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this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2024
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So you want to be stuck with the same thermostat forever? Imagine it comes with one of those Amazon ones with a persistent camera and microphone in it that you can't opt out of.
A thermostat doesn't have refrigerants/gasses in them. It's nothing more than a complicated on off switch
Yet, a WiFi thermostat that stops getting updates is an extreme risk to that system if an attacker can access it. They could easily create a situation that causes a fire or a gas leak.
What... The.. Fuck?
If your thermostat could cause a fire or gas leak, your HVAC system is flawed. This is entirely a fabricated concern. If anything, I'd chalk it up as reasons why maybe right to repair the HVAC isn't a great idea. A properly setup HVAC wont let anything tell it to do that.
You can overheat the furnace and then short cycle it repeatedly, same with the a/c. You could shut off the furnace and cause the pipes to burst. Run the a/c in the winter.
Proof or GTFO
Firstly, I said this one was iffy to me.
Second, the subtopic was HVAC and thermostats are like, the electronics that control the HVAC which I wouldn't even really necessarily bucket into HVAC. It's like HVAC adjacent.
Third, this whole topic is about right to repair, not right to replace. So the on topic argument is "you want to be able to repair the same thermostat with off brand parts", to which I say, yes? Probably? I don't see how that's a problem.
And fourth, who the fuck would buy an Amazon thermostat, lmao.
It's about parts pairing. HVAC companies could pair the thermostat to the system and you wouldn't be able to replace it with one of your choosing. People are buying smart TVs with Amazon and Google crap in them that came be removed or even bypassed in certain cases. Google owns nest, the most popular smart thermostat brand. Amazon has their own smart thermostat. People wouldn't think twice about having that included with their new HVAC system. It would be a selling point, just like smart TVs and all the other crap out there that will stop getting updates in 5 years.
That's more "device" pairing than "parts" pairing. The thermostat to HVAC communication is a standard. Sure, if someone started forcing that, that'd be bad. But that's more akin to Apple's "iOS only works with MacBooks" type shit with Airdrop and such than it is to their "you can't replace the camera in your phone unless it's from us". They're both problems, but the one you're describing is both not happening and a different issue. I'm not saying it won't happen but it's a different topic.
I believe most mini split systems have built in thermostat/remote control.