Thermostats locked in Denver

[Brandon]

Nah, I'm good. I figure it would save me what, $5 -10 a month? I can live with that.

I think its 5$ a month for 4 months. I think.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I think its 5$ a month for 4 months. I think.

Well, since I'm fabulously wealthy I think I'll be okay with paying the extra $20.

 

[Ingomike]

Yeah, I get it, but I can do it manually if I want. Granted it would save me at least a second and a half of labor.

For you it will not be that valuable, for folks gone all day they can reduce energy use (debatable) and still have it comfortable when they get home…

 

[DoggyDaddy]

For you it will not be that valuable, for folks gone all day they can reduce energy use (debatable) and still have it comfortable when they get home…

That makes sense. Even though I sit out here on my deck even when it's in the 90's, it's nice to go in where it's cool from time to time.

 

[MRockwell]

 

[Creedmoor]

Well, since I'm fabulously wealthy I think I'll be okay with paying the extra $20.

The Southside should forever now be called, South Carmel.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

The Southside should forever now be called, South Carmel.

Nah, I'm not far enough south for that. Gotta get down to Greenwood at least.

 

[04FXSTS]

I was just reminded about a deal I had going while I was still working except it was heat not A/C. The company installed lockable boxes over the thermostats so the settings could not be changed. I worked 2nd shift which had maybe 1/5th as many people as on days plus my work area was in a corner next to outside walls so at night it would get cold in that area.
I started going outside and bringing in a frozen casting and placing it on a stool under the thermostat, kicked the heat right on. After about a week I told our foreman who worked days what I was doing to stay warm. He was a good boss, laughed and gave me a key, just said to set it back before I left at night.
Another place I worked 3rd shift with a good hard core bunch of machinists that always stuck together. Came in one Sunday night and no heat, foreman said he couldn't turn it on it was set to come on for day shift. This was a huge place so we put a steel trash barrell in the middle of the isle, filled with scrap wood and set it on fire. Foreman figured out real quick how to get the heat on, just needed proper motivation. Jim.

 

[BJHay]

San Francisco cops want permission to monitor live feeds from private security cameras (Ring doorbells and similar). The article implies it's already legal to do this outside of San Francisco without a warrant (caveat for info from the press inserted here).
Regardless, if Alexa and similar aren't already included for voice monitoring they will be soon.

Controlling your home temperature is just the start. It's not paranoia if it's actually occurring.

San Francisco cops want real-time access to private cameras

ACLU hits back at 'unprecedented power grab'

www.theregister.com

 

[ditcherman]

You can still have a cool cents box shut your ac off. Plenty of non wifi stats have the box.

Also @Cameramonkey @Creedmoor (because I can’t figure out how to multiquote from a page back)
We may be talking about two different types of “smart” thermostats, better defined as “programmable”, and “connected”.

Had a water heater control 10+ years ago that REMC turned off at high demand. Never an issue.

As for my old farmhouse I’m convinced it saves zero dollars to turn down. Furnace just runs longer to heat it back up.

 

[Cameramonkey]

San Francisco cops want permission to monitor live feeds from private security cameras (Ring doorbells and similar). The article implies it's already legal to do this outside of San Francisco without a warrant (caveat for info from the press inserted here).
Regardless, if Alexa and similar aren't already included for voice monitoring they will be soon.

Controlling your home temperature is just the start. It's not paranoia if it's actually occurring.

San Francisco cops want real-time access to private cameras

ACLU hits back at 'unprecedented power grab'

www.theregister.com

This is actually happening here. Kinda.

Except here its entirely voluntary. You can sign up to give access to the police if you wish. Once granted, they can check your cameras when they are doing an investigation without bothering you. Especially in real time when searching for a perp.


Nice idea, I guess. But I see potential for abuse.

Also @Cameramonkey @Creedmoor (because I can’t figure out how to multiquote from a page back)
We may be talking about two different types of “smart” thermostats, better defined as “programmable”, and “connected”.

Had a water heater control 10+ years ago that REMC turned off at high demand. Never an issue.

As for my old farmhouse I’m convinced it saves zero dollars to turn down. Furnace just runs longer to heat it back up.

It only helps if your setback is just a few degrees for at least 8 hours. Too far back for too short a period and you experience what you found. Ive been told in this region dont set it back more than a couple degrees. 3 or 4 I think.

 

[dlandersson]

Always about the children. Just not our children

Sadly true

 

[ditcherman]

This is actually happening here. Kinda.

Except here its entirely voluntary. You can sign up to give access to the police if you wish. Once granted, they can check your cameras when they are doing an investigation without bothering you. Especially in real time when searching for a perp.


Nice idea, I guess. But I see potential for abuse.

It only helps if your setback is just a few degrees for at least 8 hours. Too far back for too short a period and you experience what you found. Ive been told in this region dont set it back more than a couple degrees. 3 or 4 I think.

good info did not know that.

 

[GranolaFacility]

I bought a house in the last 2 years and got a letter from Duke Energy informing me that they had the ability to throttle my A/C and that I would have to call them if I wanted to opt out of this program. I called them right away! Unfortunately, they could probably still do it because the hardware is still installed. I guess I'm just trusting them not to because I'm on the opt-out list. Does anybody know anything more about this program? Is it only in certain areas? Is it illegal to remove their remote control equipment?

 

[Cameramonkey]

I bought a house in the last 2 years and got a letter from Duke Energy informing me that they had the ability to throttle my A/C and that I would have to call them if I wanted to opt out of this program. I called them right away! Unfortunately, they could probably still do it because the hardware is still installed. I guess I'm just trusting them not to because I'm on the opt-out list. Does anybody know anything more about this program? Is it only in certain areas? Is it illegal to remove their remote control equipment?

Do you have a smart thermostat that is connected to the world and associated with your Duke account?
Do you have an extra box on the outside of the house? You should have the quick disconnect box with a thick whip that goes to the outdoor unit. The Duke box would be near that, and probably about the same size. At least that is my experiece with them when my Grandma had one on her house.

Without one of those two things, they'd have to install a box on the outside of your house to control it.

 

[Brandon]

I bought a house in the last 2 years and got a letter from Duke Energy informing me that they had the ability to throttle my A/C and that I would have to call them if I wanted to opt out of this program. I called them right away! Unfortunately, they could probably still do it because the hardware is still installed. I guess I'm just trusting them not to because I'm on the opt-out list. Does anybody know anything more about this program? Is it only in certain areas? Is it illegal to remove their remote control equipment?

I unhiok them all the time when we replace an ac. Never hooked one back up. We do tell the customer to call their company to come retrieve their box though.


It also isn't just a simple snip a wire to disconmect it. They change the wiring in the ac so their box can shut it down when ever they desire.


I'd be willing to bet a couple quick google searches will show you what and were needs to be reconnected on the ac.

 

[GranolaFacility]

Do you have a smart thermostat that is connected to the world and associated with your Duke account?
Do you have an extra box on the outside of the house? You should have the quick disconnect box with a thick whip that goes to the outdoor unit. The Duke box would be near that, and probably about the same size. At least that is my experiece with them when my Grandma had one on her house.

Without one of those two things, they'd have to install a box on the outside of your house to control it.

No. No smart thermostat. Just a box on the outside.

 

[GranolaFacility]

I unhiok them all the time when we replace an ac. Never hooked one back up. We do tell the customer to call their company to come retrieve their box though.


It also isn't just a simple snip a wire to disconmect it. They change the wiring in the ac so their box can shut it down when ever they desire.


I'd be willing to bet a couple quick google searches will show you what and were needs to be reconnected on the ac.

Thanks for the info/offer. I will probably be replacing the A/C soon anyway, so I'll ask them about it when I do.

 

[Cameramonkey]

No. No smart thermostat. Just a box on the outside.

If there is only THIS box, they would have to visit your home to install their control box along side. So definitely opt out so a magic box doesnt appear on the house one day.

Edit: While googling for what the other box looks like, at least AES has stopped deploying those outdoor control boxes. They are requiring internet connected thermostats now. Just FYI. (Duke could still be doing those)

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I would pull mine off the wall the. Go buy one of these.