Thermostat control

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi, i'm new to the forums. :slight_smile:

Anyway, I've been looking into getting an Arduino for some simple stuff i wanted to mess around with.
A couple days ago, my mom turned on the air conditioning using our VERY old thermostat.
We sleep on the second floor while the thermostat is on the first floor.
The problem is, we leave the AC on while we're sleeping and we get too cold and our power bill skyrockets.
She was wondering if there would be a way to control the thermostat from the second floor without coming down, interrupting sleep.

I was wondering if it would be possible to use a motor/servo and program the Arduino to move the switch.
NOTE: Our thermostat is set up like this:
EM HEAT HEAT OFF COOL

(slider switch)

Would it be possible to make it remote controlled using a web interface or a radio controller?
Or can it be time controlled so after x minutes, it will automatically move and move the switch?
If so, would it be difficult to program?

Thanks!

P.S. Some people might say to tamper the wires itself. The problem is that we rent our house and the landlord doesn't want us to tamper with anything.
Plus if i break it, i'll have to pay for a new thermostat.

2

From a long time ago:

http://web.comporium.net/~shb/t-stat.htm

3

Tell your landlord to replace the rubbishy old thermostat with a programmable one. It will give you far better control over the temperature and save you money. Since this is improving the house, the landlord should pay for it. But if he won't, it would be worth your while to pay for it yourself. (They aren't expensive and can usually be fitted in minutes.)