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Monday, December 26, 2011

The Power of the Thermostat

Thermostats are switches. Nothing more; nothing less, although they're far more in most homes. The power wielded by the user is ruthlessly abused in the wrong hands.

I've had arguments with people over thermostats. They're uncomfortable, so they set the thermostat to a position that's unreasonably different than the current setting and then become adamant their relief will come faster than changing the temperature setting by only a degree or two. My logical explanation that this isn't true  falls on deaf ears. Anger arises and everything I've learned is dismissed. In some situations, I've been ridiculed. Otherwise, they don't want to be confused by the facts; my knowledge is useless and I'm foolish to think that physics, electrical engineering and common knowledge have proven that the thermostat is a switch and has no magical power to rapidly change the temperature in a room like a throttle on a powerful engine.

When you move the control on a thermostat, a circuit is completed, current is supplied to a contactor, a blower motor starts and either an air conditioning, or heating unit, starts. At this point, air is moved over a heating plenum or the evaporator coils on an air conditioner. Changing the setting to some ridiculous setting, such as 80 in the winter, or 60 in the summer only changes where the entire operation ends. It's not like there's some special extra part of the system that turbocharges the system and creates more cold, or warm air. I'm right about this. Do some web research or read a book or go to a technical school and take a course to become an expert. You can't prove me wrong.

Another thing: When you diddle the controls with your grubby little fingers, you change much more than you realize. In you effort to selfishly change the temperature of an entire house, the temperature of everything in the house will need changing to completely balance the system. Your little effort to become instantly comfortable may mean 24 hours of increased utility costs. Even then, the final effect may mean the changed temperature is uncomfortable for everyone else in the house and their frustration may lead to their diddling with the thermostat and starting the entire cycle over again.

So, why am I writing about this? I can't win the argument with many people, but I can complain in writing. That adds credence to my argument and, more or less, insults those foolish enough to argue with me about this subject. Call it throwing down the gauntlet. They're wrong and I'm right and the argument is over......I win!


  1. You have completely missed the entire reasoning of the power of the thermostat.

    (S)He who rules the thermostat, rules the house. Going on 21 years now living with a heating/air guy I can tell you that if I change that sucker even one degree he knows it. The good thing is now that we are both getting older, he's starting to get as cold as I have been my entire life.

    When he runs off to Florida in January, I can RULE the thermostat for a few weeks. It feels like being let out of thermostat prison.

  2. Two female teens.

    I ended up getting a programmable t. stat that had a lock and a reset code.
    Of course you could always relocate the real one and leave the dummy where it's at...

  3. I've never ruled a thermostat in my life. To do so means going to a war, which can never end in victory.

  4. When I lived alone, I would crank that baby up to 79 degrees in the cold winter. I loved being the Master of the Thermometer.

    Jess: You would not believe how many times I've commented on here and then just thought you must have deleted my comment for some strange reason. Finally dawned on me that AFTER I hit Publish it asks for the stupid characters.

    I'm sure you've missed out on some of the most insightful comments I have ever written.


  5. I'm glad you figured it out. I've only deleted one comment, which I left for awhile, but finally deleted; insulting someone on their own blog is unaceptable and not to be tolerated.

    In a perfect world, the comments wouldn't need the letter code, but the spammers are always looking for opportunities.

  6. I save the insulting for Laura's blog. It seems to suit the atmosphere there. j/k

  7. I was surprised when I found a comment from an anonymous detractor. I didn't want to delete the comment - at first - but finally decided the line was drawn and they crossed the line.

  8. I don't see how anyone could object to anything on this blog.
    From what I've read, you seem to have a mellow, balanced view, and don't really get into divisive things.

  9. After Morning Glory posted the following comment:

    "...Several words come to mind, none of them positive. Except that it is positively vulgar, inappropriate, hypocritical, and nauseating..."

    in response to my sarcastic post about what I considered wasteful spending by the First Lady, an anonymous comment was posted with the opinion that my blog was inappropriate, hypocritical and and nauseating. I left it for a few days and then deleted the comment afte I decided a troll had wandered from under their bridge and found a computer.

    I was little surprised, but then I realized there are people that wander the internet looking to create problems. Removing their soap box is best.

    about my sarcastic Merry Christmas post with the

  10. Like I said- I didn't see anything wrong :-D

    But she's probably someone who thought it was just fine calling our last President George ChimpyHaliburtonMcHitler, but has a conniption if someone doesn't show the right reverence to King Putt.

  11. I really don't know if it was a she, or not. Morning Glory made a comment that miirored my feeling, and the anonymous troll attacked my blog with similar words.

    I'm guessing it was follower of the First Family that didn't have a problem with spending thousands of dollar on ginger bread houses. I think it's safe to say it was probably not a wide load nutritionist like the First Lady aspires to be.

  12. The only nasty feedback I've ever received was when linked to my post about my office chair.

    The Office Chair PC police objected (mainly at Dustbury) and this Ruskie designer chick suddenly claimed I was too incompetent to learn how to adjust the freaking torture chamber. I found her comments on other blogs and she loved nasty insults.

    I still read her stupid designer blog as a kick, but I've labeled it as Nasty Broad. I thought it suited her well.

  13. I'm guessing there's some resentment because I pay the jackboots to make them read my blog. It cost a little, but the power is intoxicating.