XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: sjharker@aussiebroadband.com.au   
      
   Cryptoengineer  writes:   
      
   > On 10/22/2025 12:36 PM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >> On 10/22/25 08:51, Paul S Person wrote:   
   >>> On Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:34:27 +1100, sjharker@aussiebroadband.com.au   
   >>> (Stephen Harker) wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> Titus G  writes:   
   >>>>   
   >>>>> On 21/10/25 04:51, Paul S Person wrote:   
   >>>>> snip   
   >>>>   
   >>>> [...]   
   >>>>   
   >>>>>> I don't know about that; I found a few years back where Consumer   
   >>>>>> Reports stated that the average cost of a heat pump was now around   
   >>>>>> $8K. When I asked about it back when my furnace was being replaced, it   
   >>>>>> was around $25K. $25K is quite expensive; $8K is less so (still   
   >>>>>> expensive, though).   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Three years ago, I had another heat pump installed for NZ$3K.   
   >>>>   
   >>>> I replaced a 20+ year old  head pump (non-inverter) with an inverter   
   >>>> heat-pump at AUD3.5k for much of the house and a smaller one for AUD2.4k   
   >>>> for two other roomsin 2022.  I also replaced the gas hot-water unit with   
   >>>> a heat-pump hot water service. Then I replaced the gas oven and cooktop   
   >>>> with an electric oven and induction cooktop AUD4k.  Then I had solar   
   >>>> installed and now have a yearly energy bill of under AUD170 saving about   
   >>>> AUD1,1k per year.   
   >>>>   
   >>>>>> I notice a distinct lack of answers to my question about using WiFi   
   >>>>>> (or Bluetooth) to control a heat pump. Thus avoiding the pulling of   
   >>>>>> wires.   
   >>   
   >>          If you can control it by WiFi or Bluetooth so can someone   
   >> else.  Maybe as   
   >> a relatively harmless prank or maybe to overload the heat pump and   
   >> destroy it or   
   >> the place it is heating or cooling.   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>          Snip of sensible content about using Ethernet.   
   >   
   > Some attacks just aren't worth the effort - have  you *ever* heard of   
   > someone doing this?   
      
   There was one, vaguely relate, report in the comp risks summary where   
   after an acrimonious divorce  someone running the heating/cooling up to   
   cause high powr bills through normal internet communication used the   
   unchanged passowrds.   
      
   My concern is information on usage. We have smart power meters used by   
   the power companies to get usage information and so bill more   
   automtically.  There were repors of this being used tofind houses which   
   were not occupied (on trips away for example) and so target for   
   burgling.  Like most I have my heat-pump hot water progrmmed to heat in   
   the period 1000 to 1500 hours where solar should be good and the grid   
   power is on non-peak.  Some also progarm other devices (heating/cooling   
   or washing) in similar times.  This is laragely to bank the solar when   
   at a maximum.   
      
   > I have heat pumps - one is controlled by short range IR remotes, and   
   > the other by a wall panel.   
      
   My heating/cooling heat pumps are both controlled by IR remotes.   
      
   > I would not put them on WiFi, but not because I'm worried about someone   
   > futzing with the temperature. I'm suspicious of the 'Internet of Things'   
   > devices made by companies with zero notion of security. There are WiFi   
   > 'smart bulbs' that will leak your WiFi password.   
   >   
   > I spent too long in the cybersecurity world to attach random devices   
   > to my network.   
      
   Agreed, mainly due to what I have read in the comp risks digest.   
      
      
   --   
   Stephen Harker                       sjharker@aussiebroadband.com.au   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)