Wah, wah

[Samster]

My guest rooms do not have individual termostats for heat but 2 of them do have the termostats for all the guest rooms. We did the same thing, placed thoses locking plastic covers over the boxes with a label that says - this thermostat controls multiple rooms, please see innkeeper. This seems to have solved that problem!
We had one of those window openers this last month, and he happened to be staying in one of the rooms with the thermostat. He was here for 2 weeks and I wondered why the other rooms were so warm and was wondering if there was a problem with the heater cut off. But I realized that he would close the window when he left for work so I was not aware of this until he forgot to close it when he checked out. My November heating bill was through the roof.
We have since placed a label on each of the guestroom windows. "Please keep window closed" If this does not work we will change it to 'window broken, do not open'. Of course we all know a sign will not stop a PITA.

.

We just bought a label maker. I thought I was done when I labeled the light switches in the common areas. You have opened up a whole new realm of possibility...I'm going to take it back out and make some more for the light switches in the rooms...
"Please be sweet,
lower the heat."
I can peel them off in the summer.
Many of our windows have storms, which most guests do not seem to notice. They 'open' the window and go to bed. No harm, no foul. It's the ones who open the un-stormed windows who wreak havoc on the heating bills.
.

What is it about storm windows? Are they so uncommon that most people have never seen one and don't know how to work it? I always find windows with the inside up but the storm down. I guess I have always lived in houses with them.
.

Maybe these people are the ones with new triple pane windows. But it is pretty obvious to me that you have to push the storm window up to get outside air....just opening the regular window won't cut it.

 

[GeorgiaGirl]

My guest rooms do not have individual termostats for heat but 2 of them do have the termostats for all the guest rooms. We did the same thing, placed thoses locking plastic covers over the boxes with a label that says - this thermostat controls multiple rooms, please see innkeeper. This seems to have solved that problem!
We had one of those window openers this last month, and he happened to be staying in one of the rooms with the thermostat. He was here for 2 weeks and I wondered why the other rooms were so warm and was wondering if there was a problem with the heater cut off. But I realized that he would close the window when he left for work so I was not aware of this until he forgot to close it when he checked out. My November heating bill was through the roof.
We have since placed a label on each of the guestroom windows. "Please keep window closed" If this does not work we will change it to 'window broken, do not open'. Of course we all know a sign will not stop a PITA.

.

We just bought a label maker. I thought I was done when I labeled the light switches in the common areas. You have opened up a whole new realm of possibility...I'm going to take it back out and make some more for the light switches in the rooms...
"Please be sweet,
lower the heat."
I can peel them off in the summer.
Many of our windows have storms, which most guests do not seem to notice. They 'open' the window and go to bed. No harm, no foul. It's the ones who open the un-stormed windows who wreak havoc on the heating bills.
.

What is it about storm windows? Are they so uncommon that most people have never seen one and don't know how to work it? I always find windows with the inside up but the storm down. I guess I have always lived in houses with them.
.

Funny you say that, I haven't lived in a house with storm windows since I was a child. I've lived in older houses all the way to brand new houses and never once had storm windows, BUT I do know what they are

, maybe others have never seen them before? My kids wouldn't know what they were....

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

My guest rooms do not have individual termostats for heat but 2 of them do have the termostats for all the guest rooms. We did the same thing, placed thoses locking plastic covers over the boxes with a label that says - this thermostat controls multiple rooms, please see innkeeper. This seems to have solved that problem!
We had one of those window openers this last month, and he happened to be staying in one of the rooms with the thermostat. He was here for 2 weeks and I wondered why the other rooms were so warm and was wondering if there was a problem with the heater cut off. But I realized that he would close the window when he left for work so I was not aware of this until he forgot to close it when he checked out. My November heating bill was through the roof.
We have since placed a label on each of the guestroom windows. "Please keep window closed" If this does not work we will change it to 'window broken, do not open'. Of course we all know a sign will not stop a PITA.

.

We just bought a label maker. I thought I was done when I labeled the light switches in the common areas. You have opened up a whole new realm of possibility...I'm going to take it back out and make some more for the light switches in the rooms...
"Please be sweet,
lower the heat."
I can peel them off in the summer.
Many of our windows have storms, which most guests do not seem to notice. They 'open' the window and go to bed. No harm, no foul. It's the ones who open the un-stormed windows who wreak havoc on the heating bills.
.

What is it about storm windows? Are they so uncommon that most people have never seen one and don't know how to work it? I always find windows with the inside up but the storm down. I guess I have always lived in houses with them.
.

What is it about storm windows? Are they so uncommon that most people have never seen one and don't know how to work it? I always find windows with the inside up but the storm down. I guess I have always lived in houses with them.

It is the same here, open a window and do not open the storm window, except one room who obv let is slam down and cracked the whole storm indow. We took one from our kitchen to put in that room and still haven't replaced it!

 

[Morticia]

My guest rooms do not have individual termostats for heat but 2 of them do have the termostats for all the guest rooms. We did the same thing, placed thoses locking plastic covers over the boxes with a label that says - this thermostat controls multiple rooms, please see innkeeper. This seems to have solved that problem!
We had one of those window openers this last month, and he happened to be staying in one of the rooms with the thermostat. He was here for 2 weeks and I wondered why the other rooms were so warm and was wondering if there was a problem with the heater cut off. But I realized that he would close the window when he left for work so I was not aware of this until he forgot to close it when he checked out. My November heating bill was through the roof.
We have since placed a label on each of the guestroom windows. "Please keep window closed" If this does not work we will change it to 'window broken, do not open'. Of course we all know a sign will not stop a PITA.

.

We just bought a label maker. I thought I was done when I labeled the light switches in the common areas. You have opened up a whole new realm of possibility...I'm going to take it back out and make some more for the light switches in the rooms...
"Please be sweet,
lower the heat."
I can peel them off in the summer.
Many of our windows have storms, which most guests do not seem to notice. They 'open' the window and go to bed. No harm, no foul. It's the ones who open the un-stormed windows who wreak havoc on the heating bills.
.

My daughter gave me a label maker years ago and I wondered what I was going to use that for! Hmph! Many years later I am still trucking it out to make price tags for the things in the gift shop, label my spice bottles, label jars for country of origin for the coffee. (especially when giving it as gifts)......... The 2 problems are that Casio label cartridges are big bucks and when the batteries die I have to go buy a truckload - it takes 8 AA batteries. It turned out to be VERY useful.
.

My daughter gave me a label maker years ago and I wondered what I was going to use that for! Hmph! Many years later I am still trucking it out to make price tags for the things in the gift shop, label my spice bottles, label jars for country of origin for the coffee. (especially when giving it as gifts)......... The 2 problems are that Casio label cartridges are big bucks and when the batteries die I have to go buy a truckload - it takes 8 AA batteries. It turned out to be VERY useful.

And it wastes SO much label feeding it out. We set it on the lowest setting and I have inches of the label leftover! We put them in a bag to reuse them for our own labels. Ours has a port for an adapter, but we haven't found one (in our cell phone charger collection) that fits.

 

[Morticia]

We have a key for ours. We also have a code we could put in. #1 thing we did when we moved in was install digital thermostats that heat to the temp gradually, it has saved BIG BUCKS. The old thermostat downstairs is right near the front door! Idiots. Then upstairs we left the old one as people think it is the real one and can move it around all they want to (it is a dummy)..

We have the digital therms on our side. Just the old dial ones for the inn. Because there is one in each room, I did not want to get into teaching each guest how to use it, so we didn't replace them. Because I would have to teach guests how to use it, or they'd play with it until they broke it! And because I allow guests to control the heat in their rooms, I couldn't put the covers on. I didn't want auto on/off in the rooms because of the way some guests do NOT want heat at all.
But, yes, those digital ones are great. Heat comes on, heat goes off, I don't have to worry about it. (Which is why I think many guests forget to turn it down...they are used to central heating/cooling and do not fiddle with the controls too much.)

 

[Morticia]

My guest rooms do not have individual termostats for heat but 2 of them do have the termostats for all the guest rooms. We did the same thing, placed thoses locking plastic covers over the boxes with a label that says - this thermostat controls multiple rooms, please see innkeeper. This seems to have solved that problem!
We had one of those window openers this last month, and he happened to be staying in one of the rooms with the thermostat. He was here for 2 weeks and I wondered why the other rooms were so warm and was wondering if there was a problem with the heater cut off. But I realized that he would close the window when he left for work so I was not aware of this until he forgot to close it when he checked out. My November heating bill was through the roof.
We have since placed a label on each of the guestroom windows. "Please keep window closed" If this does not work we will change it to 'window broken, do not open'. Of course we all know a sign will not stop a PITA.

.

We just bought a label maker. I thought I was done when I labeled the light switches in the common areas. You have opened up a whole new realm of possibility...I'm going to take it back out and make some more for the light switches in the rooms...
"Please be sweet,
lower the heat."
I can peel them off in the summer.
Many of our windows have storms, which most guests do not seem to notice. They 'open' the window and go to bed. No harm, no foul. It's the ones who open the un-stormed windows who wreak havoc on the heating bills.
.

What is it about storm windows? Are they so uncommon that most people have never seen one and don't know how to work it? I always find windows with the inside up but the storm down. I guess I have always lived in houses with them.
.

Maybe these people are the ones with new triple pane windows. But it is pretty obvious to me that you have to push the storm window up to get outside air....just opening the regular window won't cut it.
.

Maybe these people are the ones with new triple pane windows. But it is pretty obvious to me that you have to push the storm window up to get outside air....just opening the regular window won't cut it.

In my case, the screens are down so you don't really see the other pane of glass. Many of our windows do not have the storms (newer models of windows) and those are the ones that cause problems when guests open them in the winter!

 

[sandynn]

You can set these digital thermostats really easily innkeepers - replace those old dinosaurs. You are throwing money away by having ones that people touch, or that you manually turn up and down. To hit it HEAT UP to a certain temp instead of incremental to that temp is costing you.
Ours drops down for the 9pm shut eye upstairs, it boosts up prior to check in time, it drops down at 10am again preparing for check out. It is set diff for weekdays and weekends (I am talking about heating).
As you know 70 degrees heating is totally diff to 70 degrees cooling. So it is set for all those times of the year.
Of course there is no way to make each room as efficient as possible. The room on the east side of the house with little insulation in that wall gets warmer than another. Larger rooms vs smaller rooms etc.

We have set back and if it is on the set back mode and they up the temp it will only up for two hours and then go back to what I have it set for. I love that.

 

[Morticia]

You can set these digital thermostats really easily innkeepers - replace those old dinosaurs. You are throwing money away by having ones that people touch, or that you manually turn up and down. To hit it HEAT UP to a certain temp instead of incremental to that temp is costing you.
Ours drops down for the 9pm shut eye upstairs, it boosts up prior to check in time, it drops down at 10am again preparing for check out. It is set diff for weekdays and weekends (I am talking about heating).
As you know 70 degrees heating is totally diff to 70 degrees cooling. So it is set for all those times of the year.
Of course there is no way to make each room as efficient as possible. The room on the east side of the house with little insulation in that wall gets warmer than another. Larger rooms vs smaller rooms etc.

We have set back and if it is on the set back mode and they up the temp it will only up for two hours and then go back to what I have it set for. I love that.
.

We have set back and if it is on the set back mode and they up the temp it will only up for two hours and then go back to what I have it set for. I love that.

That's a great feature. I think my personal one has that because it always cools off later on and I'm always wondering why!

 

[Copperhead]

You can set these digital thermostats really easily innkeepers - replace those old dinosaurs. You are throwing money away by having ones that people touch, or that you manually turn up and down. To hit it HEAT UP to a certain temp instead of incremental to that temp is costing you.
Ours drops down for the 9pm shut eye upstairs, it boosts up prior to check in time, it drops down at 10am again preparing for check out. It is set diff for weekdays and weekends (I am talking about heating).
As you know 70 degrees heating is totally diff to 70 degrees cooling. So it is set for all those times of the year.
Of course there is no way to make each room as efficient as possible. The room on the east side of the house with little insulation in that wall gets warmer than another. Larger rooms vs smaller rooms etc.

We have set back and if it is on the set back mode and they up the temp it will only up for two hours and then go back to what I have it set for. I love that.
.

That is a nice feature. If I can ask, what brand is it?

 

[happyjacks]

There are thermostat limiters which will limit the temp to max 73F regardless of how high somebody cranks the thermostat. Here's a link to some, or just google 'thermostat limiter' or 'thermostat for landlords'.
They don't work with electric heat, unfortunately, which is what I have in the guest rooms. They also don't stop guests from opening the window while the heat's on.

 

[Morticia]

There are thermostat limiters which will limit the temp to max 73F regardless of how high somebody cranks the thermostat. Here's a link to some, or just google 'thermostat limiter' or 'thermostat for landlords'.
They don't work with electric heat, unfortunately, which is what I have in the guest rooms. They also don't stop guests from opening the window while the heat's on. .

They do have some nice models there. Even if I got a plain vanilla one that has an upper temp lock only, that would be nice.

 

[sandynn]

You can set these digital thermostats really easily innkeepers - replace those old dinosaurs. You are throwing money away by having ones that people touch, or that you manually turn up and down. To hit it HEAT UP to a certain temp instead of incremental to that temp is costing you.
Ours drops down for the 9pm shut eye upstairs, it boosts up prior to check in time, it drops down at 10am again preparing for check out. It is set diff for weekdays and weekends (I am talking about heating).
As you know 70 degrees heating is totally diff to 70 degrees cooling. So it is set for all those times of the year.
Of course there is no way to make each room as efficient as possible. The room on the east side of the house with little insulation in that wall gets warmer than another. Larger rooms vs smaller rooms etc.

We have set back and if it is on the set back mode and they up the temp it will only up for two hours and then go back to what I have it set for. I love that.
.

That is a nice feature. If I can ask, what brand is it?
.

We bought it at Sears years ago. Our other one sets back to the the program when the next cycle comes around. So both are good but I like the one that sets back after two hours.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

We have a key for ours. We also have a code we could put in. #1 thing we did when we moved in was install digital thermostats that heat to the temp gradually, it has saved BIG BUCKS. The old thermostat downstairs is right near the front door! Idiots. Then upstairs we left the old one as people think it is the real one and can move it around all they want to (it is a dummy)..

We have the digital therms on our side. Just the old dial ones for the inn. Because there is one in each room, I did not want to get into teaching each guest how to use it, so we didn't replace them. Because I would have to teach guests how to use it, or they'd play with it until they broke it! And because I allow guests to control the heat in their rooms, I couldn't put the covers on. I didn't want auto on/off in the rooms because of the way some guests do NOT want heat at all.
But, yes, those digital ones are great. Heat comes on, heat goes off, I don't have to worry about it. (Which is why I think many guests forget to turn it down...they are used to central heating/cooling and do not fiddle with the controls too much.)
.

We have the digital therms on our side. Just the old dial ones for the inn. Because there is one in each room, I did not want to get into teaching each guest how to use it, so we didn't replace them. Because I would have to teach guests how to use it, or they'd play with it until they broke it! And because I allow guests to control the heat in their rooms, I couldn't put the covers on. I didn't want auto on/off in the rooms because of the way some guests do NOT want heat at all.
But, yes, those digital ones are great. Heat comes on, heat goes off, I don't have to worry about it. (Which is why I think many guests forget to turn it down...they are used to central heating/cooling and do not fiddle with the controls too much.)

You mentioned telling guests to turn the heat down when they leave the common areas, that was what I was talking about, not the guest rooms. But if it were me, youbetchya I would get a digital sumthinq for the guest rooms also so they can't crank the heat up like that.

 

[gillumhouse]

Well tonight it is supposed to go down to single digits. This happens perhaps once or twice a year here. Naturally tonight is the night our thermostat has decided to "act up". DH is in a dither! It was noticed because the house was actually WARM!! This never happens. The furnace runs at least 10 minutes, ends the cycle and within 10 minutes is cycling again. DH now has it turned down as far as it will go (and it just came back on again). First thing in the morning - call the plumber. I think he wants to turn the furnace off for the night - no way Jose, I will pay the gas company! I have the heat (electric) on in the bathrooms upstairs (he is not happy about that but I am not having any broken water lines - especially with one bathroom being directly over MY bed!

 

[Samster]

There are thermostat limiters which will limit the temp to max 73F regardless of how high somebody cranks the thermostat. Here's a link to some, or just google 'thermostat limiter' or 'thermostat for landlords'.
They don't work with electric heat, unfortunately, which is what I have in the guest rooms. They also don't stop guests from opening the window while the heat's on. .

They do have some nice models there. Even if I got a plain vanilla one that has an upper temp lock only, that would be nice.
.

Google "White Rodgers Thermostats" too. Our dual fuel system next door has one of their models. Has the limit feature & many, many others.

 

[hawley]

Well tonight it is supposed to go down to single digits. This happens perhaps once or twice a year here. Naturally tonight is the night our thermostat has decided to "act up". DH is in a dither! It was noticed because the house was actually WARM!! This never happens. The furnace runs at least 10 minutes, ends the cycle and within 10 minutes is cycling again. DH now has it turned down as far as it will go (and it just came back on again). First thing in the morning - call the plumber. I think he wants to turn the furnace off for the night - no way Jose, I will pay the gas company! I have the heat (electric) on in the bathrooms upstairs (he is not happy about that but I am not having any broken water lines - especially with one bathroom being directly over MY bed!.

We turned the empty suites up from 55 to 60 and opened the cabinets under sinks in kitchens to make sure the pipes don't break. It has been about 10 days of less than zero now. Christmas day is supposed to be a heat wave and get close to freezing. We are about 30-40 degrees below normal right now.

 

[gillumhouse]

Well tonight it is supposed to go down to single digits. This happens perhaps once or twice a year here. Naturally tonight is the night our thermostat has decided to "act up". DH is in a dither! It was noticed because the house was actually WARM!! This never happens. The furnace runs at least 10 minutes, ends the cycle and within 10 minutes is cycling again. DH now has it turned down as far as it will go (and it just came back on again). First thing in the morning - call the plumber. I think he wants to turn the furnace off for the night - no way Jose, I will pay the gas company! I have the heat (electric) on in the bathrooms upstairs (he is not happy about that but I am not having any broken water lines - especially with one bathroom being directly over MY bed!.

We turned the empty suites up from 55 to 60 and opened the cabinets under sinks in kitchens to make sure the pipes don't break. It has been about 10 days of less than zero now. Christmas day is supposed to be a heat wave and get close to freezing. We are about 30-40 degrees below normal right now.
.

GLOBAL WARMING!!!!
Last night we stayed up until after 2 with the heaters on in the kitchen and bathroom (ours) and since I was up anyway and it was warm - I baked the bread I am giving to the employees at the produce store. I made 6 small loaves of whole wheat and have the English muffin bread raising now. Canceled the plumber because we think the furnace problem is because of the extreme cold.