Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

prilik.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

151–160 of 176 posts

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#151

Post by EvanAnderson »

yegle wrote: post #61
danudey wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It always kind of blows my mind that I keep seeing "smart TVs" which have a bunch of integration options for high-end AV installations (rich people's houses, etc.) but no API that you can integrate with to just handle toggling channels/inputs/power states/volumes. (I did get my last Sony Bravia integrated with Homekit so that I could control inputs, volume, etc. via the Home app, but that's not really what I'm lookin…

I think the standard control for TV is the RS-232C port on the TV. https://community.home-assistant.io/t/serial-projector-contr... from a quick search.

I inherited an old Sharp LCD TV that has a serial port. I did some digging and discovered I can power it on and off thru the serial port (amongst other commands). It serves a role in my home where it needs to be on part of the day. Turning it on and off via serial is very, very nice.

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#153

Post by post_break »

BHSPitMonkey wrote: post #57
post_break wrote: post #8

Assuming running a dual hose inverter portable AC isn't against the lease agreement it would probably pay for itself based on the power usage. Pretty neat hack regardless.

Why? A dual-hose portable is more efficient than a single-hose, but a PTAC should (in theory) be more efficient (and possibly quieter) on account of having the heat-emitting side of the cooling loop outside of the living space, which is closer to the ideal split system - though I suppose that advantage could be undermined by the unit's age and condition.

Well considering those units have an EER rating of 10-11, my comment stands. The midea duo has a SEER of 14.7. 1200 watts vs 816 watts.

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#154

Post by Kirby64 »

lstodd wrote: post #41
Guvante wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Multi use rooms require TVs. Projectors cannot handle ambient light without being a fire hazard.

If you are rich you have single-use rooms. Hell, even I have a sleeping room, a cat room and a hacking room. It's not that expensive. The cat room doubles as a mini-cinema. Ambient light is dealt with having nice thick blackout drapes. This is not some rocket science, it was done for like a hundred years. edit: actually in my former apartment I just bought a roll-down projector screen that completely covered the wind…

> If you are rich you have single-use rooms.

Yes, you might, but you can also have normal multi-use rooms. It's not like being rich somehow makes a 'standard' living room configuration with TV and couch gauche. The likely main difference is the couch is going to be way bigger and the TV is probably 100" inches.

Theater/cinema rooms are a very different experience (lights off, dedicated to watching the thing) compared to a standard lights on TV experience. Two different purposes.

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#156

Post by showerst »

m101 wrote: post #148

A friend of mine has the same problem with his, but his AC unit doesn't have knobs but rather has touch sensitive buttons (those ones where a finger is required). Any ideas how we might get around controlling that one?

Depends on the type of button, but conductive tape can work - https://alexmeub.com/automating-capacitive-buttons-with-swit...

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#157

Post by kube-system »

tentacleuno wrote: post #43
danudey wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does feel hella jank, but it's pretty obvious from the tone of the text that the author is fully aware of that. He went through every available option in order from reasonable to jank and this is the first one that worked. There's nothing wrong with jank as long as it's not going to burn your house down the way some of his other rejected ideas would have.

I'm curious: what other ideas did the author have, and why were they rejected? I can't find anything on their website.

There are two other rejected ideas discussed in the section: What are my options here?

https://prilik.com/blog/post/automating-ac-nyc/#-what-are-my...

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#158

Post by gwbas1c »

daniel5151 wrote: post #68
gwbas1c wrote: post #66

I don't understand why he can't just connect / disconnect the power? The thermostat is a bi-metallic strip. Assuming the thermostat is controlling 120V AC: 1: There are plenty of cheap wireless thermostats for AC that you can buy off of Amazon. I have two, and they work great with space heaters. 2: You can use a 120V relay with those thermostats to control different voltages, amperages, ect. --- BTW, controlling the…

I discuss this quite early in the writeup. There is a whole section on why a smart plug will not work here.

I skimmed that.

First, I'm not referring to a smart plug. I'm referring to a thermostat-controlled plug. You were afraid that it would rapidly turn the AC on and off, which would burn out the motor.

They don't do that. Mine (when I use them with a heater) run it for a few minutes, then turn it off for awhile. They don't rapidly turn the heater on and off. I assume it's the same way when run in cooling mode.

The people who make them aren't stupid.

---

WRT a rely: They are safe, you just need to look at the rating for the load. (The point of a relay is to switch a high current / voltage load.) I use an industrial one for an outdoor outlet: It can handle the full 15 amps of the circuit safely. (I use it to adapt a smart switch that can only handle light loads, including a relay.)

Re: Turning a dumb AC unit smart (without losing my security deposit)

#160

Post by kube-system »

Liftyee wrote: post #20

I don't get how so many large buildings in NYC and Beijing (two cities that I've personally visited) use independent little AC units like the PTAC or minisplit types. A couple per apartment, peppered over the outer walls. Engineers intuition says surely a large central unit would be more efficient and effective. Is it because of personal ownership reasons? Counterintuitive physics? Heat dissipation limitations on the…

They are cheaper and easier to retrofit in existing buildings. The landlord pays for the installation of these units, but typically not the cost to operate them, so they are primarily concerned with optimizing install cost and have little to no concern for efficiency.
Post reply on HN