Compensating for sensor thermal lag

1. A controller for a temperature control system having at least one temperature sensing device, the controller comprising at least one processor and memory configured to:

receive a temperature obtained by the temperature sensing device indicating that a control set-point temperature has been reached, the temperature sensing device including a thermistor and probe assembly secured in a water heater tank wall by a threaded region such that the thermistor is immersed in water stored in the tank;

upon expiration of a predetermined time period after the control set-point temperature has been reached, receive another temperature obtained by the temperature sensing device at the expiration of the predetermined time period; and

determine a difference between the received temperatures for offsetting the control set-point temperature to set an operational set-point temperature of the temperature control system by subtracting the difference between the received temperatures from the control set-point temperature;

wherein the length of the predetermined time period is based on insulation values of the temperature sensing device materials.

2. The controller of claim 1 , configured to perform the offsetting in one or more subsequent temperature control cycles of the temperature control system.

3. The controller of claim 1 , configured to perform the offsetting by changing the operational set-point temperature of the temperature control system without altering the control set-point temperature.

4. The controller of claim 1 , configured to offset the control set-point temperature by changing an operational set-point temperature of the temperature control system.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period is three minutes.

6. The controller of claim 1 , further configured to:

perform the receiving steps for two or more temperature control cycles of the temperature control system;

and use an average of the differences between the received temperatures for each of the two or more temperature control cycles to offset the control set-point temperature.

7. A water heating system comprising the controller of claim 1 .

8. A temperature control system comprising:

a temperature sensing device including a thermistor and probe assembly secured in a water heater tank wall by a threaded region such that the thermistor is immersed in water stored in the tank; and

a controller having a processor and memory configured to use a difference between a first temperature obtained by the temperature sensing device indicating that an end of a temperature control cycle has been reached and a second temperature obtained by the temperature sensing device at a pre-defined time after the end of the temperature control cycle, to offset a control set-point temperature of the temperature control system to set an operational set-point temperature of the temperature control system by subtracting the difference between the first and second temperatures from the control set-point temperature;

wherein the length of the pre-defined time is based on insulation values of the temperature sensing device materials.

9. The temperature control system of claim 8 , configured to use the difference, in a second temperature control cycle, to change an operational set-point temperature of the temperature control system.

10. The temperature control system of claim 8 , wherein the pre-defined time is three minutes.

11. The temperature control system of claim 8 , configured to control heating and/or cooling.

12. A water heating system comprising the temperature control system of claim 8 and a tank.