Temp Limiting Landlord Thermostats

paulski

I've make vast improvements and saved $$ on my two pipe vapor system over the past couple seasons based on this website and the books. 

 My last problem is tenants .. student rental ... getting past the lockbox and jacking up the heat.   I purchased a Temp Limiting thermostat last year for my heat only system. The problem was it would not turn on the heat for hours or after it was below 60. I put the old post/bar thermstat back on and put the limiting thermostat on another unit with forced air and moved on to other issues.

I'm looking to buy another one. My question is am I missing something or did I get the wrong type?  I don't need setbacks or A/C. I just want to set the temp and leave it there untill spring. A web search reveals a few options for under 50 bucks that work great with forced air. For example, I found a heat only Breaburn 1025NC I can set temp limits on.  Should this work? Is there anything special  I have to look for or do to make it work?

One issue is many websites don't list steam heating as an option on their list of heat types when you use their "find a thermostat"  feature .. so I'm not sure.

BobC

Type of heat

If the thermostat lists gravity hot water system that should work for steam. If it's only got the forced hot air option it won't work.



Bob

nicholas bonham-carter

Thermostat control

Use the Honeywell Visionpro, which can be set for steam, and also use a remote sensor in the coldest apartment.with the control under lock and key.

It's more expensive than the others you have seen, but your fuel savings should pay for that difference pretty soon.--NBC

Greg S

Rental thermostats

I use the Braeburn 1000 (2 - three unit buildings). There is a jumper inside which is put on one set of pins to adjust the max, then the jumper is put on another set of pins for the thermostat to work. No one has messed with these thermostats since I put them in a few years ago.

One of the buildings is a 3 zone steam system. Zone valves require power closing (versus passive), which digital thermostats rarely do. I had in place a RIB (relay in a box) to power the furnace when a zone opened. An extra circuit on the RIB allows the valve to power shut.

With or without zone valves, the Braeburn 1000 hooks up like any other thermostat, steam or air.

Good luck,

Greg Shattenberg