Thermostat for this heater?

I'm repairing the electrical wiring to a suspended ceiling gas heater (which has a flue). The original thermostat was removed when the drywall was ripped out and replaced and only the box remains. The dummies replaced it with a recepticle! This controlled a fan as well as the gas valve. My question is if I can use a line voltage thermostat designed for baseboard heaters to replace this missing thermostat? I know that they don't all work bang-bang but some supply a variable voltage to baseboards and I cannot find any line voltage thermostats (at least in big box stores) which specify their operation. I assume that if I can see a mechanical switch inside the thermostat it would be bang-bang. Any other obvious indicators I am missing? I'm in search of an answer, I'm stumped.

Most likely the correct answer is NO, one cannot use a line voltage baseboard heater thermostat for this application. The resistance alone would kill the 24 VAC transformer that drives the thermostat circuit. Using 110 VAC on the thermostat circuit would fry the controls on the heater. In other words, don't do it.

My experience in this area is limited so maybe somebody can tell you how to do this. On the other hand, I'll put $5 down that says it can't be done...

t'stat

If this is a line voltage system, which is often the case with those heaters, then a simple line voltage thermostat will operate it. If the baseboard t'stats are a simple spst switch, there is no problem but they could be dpst, in which case they would be overkill for your use. IF the wires to the old t'stat were large enough that the remodelers could use them for a receptacle, then they are not likely to be low voltage wires.

I owe $5? Crap!

Heh, pay up! I need a new thermostat. The heater fan turned on when I plugged a lamp into the recepticle! That was a momentary head scratcher.

It is definitely line voltage, I just would rather not go through a trial and error process of buying the right thermostat. I vaguely recall that the variable output thermostats have an integrated faceplate/heatsink. ???

I'll fax the fiver right over.