Due to dementia, need to replace moms central heat/air thermostat with a dummy thermostat, how do I do this?

Question

Tried the lock box, it only aggravated her. Installing a working thermo in a diff. place is what i want to do. The house is so small the only choice for the additional thermostat is in the closet. I was told i would need the sensor placed where the present thermostat is. My dilemma is how to wire the sensor by the dummy thermo and place the working thermostat in a closet a few feet away.

Answer 1

I agree with Yuma.

Let her old one be disconnected, and install a new one in a place she never notices...only noticed by you.

Answer 2

1.  Find a like thermostat.  Install it in the same place as the old one.  

2.  Remove the old one and find a place that you can lock and rewire.

3.  Take special care to write down the color coding of the wires.

4.  Its done, take the key and keep it turned the way you want it.

Answer 3

Put up a dummy one and cover the real one with a shadowbox picture. it should still be able to sense the temperature and she won't know it's there.

Answer 4

Yuma2270 gave a great answer. Another choice is to build a small box to cover the present thermostat, and set a knick-nack on the top of it as if it were a shelf. Many community buildings have clear plexi boxes with locks just because people keep adjusting the thermostats. Since she has dementia, then convincing her the box was her idea to hold a photo or ? she should leave it alone. Good Luck you have a battle ahead of you.

Answer 5

More of a comment than an answer -

He already knows he can't install the sensor in the closet - that's the question. He wants to know how to put the sensor in the place it's at now, and wire it to the thermostat in the closet.

I haven't a clue, but I would recommend hiding the new one in a lock box made of something solid (not see-thru)... because if she ever does find it in the closet - it will be conspiracy h**l up in the house. She'll think the government is regulating or watching her house or something.

Answer 6

Why not disconnect current wire to thermstat and install a new one in a suitable place.

Answer 7

Putting it in a closet is a bad idea.  There, it would not sense the temperature in other spaces.  Rewire the conductors to a new one on the ceiling (different looking, of course)  You may have to fib a bit to Mom, telling her it is a new smoke detector.  Also two of the conductors bring power to the thermostat.  You may want to keep batteries in the old unit, so the numbers still show.

A thermostat on the ceiling would need to be set differently from one on the wall.  It will read higher than the temperature at a person's level.  If properly adjusted, could work OK.  If there happens to be a return vent near there, put the new thermostat a bit farther away.