it's not entirely accurate, the assembly housing the Mercury and contacts sit on a metal spring, of a material I can't remember, the spring flexes as the temperature changes causing the Mercury to slide from one end of the glass to the other connecting the contacts
Prindagelf t1_iy9nocp wrote
Reply to My thermostat uses the expansion/contraction of a drop mercury to conduct electricity and trigger when to turn off and on. by Iain_MS
it's not entirely accurate, the assembly housing the Mercury and contacts sit on a metal spring, of a material I can't remember, the spring flexes as the temperature changes causing the Mercury to slide from one end of the glass to the other connecting the contacts