Snap Action Thermostats to fit any Application

Many of these snap action thermostat options are available as in stock standard products and are ready to ship. Browse our inventory below or visit our Thermostat Design Configurator to find the right Snap Disc thermostat for your project!

What is a snap switch also known as Snap Disc or snap action thermostat?

Snap Disc, or snap switch thermostats are bimetal mechanical thermostats that function via the thermal expansion and contraction of a bimetal disc that “snaps” from a convex to a concave shape at a set temperature. When the disc “snaps”, it either completes or interrupts a circuit. Snap Disc thermostats have many practical applications. They are used in both heating and cooling applications to ensure the process temperatures do not exceed the thermal limits of the equipment or process. In some cases, Snap Disc thermostats with tight differential models can be used as the primary temperature control device. However, the most common application for a snap switch or snap action thermostat is as an over-temperature protection (or OTP) failsafe.

Because of their small size and low mass, the response time of the snap switch design is extremely rapid compared to other commercially available thermostatic devices. Additionally, the bimetal element of a Snap Disc does not carry the current, but acts as the force to open and close the contacts. Thus snap action thermostats have a long life at relatively high currents – up to 16 amps for the ½ inch series – making snap switches the first choice of many OEMs.

Precision Snap Disc thermostats are found in commercial food equipment, adhesive dispensing devices, laboratory instrumentation, aircrafts, medical equipment, electronic control systems and more. Commercial Snap Disc thermostats are most commonly found in appliances, heat and smoke detectors and HVAC equipment.

Comstat offers the following standard types of these bimetal snap switch thermostats: automatic reset Snap Disc thermostats; manual reset Snap Disc thermostats, and adjustable Snap Disc thermostats. Comstat also offers the widest possible operating temperature ranges for bimetal thermostats, ranging from -45C to +425C.

Want to know more about Comstat’s selection of snap action thermostats? Download Comstat’s Snap Disc Thermostat Primer PDF for more technical and application information, or contact us to speak directly with a member of the highly knowledgeable Comstat team.