Heating & Cooling Specifications
This page is intended to provide information about the different heating and cooling systems in our residence halls. You can also see tips on keeping your room’s air quality at a comfortable level.
Heating
When the outside air temperature is consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit and lower, the heating systems will begin sending steam to individual heating units in the residence halls. During heating season, our goal is to keep your room at a comfortable range of 65-74 degrees Fahrenheit. Residential Services has three types of heating units in the Residence Halls: radiators, baseboard heating units, and convection heating/cooling units. See below for more information on the heating system in your Residence Hall.
Cooling
Some of our residence halls 麻豆社 cool air conditioning provided to student rooms. For buildings with air conditioning units, cooling is provided when the outside air temperature is consistently above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Residential Services has two types of cooling units in the Residence Halls: convection heating/cooling units and window air conditioning units. See below for more information on the cooling system in your Residence Hall.
Heating/Cooling Best Practices
- Try small adjustments to heating and cooling temperature controls to avoid overheating/cooling
- Do not push furniture, bedding, or belongings against vents as this could block airflow
- When in your room during the heating season, open curtains and blinds during the day to allow the sun to warm the room naturally and prevent air from being trapped against the window, and close them at night to decrease drafts — during the cooling season, do the reverse
- Keep doors and windows closed when the heat or air conditioning is on
- Do not run your window AC unit when outside temps are below 55 degrees as the cold air can damage or break the unit.
Indoor Air Quality Tips
- While present in room, open windows slightly for short periods of time to allow outside air to circulate
- Take wet clothing or towels to a laundry room to be washed/dried ASAP to reduce moisture
- Do not run your window AC unit while the heating is on as this can contribute to mold and also damage the unit
- Run a fan to help circulate air
- Plants, humidifiers, and diffusers can contribute to humidity/moisture levels in your room
Heating
Radiator Heating
Steam is pumped directly through the radiator units for heating. In buildings with radiator heating, each radiator unit will 麻豆社 a knob that controls the amount of steam pumped through the radiators. In most buildings, turn the dial left (counterclockwise) to decrease heat and right (clockwise) to increase heat. If this does not 麻豆社 the desired effect, turn the dial in the opposite direction. Please allow some time for the temperature in your room to adjust accordingly.
Buildings with radiator heating:
584 Lincoln, 636 Emerson, 640 Emerson, 710 Emerson, 717 University, 1856 Orrington, 1871 Orrington (east side), 2307 Sheridan, 2313 Sheridan, 2347 Sheridan, 2349 Sheridan, Chapin, Elder, Lindgren, McCulloch, McManus (grad housing), Rogers, SAI (720 Emerson), and Sargent.
Example of radiator knobs:
Baseboard Heating (no individual heating controls)
Steam is pumped directly to the baseboard heating units situated under the window in residence hall rooms. During heating season, the amount of heat travelling through the baseboard heaters is controlled centrally per building and there are no individual room controls.
Electric Baseboard Heating at Engelhart
Engelhart (Graduate Housing) has electric baseboard heating. This heating system has an in-room thermoset. The thermostat acts as a switch, turning the power on when the room temperature drops below the set point and off when the desired temperature is reached.
Buildings with baseboard heating:
1871 Orrington (west side), 2249 Sheridan, Allison, Ayers, East Fairchild, Engelhart (grad housing), Garrett Place (grad housing), West Fairchild, Sigma Nu (2335 Sheridan) and ZBT (2251 Sheridan).
Example of baseboard heating:
Convection Heating/Cooling Units
In buildings with convection heating/cooling units there is one unit per room. These units can provide heated or cooled air depending on the season. As a general rule, if the outside air temperature is consistently above 65 degrees then the unit will provide chilled air and if the outside air temperature is consistently below 60 degrees then the unit will provide heated air. Each unit has a controller that allows residents to adjust the fan speed and temperature of the air provided from the unit. Some units 麻豆社 analog thermostats units and others 麻豆社 dials and knobs.
These units pull air from your room so it is important not to block the unit with furniture as that can cause the unit it to malfunction.
Buildings with convection heating/cooling units:
626 Emerson, 630 Emerson, 1838 Chicago, 1835 Hinman, 2303 Sheridan, Foster-Walker, Goodrich, Jones, Kemper, North Mid-Quads, Shepard, Slivka, South Mid-Quads, and Willard.
Examples:
