Originally published at: AC firm wanted $1679 to replace a controller—hacking it was free
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There’s a…special…attitude at hardware companies that do most or all of their sales through systems integrators and specifically try to avoid selling components(not even repair parts; entire units) outside of “the channel”.
It’s not the good kind of special attitude.
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but but is this replacement a ‘smart’ device which requires internet access, collects all your data, and pushes ‘remote’ possibly third party features which eventually become required? (can ‘required features’ be considered nigh oxymoronic?) (old man and cloud recalls: “whhhy i recall when a thermostat was a capsule of mercury stuck on a bimetallic strip [coughing fit]”
)
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All we need now is to figure out what you need in order to replace all of the bullshit electronics in a John Deere tractor to keep it running on the cheap.
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A friend of mine who is exceedingly computer savvy and handy at soldering mentioned that he can get free HVAC work done, as he is able to repair/create needed components that they require that would otherwise be exorbitant.
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I will say that I’ve saved a lot of money because of my smart thermostat. Could I have saved the same amount of money with a conventional programmable thermostat? Probably. Am I putting myself at risk of the OP’s type of shenanigans by manufacturers? I suppose. But in over 4 years of owning it, it’s done nothing but make my life easier. Maybe once I actually get burned, I’ll learn my lesson.
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What’s even worse is when the hardware company decides to ghost the systems integrator for no damned good reason.
Myself (along with the service company that sold us the system) have been trying to get a quote from the company that made the monitoring and control system for our data centers for the better part of a year and a half- We had one of their techs out recently and brought this up to them, with me saying “as the end customer for this product, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU MONEY TO BRING THIS UP TO CURRENT- WE JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH.”
Unfortunately, I don’t know who else operates in that space (It’s a very specific niche industry) so I can’t threaten to take our business elsewhere for it.
We also had an issue were we wanted to integrate a pair of package heat pump units (and it’s little baby controller that switches them around, along with adjusting air handlers and such), and got the same run around. I gave up, so now I have TWO systems I have to monitor now. (the baby controller has enough horsepower to run a basic web server, so that’s what we use to monitor and control it. 
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