Air Con Query

[Wendy]

We have Eco Sense units fitted to all our air con units but the some teenage guests appear to have caused damage to the one unit probably by running it at full blast cold all the time. Causing it to freeze up and then leak water everywhere.


Is there a way to fix the temperature of the remote unit so it can't go 'that' low?
They also broke our floor fan - any idea of replacement costs?

Cheers

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=12359.0

[Chris S]

Speak to Ecosense

[Christina]

Hi Wendy - I realise it doesn't solve your immediate problem (try Skyping Steve Hardman at Ecosense who is endlessly helpful) - but Ecosense has brought out a remote control device which replaces your current one, which allows a property owner to restrict temperature settings that guests can access. See demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDRpoX8JIis  Have any other members tried these?

I bought a nice new floor fan last month from Kippa - 70TL. They did have a cheaper one, but mine looked more sturdy.

[kalkan4eva]

We are serial renters and consider ourselves responsible renters - never using aircon unless we need it and NEVER going out and leaving it on as some people do. That said, I doubt I'd ever rent anywhere where the temperature is dictated/restricted by the owner. If I do want aircon on...I tend to want it on the coldest setting but we always use the room temperature setting so the unit shuts off when the room reaches optimum. I'm sorry your aircon unit has broken, Wendy but surely they should be fit for purpose? I assume you also have a damages deposit and will be able to recoup the cost of replacement of the unit (if not covered by warranty/faulty), any damge the leaking caused (ditto) and the floor fan?
I appreciate owners have to take measures sometimes that aren't always in the best interests of their guests, but it does feel like good renters are oftern tarred with the bad renters brush IMHO....

[brian j p]

The most common  2 causes   to my knowledge!  of AC units freezing up is either  A : the outdoor temperature has dipped below 60f , most if no all domestic and some commercial  AC systems are not designed to work properly when outside temperatures dip below  60f and possibly happens more than you would think , especially in properties high up , i.e a bit of cloud  / dew comes down the mountain and can drop the outdoor temp below 60f in the early hours  while the aircon is running = potential freeze   of the unit.  B  refrigerant is running  low   or leaking and needs topping up / replacing ; It is defiantly a good idea to have a temperature set point that  cannot  be set beyond   + or -    to help preserve the equipment , operating efficiently and safety,  I say safety not only to ensure units do not overheat  from over running ,   As with  any AC unit,  water leakages from freezing  up &  electricity  can sometimes meet ( thankfully very rare)::  I think so long as guests  are informed  in advance there are limits on temperature  settings they can make , they would understand

[Chris S]

I don't believe any renter will be particularly comfortable in temperatures of 16 C unless they have their cardi on.  Many seem to think that by setting the temperature to the absolute minimum, the room will cool down quicker. WRONG! All it will do is k-----r the aircon unit and use a lot of electricity while the unit strives to reduce ambient temperatures of +40 C to 16C - a futile task.

[headroom]

If I do want aircon on...I tend to want it on the coldest setting but we always use the room temperature setting so the unit shuts off when the room reaches optimum.

  Seriously? you'd want to set it at 16? as Chris S says it would be very cold, we always advise around 25 (ish), when it's 35+ outside that is still feeling cool.

[Wendy]

Thanks for the useful input guys. EcoSense remotes on order.

[kalkan4eva]

I would say the answer to your question headroom is yes, although I don't think any of the places we have ever rented have units that go lower than 18c. I certainly wouldn't be happy if I couldn't have the aircon lower than 25c, but that's just my personal opinion. As owners it's entirely your choice what you do with your properties I was merely looking at this from a responsible renters perspective.

[headroom]

Kalkan4eva, it is your prerogative if you wish to be cold during the night, I too was merely stating what we advise, not what we dictate by way of manipulation of our A/C's.

[brian j p]

I think some members thought my original post  was proposing a temperature of 60f inside the property ,  which would be like being in the arctic of course, to clarify I was refereeing  to the outside temperature   if falling below 60f  can cause AC units to freeze if they are still running flat out  trying to cool internally . We tend to set our units at 27c   , which  I find comfortable but have lowered to 24 -25 when temps outside  have reached mid 40c+  . good new is  much more efficient evaporative units are coming on the market and will soon hit the domestic market, using 90% less energy to run   

[Christina]

I'm no a/c expert, but I am interested in this.

It's probably true that when feeling the need to use the aircon on a hot day (and I was a culprit myself before I got my own place) guests automatically whack the temperature setting on the control down to the minimum. It's an instinctive reaction. I have heard of owners who include guidance in their Information Book on responsible use of the aircon in the property, but I wonder how many guests actually heed or even read this? I fully understand how guests feel entitled to use it as they wish, as they have paid for the facility. But it would appear that Ecosense have come up with a compromise....

Whilst I don't have them myself, an interesting feature of the Ecosense remote controls is that you can override the digital temperature display, and whilst the  number on the screen might say 18 degrees, the setting is actually something else, say 23 degrees. So guests are led to think they are getting 18 degrees which is what they believe they need (there would still be a huge difference from the outdoor temperature), but the owner is spared the crippling cost (and possible damage to a/c unit) of trying to reduce and maintain the temperature indoors down to a very low setting when the weather outside could be in the 40's. My understanding is that is it more economical and comfortable to run the a/c unit for longer at a slightly higher temperature, than to 'blast chill' a room for short bursts of time. It would be interesting to hear Wendy's (or anyone else's) feedback after trying out the Ecosense remotes.

As we all know, electricity is expensive in Turkey and the issue with its wasteful use in general in rental properties is not only an environmental concern, but increased running costs are often passed on to the customer in the form of higher rental prices. I now have an energy saving system and the Ecosense units installed in my place. Guests have never complained about these being restrictive and I've managed to keep my prices static for the past 3 seasons, which is good news all round.

[Lizilu20]

Maybe it would be good if owners could leave a little info for us renters, advising how the air con works, and what are the optimum settings. Our downstairs one didn't work well this holiday and was only blowing warm air out despite adjusting the settings. We reported this but it never got fixed. I think it was something to do with the power supply as the microwave was as bad. It never reached a high enough temp to actually cook anything and when you turned the light on in the downstairs loo, all the lights flickered and there was a power surge!
're the aircon, we found that for the bedroom, 18c was best for getting ready and 24c a good sleeping temperature.

[Blue Lizard]

As serial renters I get cheesed off with having to go and get batteries for the A/C handsets.. they are either dead or have non in.We have had this in a few properties we have stayed in..i know it's down to the management companys to ensure this but they obviously don't as we have heard it mentioned by others 

[MartynE]

Ah. Aircon. My favourite topic!

I have to say that the Ecosense remote controls work like a dream in reducing wasteful use; we now use them in all our apartments and we have seen a 30% reduction in electric bills this summer compared to last year - and this year has been considerably hotter than last. This means that we won't have to put our prices up so much next year. Everyone wins, including the environment.

The only problem is they are very basic remote controls, that can only control three basic modes (cool, heat, fan) and do not support additional functions like swing, timer etc. However, considering that all most guests do is set it as low as possible and then forget it, leaving it on all day and night, that hasn't been a problem  

Are we conning guests by having the display reading 18C when it is really set to 21C?  I don't think so.... the point is it will never, ever get down to 18 anyway. (And if it did, they would find it unbearably cold!) Are guests noticing the difference? Nope. Not a word about it in the visitors books, nothing said to us verbally and certainly not in tripadvisor reviews etc. Even using these units, we have still had the classic question  this year "can I have more blankets, please, because we're too cold at night with the aircon on"... so obviously it's still chilling the air more than enough for even the most manic of users.

To the posters above who have requested that owners try to educate their guests about responsible use... all I can say is we have tried... really, really hard! We send out full instructions to guests in advance, there is a copy of the instructions in the information manual in every apartment, and we give a verbal reminder when we meet and greet guests. There are also polite but firm signs in the apartments reminding guests that aircon doesn't work when doors and windows are left open but and that  leaving it on all day is wasteful but.. frankly, very few seem to take any notice. The overall mindset is "I've paid for this so I'm going to whack it down as low as possible and leave it on come what may."

Hence the Ecosense remote controls. They do work, and everyone is happy.

[Chris S]

I agree totally with MartynE.  Unfortunately, my units do not function with Ecosense equipment so I am stuck with it for the time being.
As is the norm these days, the few spoil it for the many, but if irresponsible renters want to see prices rise, fine, then keep abusing the aircon.  It is a pity that it will affect everyone.
I am saving to replace my units with more efficient units but my electric bills are so high it is taking a long time to save the money for the capital outlay.  I must say that even if I manage to replace all my units, I will still install Ecosense equipment.  As MartynE suggests, it is rather like a placebo.  If the brain thinks the equipment is set to 16 C, then the both the body and mind are happy.

[Wendy]

We will test the remotes out when we are out now in September - for three weeks  -
We want the best for our guests and for the bills and for us! I appreciate guests want to be cool but that I cant expect them to be thinking about air con all the time - they are after all on holiday!
Therefore any gadget that will assist will help everyone.

[Christina]

I was speaking to Steve Hardman at Ecosense the other day, as I was placing my order for three of their energy-saving remote control units. He told me some interesting information which other owners might find helpful:

* The company has introduced a new product - Ecosense 4000+, which is similar to the Ecosense 4000 but which triggers the aircon to be switched off if a door or window is left open.

* He has begun to recommend that in countries where electricity is very expensive (eg Turkey) it may be better to use the Comfort setting at night time, rather than the Night mode with the Ecosense units.

* New installation videos are available on their website (which mean very little to me, but an electrician would find useful).

* The company is looking to set up an agent in Kalkan (and other towns along the coast) to gain a foothold in the Turkish rental market. Given the number of people I've met who seem to struggle installing these units, that would be a boon.

* Steve is travelling to Kalkan for the first time at the end of this month to put on some 'training sessions' and look for potential agents for the Ecosense products.

I will update the forum with any further news.

[Ecosense]

Hi MartynE

"The only problem is they are very basic remote controls, that can only control three basic modes (cool, heat, fan) and do not support additional functions like swing, timer etc."

Not sure this is good or bad news for you Martyn, as we launch the new "EcoRemote plus" next month that has all the functions of a normal remote controller, plus the full complete range of temperatures display built in, complete with the added placebo effect regarding temp display differential to the actual signal sent to the AC.

Steve
Ecosense

[Bdancer]

Any news on the planned  meeting/seminar in kalkan, as mentioned by Christina as we would be keen to attend
Isis