Does It Matter Where You Place The Thermostat?

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Does It Matter Where You Place The Thermostat?

He pointed to the five thermostats mounted on the wall next to the cash register. "Seventy degrees," he said, and I started to giggle because this was the first time I'd noticed that all his thermostats were behind the cash register. No wonder the place felt like a coal mine.

Read the full story here

GordonGauntlett

Told only the way you can tell it Dan!! Sounds like on of my dates:)

westbye

I don't get it. If the stats are near the door where it's cold the they will be calling for heat. The place will be to hot!!?

Voyager

I don’t get it either, Dan. If the thermostats are near the door and getting shots of cold air, it seems that would overheat the place rather than leave it cold. Unless the cash register is putting out heat keeping the thermostats warm. Need more information hear as something seems odd at first blush.

ajc1944

Love the Story, but west bye has it right, the thermostat by the front door would turn ON the heat overtime the door was opened, resulting in overheated spaces.

ratio

I understood the problem immediately. Sounds like a job for remote sensors! The stats would tell a different story then.

JohnP

If you reread the 3rd paragraph, you'll see the story takes place on a hot and humid night in August. So the stats by the door kept getting shots of hot and humid air when the door opened, therefore running Cool in the already cold diner.
Yes, remote sensors would be a good idea. Then only Gus touch! and the diner would be more comfortable.

I love rereading Dan's stuff. Been doing it for years.

Voyager

Ah, yes, that would do it!

mjm1964

It was a hot August night, opening door caused AC to keep coming on

scott w.

Somebody missed reading the key words to this funny human nature story.
"It was a hot AUGUST night"

Great story! Dan could have supported
The family simply on his literary skills.

DanHolohan

Thanks. Yes, it was summer. And I wrote that one about 25 years ago.

Intplm.

I have found thermostats installed in direct sun light, on outside walls, in closets, in front of windows in direct sun light, on mirrors ,and in direct heated reflection of mirrors, and directly over radiators.
The complaint has always been, "It's never comfortable in here."😊❄️🔥

Jean-David Beyer

I remember the fundamental theorem of thermostats, as explained to me by the best engineer I ever knew. It goes:

A thermostat acts to keep itself comfortable.

So if you want to be comfortable too, put it near where you will be.

My grandfather had an interesting thermostat installed in his house along with a new GE residential oil burning steam boiler in about 1945. It had two dials and a clock. It would keep the white dial temperature in the daytime and the black dial temperature in the nighttime. But it came with a little cover over each so you could not adjust them unless you removed the little covers, and it took a screw driver to do that.

SeanBeans

LOL!

hvacfreak2

This was one of my favorites . We used to get PM magazine at the shop back in the day , the boss nailed a scrap piece of sheet metal above the thermostat in the shop that said " Only Gus Touch !!! ". And of course the sign became a forum for some negative statements about Gus , lol.

DanHolohan

LOL! Thanks.