Room Thermometers

A thermometer measures the temperature of something.

You might use a thermometer to measure the temperature of:

• a room
• a fridge
• your body
• a swimming pool
• a city

You might use different thermometers to measure the temperature of different things.

This information is about using a thermometer to measure the temperature of a room.

Different parts of a room can be different temperatures.

It is a good idea to put the thermometer on a wall or a shelf so it is at about the same level as you when you sit down.

Do not put the thermometer:

• near a fire 
• near a radiator 
• in the sun

Leave the thermometer for a few minutes so it can work out the temperature of the room.

Some thermometers have a line which moves up and down to show you the temperature.  

If you have a thermometer which has a line which moves up and down, you will need to see which number the line is next to.

Some thermometers show you the temperature as a number in the middle of the thermometer.

This information is about temperatures in degrees Celsius.  You write degrees Celsius as °C.

If your room temperature is 12°C or below, your room is cold.

If you spend a lot of time sitting in a room which is cold, you are more likely to have a heart attack, a stroke or hypothermia.  Hypothermia is when you become very unwell because your body temperature is very low.

If your room temperature is 13 - 15°C, your room is cool. 

If you spend a lot of time sitting in a room which is cool, you are more likely to get illnesses which affect how you breathe.  For example colds or flu.

If you have asthma and sit in a cool room, your asthma symptoms might start. 

If your room is cold or cool, make sure the windows are shut.

If the windows are shut and you can feel cold air coming in, you might want to use a draught excluder.

If your room is cold or cool, turn your heating up.

18 - 21°C is a good temperature for most people.

18°C  is a good temperature for your bedroom.

21°C is a good temperature for the room where you spend most of your day.

If your room temperature is 24°C or more, your room is too hot. 

If your room is too hot, turn your heating down.

This will help you to use less energy on your heating.

Thank you to British Gas Energy Trust for funding.