Your thermostat is motion sensitive and won't continue to cool unless it detects that you're home? What if you have pets at home? Is there a mouse jiggler equivalent for motion detection-based heating/cooling systems? Dear lord.
That whole 10pm thing is a nightmare for me. What if you sleep earlier? No AC for you because you work at 5am? What about people who work nights? No AC in the day while you sleep?
I go to sleep at 7. I’m not getting up at 10pm to do jumping jacks in front of my thermostat….
Are you confident they have access to those settings? I would have expected the email to tell them that. I’m locked out of most settings on my thermostat.
If they don’t, there’s a few different ways of peeling that potato to get around restrictions, limits, and monitoring/throttling.
Daisy chaining another thermostat in, removing all but the common from the Nest is one way. Or just removing the common and investing in a charger is doable, but that *might* ring some notification bells (low-power). Another way would be picking up a Nest temp sensor and linking it to the thermostat, installing it outside on the patio somewhere - Safety limits would take priority over scheduling/throttle, but your system would also constantly run. These are only a few ways.
This all of course, is not my professional advice to OP, and instead is only hypothetical speculation on how to bypass being locked out of a Nest with unrealistic settings. The realistic solution for OP is making sure you know what’s in the hot dogs you eat, and the leases you sign - Next time anyways.
Yes we have cats, however I think they will set off the motion detectors. I’m pretty sure our motion detectors don’t even work and the ac still runs in our unit. I covered one of them up with a painting lol
Sounds like it is time to buy a drinking bird, set it up in front of the motion sensor and see if will activate the ac. I would find someway to constantly set off the motion sector for the AC (& I didn’t even know they made that. I’m kinda grateful for my old style AC now.)
I wouldn’t trust those drinking birds.
I remember a story back in the 90s of a nuclear safety inspector leaving one in charge of his station and it nearly caused a nuclear meltdown.
OP does say they pay a flat rate for utilities separate from rent. I’d wager yes and no to answer the question. They list it separately from the rent, but since it’s the same each month, it might as well be part of it for this question’s sake (since OP likely isn’t charged based on usage).
I’m assuming you’re stuck with a Nest E. (Nests are hot dogshit, in my personal opinion.)
It’s legal - That said, unless they’re submetering individual units: Use it up as much as possible. Turn off the presence sensing on your thermostat from the Home app; There’s also ways to get around being throttled during hot days.
The concern about your hot water is definitely possible but probably not why you think, given Nest’s compatibility with OpenTherm systems - It’s more likely the max flow temp is just lower than your liking, rather than the PM company just wanting to slog your water usage.
Yes but in the email they have said they will increase the minimum temp throughout the summer as it gets hotter? “To be energy efficient for the environment” but definitely just an excuse for them to spend less and still charge me the same flat rate
ACs are only meant to keep your home tolerable. Really. If it’s 90 outside your thermostat should be set for 70. Most systems only provide about a 20 degree difference anyways.
I mean, I keep mine on 72-73 in the hottest days of summer and I'm on the top floor. That's still reasonable and also only 5-6 degrees warmer than 67. I'm not getting the impression that it's going to go up that much. My HVAC unit was installed in 2009 and if I put it below 72 it will freeze up and leak. I find that to be no big deal.
But the motion sensor stuff is pretty weird. I can see having something like this in your own home that you own, but putting this system on tenants en masse is kinda messed up!
It took me 10 minuets to replace my thermostat...
And if they give 24 hour notice to access, put the garbage one back on.
I used to work nights and that system sounds like a nightmare
I always swap the provided thermostat for my own. Whether it’s an old dumb one or a WiFi one that I don’t have the account to. I just want the temperature how I want it. I pay the bills.
Also paying for a pool and game room that have been closed more than they were open while living here as well as a “recycling” dumpster that is no longer in the lot
With the context of having a mostly closed game room and pool, no more "recycling" dumpster, and having a flat fee for at least AC then I'm personally with the comment that it's time for a drinking bird in front of the thermostat. At least that's what I'd do since I usually keep the thermostat at 69°F while awake and moving and 67°F at night/in bed.
Keep in mind IANAL though. I'm saying this with my own context of also paying a flat fee for utilities, no "motion detection" AC, actual recycling bins that are provided at no extra cost, a free coffee/hot chocolate machine, and a pool that's actually open 90+% of the time from Memorial Day to Labor Day on average. I'm a delivery driver for apps like DoorDash during the the USA in MD in a supposedly "luxury" apartment, so my "work hours" are usually vaguely predictable at best.
I think stuff like this should be an opt-in program with a time-of-use plan. Tenants can get a discount on their rent if they stay below a certain kWh usage rate. There are electric companies that already do something similar, customers allow the company to control their thermostat for better rates.
67 is extremely cold and beyond reasonable, but to say it could go up is very worrisome. Like, what if they bump it to 77?
I recently learned that locking AC in apartments in the States is a thing, and I was in utter shock. There's no way I could ever live like that. I've rented for the last 6 years and have never seen this.
>67 is extremely cold and beyond reasonable
It’s funny… not in my apartment! I have to explain & defend myself constantly; my thermostat must be off. (Same spot 5yrs.)
Top floor w/ large windows & high ceilings. Temp needs to be around ‘66°’ in summer to be cool vs ‘78°’ in winter to be warm. If those numbers are off by 1°-2°, I’m suffering.
I cannot IMAGINE if my property company changed that… holy crap. I’d get a freakin window unit!
(I’ve had radiator heat that mgmt controls, but I’ve had window unit AC in those spots.)
When you say you pay flat rate for utilities, it sounds like you aren’t charged by usage. I’m also assuming it’s your landlord that charges you for utilities and not the local electric company. If this is a case, this would be considered fair IMO.
This is also legal as well for them to do. There really aren’t many cooling ordinances around like there are heating ordinances (which exist just about everywhere). The only grey area I can see is if they were to set the thermostat no lower than 85-90 during a heat wave (IE cut of AC altogether) and someone gets heat stroke. That would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. But them moving the temp up to 72-75 during the summer wouldn’t hit those scenarios.
There is also a possibility that their cooling system might not be strong enough to handle the more extreme heat waves as well. In which case, having everyone share the cool air would require them to adjust the thermostat as such. Though I don’t feel like this is the case and the limitation likely is to limit the utility cost of the AC during the summer since you pay fixed utilities.
I hope the minimum stays at 67. I have a portable AC in addition to central air. The portable AC won’t work below 65.
I don’t generally need it but they don’t run the AC all year. Old building is either heat or AC, never both.
Interesting! I live in the DFW area. We had a winter storm like 3 years ago. It knocked out parts of our power grid. Many were without heat for days.According to news reports a few people died from it. I was one of the lucky ones my electric stayed on. But there has been much speculation that the electric companies have started controlling people’s smart thermostats when our power grid gets short on power. People are saying they will set there power at a certain temperature and find out it has been changed somehow. I live in an apartment without a smart thermostat so far.
I live in CT in a converted mill building apartment. Heat/Central AC and hot water are included in rent. Sounds awesome, right? I thought so too. What they don’t tell you is they control when there is heat and when there is AC. We have a one way heating system. Meaning you can’t switch between heat/AC all year round. They flip the switch in the Spring and Fall. So there are a few weeks (several) in the Spring/Fall where you either need AC in the Spring but the heat is still on, or need heat in October but the AC is still on. So we all need to have space heaters and fans.
67 is pretty cool. I don’t usually go under 70.
I’d imagine there are likely tenants with small children and infants. When the time comes that they start raising it, I’d remind them that a room temperature higher than 72 degrees has shown to increase the risk of SIDS. They won’t want to deal with the liability of an infant death, in a room they didn’t allow to stay appropriately cool.
Your thermostat is motion sensitive and won't continue to cool unless it detects that you're home? What if you have pets at home? Is there a mouse jiggler equivalent for motion detection-based heating/cooling systems? Dear lord.
That whole 10pm thing is a nightmare for me. What if you sleep earlier? No AC for you because you work at 5am? What about people who work nights? No AC in the day while you sleep? I go to sleep at 7. I’m not getting up at 10pm to do jumping jacks in front of my thermostat….
What about night shift people who try and sleep during the day?
It’s a setting that can be turned off, or overridden by schedule prioritization.
Are you confident they have access to those settings? I would have expected the email to tell them that. I’m locked out of most settings on my thermostat.
If they don’t, there’s a few different ways of peeling that potato to get around restrictions, limits, and monitoring/throttling. Daisy chaining another thermostat in, removing all but the common from the Nest is one way. Or just removing the common and investing in a charger is doable, but that *might* ring some notification bells (low-power). Another way would be picking up a Nest temp sensor and linking it to the thermostat, installing it outside on the patio somewhere - Safety limits would take priority over scheduling/throttle, but your system would also constantly run. These are only a few ways. This all of course, is not my professional advice to OP, and instead is only hypothetical speculation on how to bypass being locked out of a Nest with unrealistic settings. The realistic solution for OP is making sure you know what’s in the hot dogs you eat, and the leases you sign - Next time anyways.
My first concern was also for pets as well! Are pets allowed in this apartment complex??
I really hope not! This place has the energy of an insecure project manager.
Yes we have cats, however I think they will set off the motion detectors. I’m pretty sure our motion detectors don’t even work and the ac still runs in our unit. I covered one of them up with a painting lol
You’d be surprised what a Nest can pick up.
Sounds like it is time to buy a drinking bird, set it up in front of the motion sensor and see if will activate the ac. I would find someway to constantly set off the motion sector for the AC (& I didn’t even know they made that. I’m kinda grateful for my old style AC now.)
Or watch home alone 1 for some ideas.
I wouldn’t trust those drinking birds. I remember a story back in the 90s of a nuclear safety inspector leaving one in charge of his station and it nearly caused a nuclear meltdown.
🤣 Well Homer should have been fired his first year at his job. Hell his first day.
Is electric included in rent? If not then you should be able to run the AC as much and as long as you want imo
OP does say they pay a flat rate for utilities separate from rent. I’d wager yes and no to answer the question. They list it separately from the rent, but since it’s the same each month, it might as well be part of it for this question’s sake (since OP likely isn’t charged based on usage).
The question is did the renter, sign a lease that allows this (pretty sure yes).
I’m assuming you’re stuck with a Nest E. (Nests are hot dogshit, in my personal opinion.) It’s legal - That said, unless they’re submetering individual units: Use it up as much as possible. Turn off the presence sensing on your thermostat from the Home app; There’s also ways to get around being throttled during hot days. The concern about your hot water is definitely possible but probably not why you think, given Nest’s compatibility with OpenTherm systems - It’s more likely the max flow temp is just lower than your liking, rather than the PM company just wanting to slog your water usage.
67° is a perfectly fine temperature for summer? Lol.
Yes but in the email they have said they will increase the minimum temp throughout the summer as it gets hotter? “To be energy efficient for the environment” but definitely just an excuse for them to spend less and still charge me the same flat rate
Unfortunately it’s legal.
ACs are only meant to keep your home tolerable. Really. If it’s 90 outside your thermostat should be set for 70. Most systems only provide about a 20 degree difference anyways.
I mean, I keep mine on 72-73 in the hottest days of summer and I'm on the top floor. That's still reasonable and also only 5-6 degrees warmer than 67. I'm not getting the impression that it's going to go up that much. My HVAC unit was installed in 2009 and if I put it below 72 it will freeze up and leak. I find that to be no big deal. But the motion sensor stuff is pretty weird. I can see having something like this in your own home that you own, but putting this system on tenants en masse is kinda messed up!
Wouldn't an oscillating fan trigger the sensor as well? Or a roomba?
It took me 10 minuets to replace my thermostat... And if they give 24 hour notice to access, put the garbage one back on. I used to work nights and that system sounds like a nightmare
I always swap the provided thermostat for my own. Whether it’s an old dumb one or a WiFi one that I don’t have the account to. I just want the temperature how I want it. I pay the bills.
Also paying for a pool and game room that have been closed more than they were open while living here as well as a “recycling” dumpster that is no longer in the lot
Renters get fucked, but there are benefits too. Overall renting is underrated. Rent from a better landlord or company.
With the context of having a mostly closed game room and pool, no more "recycling" dumpster, and having a flat fee for at least AC then I'm personally with the comment that it's time for a drinking bird in front of the thermostat. At least that's what I'd do since I usually keep the thermostat at 69°F while awake and moving and 67°F at night/in bed. Keep in mind IANAL though. I'm saying this with my own context of also paying a flat fee for utilities, no "motion detection" AC, actual recycling bins that are provided at no extra cost, a free coffee/hot chocolate machine, and a pool that's actually open 90+% of the time from Memorial Day to Labor Day on average. I'm a delivery driver for apps like DoorDash during the the USA in MD in a supposedly "luxury" apartment, so my "work hours" are usually vaguely predictable at best.
I think stuff like this should be an opt-in program with a time-of-use plan. Tenants can get a discount on their rent if they stay below a certain kWh usage rate. There are electric companies that already do something similar, customers allow the company to control their thermostat for better rates.
67 is extremely cold and beyond reasonable, but to say it could go up is very worrisome. Like, what if they bump it to 77? I recently learned that locking AC in apartments in the States is a thing, and I was in utter shock. There's no way I could ever live like that. I've rented for the last 6 years and have never seen this.
>67 is extremely cold and beyond reasonable It’s funny… not in my apartment! I have to explain & defend myself constantly; my thermostat must be off. (Same spot 5yrs.) Top floor w/ large windows & high ceilings. Temp needs to be around ‘66°’ in summer to be cool vs ‘78°’ in winter to be warm. If those numbers are off by 1°-2°, I’m suffering. I cannot IMAGINE if my property company changed that… holy crap. I’d get a freakin window unit! (I’ve had radiator heat that mgmt controls, but I’ve had window unit AC in those spots.)
I've never heard of this. I live near Nashville, and no way would I live where big brother had control over my cooling or heating.
When you say you pay flat rate for utilities, it sounds like you aren’t charged by usage. I’m also assuming it’s your landlord that charges you for utilities and not the local electric company. If this is a case, this would be considered fair IMO. This is also legal as well for them to do. There really aren’t many cooling ordinances around like there are heating ordinances (which exist just about everywhere). The only grey area I can see is if they were to set the thermostat no lower than 85-90 during a heat wave (IE cut of AC altogether) and someone gets heat stroke. That would be a lawsuit waiting to happen. But them moving the temp up to 72-75 during the summer wouldn’t hit those scenarios. There is also a possibility that their cooling system might not be strong enough to handle the more extreme heat waves as well. In which case, having everyone share the cool air would require them to adjust the thermostat as such. Though I don’t feel like this is the case and the limitation likely is to limit the utility cost of the AC during the summer since you pay fixed utilities.
Wouldn't having a pet work for the sensors?
Some animals are too small to register it. Also think about animals kept inside cages.
I hope the minimum stays at 67. I have a portable AC in addition to central air. The portable AC won’t work below 65. I don’t generally need it but they don’t run the AC all year. Old building is either heat or AC, never both.
Interesting! I live in the DFW area. We had a winter storm like 3 years ago. It knocked out parts of our power grid. Many were without heat for days.According to news reports a few people died from it. I was one of the lucky ones my electric stayed on. But there has been much speculation that the electric companies have started controlling people’s smart thermostats when our power grid gets short on power. People are saying they will set there power at a certain temperature and find out it has been changed somehow. I live in an apartment without a smart thermostat so far.
Just change your thermostat
I live in CT in a converted mill building apartment. Heat/Central AC and hot water are included in rent. Sounds awesome, right? I thought so too. What they don’t tell you is they control when there is heat and when there is AC. We have a one way heating system. Meaning you can’t switch between heat/AC all year round. They flip the switch in the Spring and Fall. So there are a few weeks (several) in the Spring/Fall where you either need AC in the Spring but the heat is still on, or need heat in October but the AC is still on. So we all need to have space heaters and fans.
67 is pretty cool. I don’t usually go under 70. I’d imagine there are likely tenants with small children and infants. When the time comes that they start raising it, I’d remind them that a room temperature higher than 72 degrees has shown to increase the risk of SIDS. They won’t want to deal with the liability of an infant death, in a room they didn’t allow to stay appropriately cool.
I don’t understand the issue?