Resort air conditioners motion sensors

[disneypolybride2008]

Hi. I vaguely remember from my past trip having the air conditioner problem of it only coming on when it senses motion. I read that it is the case now, but is there any way of tricking it? My DD will be ready to go to sleep as all kids will be when you come back to your room and I don't want it to be too hot for her to sleep. Also, if it doesn't sense movement during the night, as it wouldn't if you are sleeping, won't it get too hot without it on?

 

[greener255]

As I work for a commercial developer / property manager, I can't believe that is the case....but if it is, and I don't doubt your research, what about buying one of those little solar powered dancing flowers or hummingbirds from a local dollar store? Just thinking of an outside the box, cheap solution...good luck!

 

[disneypolybride2008]

I thought to google the problem and found a lot of threads on it. The dancing flower is a great idea. Other people said to get a balloon from the park and tie it to a chair and it will keep it going. I like the idea of bypassing the system. I'll have to write it down so i remember how to do it. I found a youtube video but i'm not sure if it would be the same model.

 

[soccer mom]

Here's a thread telling you how to do it.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2626029

 

[greener255]

Seems like an intennse solution - maybe my solution is too simple! Ironically, we spend many dollars monitor activity levels, I wonder if sensors would be a better way to save our customers some dollars...

From experience, those awesome balloons last forever (literally, we had to sneak the fading pink mickey inside the clear balloon out of our daughter's room 11 weeks after our trip), so that could be another easy solution.

Keep us posted! - From an engineering, asset management nerd.

 

[FireDancer]

I've stayed in a few hotels in Europe where you needed to insert the key into the air conditioner or thermostat to turn the electricity on in the room. It was because of the high cost of energy and they didn't want guests leaving lights or the air on while the room was empty. I think it is a good way to save energy. We waste an awful lot of it air conditioning empty rooms.

 

[cobright]

The thermostats (at POR at least) go into a power saving mode if they don't sense movement for a while. It doean't shut down completely but defaults to 78 degrees or so.

Personally, I need it cold. There is an easy to build device using an arduino that you can clip onto the thermostat to give you more control. My rig lets me get room temp info on my smartphone and turn on the AC from an app on the phone so the room is cold when we get there. It's running independant of the room's thermostat so there's no fear of damaging the hotel property.

The baloon is a simple, effective, and really quite elegant solution if you don't want to go high-tech.

 

[Sheilby]

The thermostats (at POR at least) go into a power saving mode if they don't sense movement for a while. It doean't shut down completely but defaults to 78 degrees or so.

Personally, I need it cold. There is an easy to build device using an arduino that you can clip onto the thermostat to give you more control. My rig lets me get room temp info on my smartphone and turn on the AC from an app on the phone so the room is cold when we get there. It's running independant of the room's thermostat so there's no fear of damaging the hotel property.

The baloon is a simple, effective, and really quite elegant solution if you don't want to go high-tech.

oh, I just got my first arduino, can you send me the link to the directions? I love makers.