Thermostat
Snap Action
Both are based on a bimetal expansion-contraction principle and nearly all are pre-set to a specific temperature (non-adjustable). If the application requires very close temperature control an electronic controller with sensor is suggested over the mechanical thermostat.
Freeze protection, enclosure temperature and high limit protection are the applications best suited for the low cost mechanical thermostat.
Temperature Sensors
Thermal Fuses
Thermocouples
Resistance Temperature Device (RTD)