I was wondering if there was a way to trick my roommates into thinking they have control of the thermostat?
My girlfriend has rheumatoid arthritis and it hurts her joints when she gets cold. Our roommates know this and even after many discussions, they have decided to keep putting the thermostat at 65 and "cool" instead of 70 and auto like we originally agreed on, because they're hot and they said she was lying about her joints.
I'm tired of the arguing and bickering and everything becoming a pissing match. We have 6 more months on our lease so I was wanting to make the thermostat that's in now look like it's working, but have a real one somewhere in our room. Can you please help us out?
That's a tough one. Roommates? Are you Jack Tripper? If not, and you pay the bills, which I would not be surprised by based on your responses, either step up to the girlfriend or the roomies and use a thermostat with a pin #.
>>900783
New programmable thermostats can be passcode protected.
Buy, install new thermostats. Program it how you want, set passcode..
>>900829
>Buy, install new thermostats. Program it how you want, set passcode..
Then anon goes to work. Roommates remove his t'stat, install their own, program it how they want and set passcode.
>>900839
that's the reason why i want to do it secretly, so they cant do the same thing while we're gone.
>>900783
Sure. Piece of piss.
I assume you're actually using a wireless thermostat like the one you posted a picture of*. So just go buy another one exactly the same ( amzn.com/B00A97FIG0 ), connect its base station to sweet FA, and hang it in the place of the original thermostat.
If you're feeling fruity, re-pair them to each other's base station, so the thermostat never appears to change.
* if not, cheers for wasting my time and your time :D
>>900859
actually the one posted is our thermostat :/ we live in older house we're renting.
>>900783
It's an easy hack. Just break one of their fingers each time they fuck with it. They get 10 chances.
>>900783
Totally shooting from the hip here because I'm not familiar with these systems, but is there a way to isolate the control signal back the the main controller?
My first thought was "well, its a digital controller, it likely has a serial link back to the HVAC controller, break the serial return and the device will operate but not make changes to the controller" but the installation manual says nothing specifically about how or even if this unit sends its data back. Either way, if you could isolate an appropriate wire (either by removing it from the screwblock, cutting the stripped section off and putting it back in without removing the insulation, or maybe some cello tape in the female side of the appropriate pin) that would allow the thermostat to appear to be operating without making changes, you'd be looking good.
If anyone can give me a TL;DR on those wires and what they do in the grand scheme of things I would appreciate it as well.
>>900882
>serial link
kek
wires are more like wire for heating demand, wire for hot water demand. control panel just connects them to line or neutral to turn heating on or off.
>>900883
Ahh, so it's not like HVAC controller sends zone temps to controller, then controller sends out new temps based on that data? The controller is literally turning supply current on and off based on presets or what its internal sensors tell it?
I have bumped up against some building HVAC systems and just assumed residential ones would work on a similar principle I guess.
>>900895
It's literally just a device that emulates a mechanical bimetallic thermostat, and a computer that controls it by RF.
The brains are in the UI unit; the thermostat emulator just makes and breaks connections as it's told to.
This might not sound like the most optimal solution, but it means it can be a drop-in replacement for the thermostat that was originally there.
>>900882
I've always loved how the actual terminals are labelled aesthetically, rather than semantically.
What does "R" mean? It means it's the Red Wire, of course! What does the red wire do? Shrug.
Job security at its finest. Can you imagine if IC datasheets did that?
most units use the wiring scheme fromt he photo above, try to take the thermostat off the wall and see if there is a spo for batteries, if so, based on where the ac unit is you can got to a local home improvement store and get x amount of wire and a cheep thermostat to put in your room if you're able to run the wires on your own, it's all low voltage so not terribly complicated - if the thermostat does require power leave the two leads connected that are for power when you run your new cable to the new thermostat but disconnect the rest form the controller
alternatively - buy a space heater your gf can easily move around the house with her - and have her use it in any room she currently occupies - tell your roommate sice they are incapable of being decent humans this is what has to happen and they can now split the massively high bills with you since the ac will be on the whole time this heater is running, after the first major bill they should be more willing to negotieate
Close the vents in your room should raise room temp by 10 degrees more or less
>>900957
>>900957
i will say this, if you live in a multi story home running wires is a bitch, if you live in a ranch style it should be easier, it doesn't ahve to be pretty, you rent, punch a hole in the ceiling and tape the wires to the wall
teh attached picture is of the overhead light in my apartment, it didnt have one so i ran the wires down the wall
also, going to the unit directly is probably going to be easier than trying to meet up with the wires in the wall where the current thermostat is, unless your room is directly opposite the current thermostat location
- one final thing, this still may not solve the problem entirely, as your room will be the only one most likely at the desired temperature - the thermostat registers the local air and guesses the best solution for the rest of the house, which is why they are often centrally located in an area that shares air volume with multiple rooms in the house e.g. in a hallway
if you feel smarter than a fifth grader the telephone cabling may be a good way to go if you don't have a home phone in your house, there's always a way
>>900934
so true
>>900783
Yea super easy. But you'll need the place to yourself for a day.
>My joints used to ache like mother fucker in the cold, so I sympathize. They'd leave windows open when it was literally freezing outside.
Buy an identical or similar tstat and a roll of 18/8. Set the new stat in your return, set it to 70 and auto, and make sure it can't be seen, maybe tape over screen. Run a new set of wires from it to old stat and splice them behind it. Bonus points if you can hide joints where its not visible if you remove the shared stat and then add and terminate a foot long whip to it and feed the slack up so it looks wired.
>Bonus bonus is do it in your roommates return.
>Or find where the wire comes down the wall and make the splice above ceiling.
Those honeywells are battery backed, so it will continue to display temp, allow setpoint changes, and relays will fire/display.
Your roommates will get used to it after a week or two, not to mention the placebo effect of just changing the stpt makes many people feel more comfortable. We put dummy adjustables into LEED office towers almost every job.
>Continue to "fight" with them, turn it up, can't act suspicious.
Alternatively, just choke off your vents at the registers and taped up cardboard over them and just isolate yourselves in there. I had to do that with 1 set of roommates to control my coldness. At this place, water was free, so I left my shower on full hot for steam warmth.
Third option is to buy a shitload of space heaters in your room and just skyrocket your electric bill.
>>900895
Also, what the fuck are you talking about? Residentual split systems don't talk bacnet/Lon/modbus/flt/whatever. Why would they need to interface with anything non IP?
>>900991
>I typed this last night but was b@ from shitposting on sp and I didn't care enough to evade.
actual idea here!
many thermostats have a temperature offset/correction feature built into them. this allows you to make minor corrections to the measured temperature vs. real temperature. that means you can either + or - from the given value and make others think its still that 65 degrees. just have to find the service/intallation manual for the device...
>>900927
Makes perfect sense, thank you. A smart box with dumb outputs, got it.
>>900934
See below response to illiterate screwdriver monkey.
> Can you imagine if IC datasheets did that?
I don't want to.
>>900991
Who said anything about protocols or addressing beyond "does this use serial" you illiterate fuck? My assumption based on my limited exposure to and research on office HVAC systems for work was that the thermostat head (a box full of discrete logic) would send actual control data back to the HVAC controller, which I also assumed to be discreet logic. What I'm seeing here is basically an over engineered bimetal strip for a generation who love blinkenleds. My bad for assuming HVAC had evolved beyond 40's era technology I guess, but again, gotta keep it simple for the sake of you blokes, right?
here's something guaranteed to work:
- make sure power to the heaters is off
- locate the thermistor inside the thermostat
- measure resistance at 65-deg, then measure resistance at 70-deg.
- add a resistor in series or parallel with the thermistor so that the resistance at 70-deg is equal to what was measured at 65.
so, at 70 deg, it will display 65.
>>900783
first- your gf isnt on the lease so she doesnt get a say what the temp is at. you are being a real douche to your roomate
second- chicks do this all the time as manipulation to drive a wedge between you and your people so you come to rely on her more and more
>that's the reason why i want to do it secretly, so they cant do the same thing while we're gone.
third- cutting off access to heating and cooling is illegal. specially when you arnt there. i hope your roomate finds out and takes you small claims court.
op you are massie faggot and piece of shit. this isnt the first time a shitty girlfriend has manipulated a beta bitch like you into something like this and it wont be the last. kill yourself before you self destruct
>>901022
>cutting off access to heating and cooling is illegal.
[citation needed]
There's no laws against "being a dick".
>>901035
What are you 12? This is illegal and irresponsible.
>>901018
Lol your post was fucking retarded. You basically compared a jet to a car because they both have wheels and move. You also showed you don't even have a clue how EMS works. Using the same example: The jet calculates how much wing it can jet to fire transmission so I thought cars wheel too?
>Oh and if you're OP.
Hope you report back when your roommates get an AC guy down there and stick your faggot ass with the bill then beat the shit out of you. You're obviously not intelligent enough to carry this out with any success you little keked beta.
>>901037
>What are you 12? This is illegal and irresponsible.
[citation needed]
If it's illegal, you'll have no bother citing the law it contravenes, right?
![IMG_1090[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/sk58wH4.jpg "IMG_1090[1].jpg")
>>901060
>The jet calculates how much wing it can jet to fire transmission so I thought cars wheel too?
>>900783
The moron who says its illegal to restrict heating or cooling is a fucking moron.
The big problem is how you're going to try and alter components that dont belong to you. Your lease specifically prohibits you from making changes to the property.
Secondly. You made the mistake of getting a room with people. AND you're forcing them to be uncomfortable for the sake of your girlfriend who probably doesn't contribute anything to the household.
The simple fact is, if your girlfriend wants to be warmer then she needs to dress up in warmer clothes, or your room mates get to walk around naked in front of her. You better hope they're not better hung than you though.
>>900783
sounds like your girl needs to cuddle up next to a real man
rekt
Put a fucking space heater in your room and she can hang out there.
