2008 Woodie Awards
RSSBuilding temperatures uncomfortable, some say
By Emily Smith
Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: News
Lehigh's heating, ventilation and cooling department will begin heating academic buildings and dormitories in less than four weeks, but many students are not comfortable at current temperatures.
HVAC sets flexible dates for heating and cooling periods. Cooling perimeters are between April 15 and Thanksgiving, but plans often change because of the weather, said Dave Hendel, HVAC assistant director.
The perimeter system helps control Lehigh's energy budget and increase energy efficiency, Hendel said.
"We certainly won't wait until Nov. 22 to turn the heat on," Hendel said.
Setting perimeters maximizes efficiency, Hendel said, but it can create conflict.
"Do we go for energy efficiency or do we satisfy customers?" Hendel said. "The comfort of the student is primary. We do everything we can if someone is uncomfortable. We jump on complaints nearly immediately."
Many students believe Lehigh is not doing enough.
Nick Kruse, '08, a Gryphon and member of the Green Action club, is disappointed with the inefficiency surrounding the heating and cooling system.
"The main problem is [HVAC] often won't shut off the heat in order to cool your room, so you have to open a window," Kruse said. "Many students hesitate to call maintenance because it's a hassle for workmen to come into your room when you're not expecting them."
Don Knowles, business manager of facilities services and campus planning, said there were 120 work orders placed between October and April for residence halls. In general, most calls come from residence halls, and complaints are addressed the same day they are reported, he said. The number of complaints often depends on the weather.
"This has been an unusual fall," Knowles said. "It's comfortable during the day, but cold at night."
Not all complaints are weather-related. Students differ in their heating and cooling needs, Knowles said, and it takes a while for the system to reach a comfortable balance.
Instead of calling maintenance personnel, Kruse once decided to fix a temperature problem himself.
"My heater last year in Drinker wouldn't shut off so I ended up having to hit it with a brick, and that made it shut off," Kruse said. "I didn't want to call maintenance because I didn't want them popping into my room. There needs to be a quick fix. There's no way to get maintenance into your room at 11 p.m."
Some students are more concerned about classroom temperatures.
"Christmas-Saucon [Hall] and Chandler-Ullman [Hall] are equally bad in my book," Caity Heller, '09, said. "I have every psych class in Chandler-Ullman and we sweat."
Emily Gonthier, '09, said it gets really hot in Packard Laboratory because there is no air-conditioning.
"The cooling in Packard is non-existent," Gonthier said. "The second floor is always a million degrees."
HVAC sets flexible dates for heating and cooling periods. Cooling perimeters are between April 15 and Thanksgiving, but plans often change because of the weather, said Dave Hendel, HVAC assistant director.
The perimeter system helps control Lehigh's energy budget and increase energy efficiency, Hendel said.
"We certainly won't wait until Nov. 22 to turn the heat on," Hendel said.
Setting perimeters maximizes efficiency, Hendel said, but it can create conflict.
"Do we go for energy efficiency or do we satisfy customers?" Hendel said. "The comfort of the student is primary. We do everything we can if someone is uncomfortable. We jump on complaints nearly immediately."
Many students believe Lehigh is not doing enough.
Nick Kruse, '08, a Gryphon and member of the Green Action club, is disappointed with the inefficiency surrounding the heating and cooling system.
"The main problem is [HVAC] often won't shut off the heat in order to cool your room, so you have to open a window," Kruse said. "Many students hesitate to call maintenance because it's a hassle for workmen to come into your room when you're not expecting them."
Don Knowles, business manager of facilities services and campus planning, said there were 120 work orders placed between October and April for residence halls. In general, most calls come from residence halls, and complaints are addressed the same day they are reported, he said. The number of complaints often depends on the weather.
"This has been an unusual fall," Knowles said. "It's comfortable during the day, but cold at night."
Not all complaints are weather-related. Students differ in their heating and cooling needs, Knowles said, and it takes a while for the system to reach a comfortable balance.
Instead of calling maintenance personnel, Kruse once decided to fix a temperature problem himself.
"My heater last year in Drinker wouldn't shut off so I ended up having to hit it with a brick, and that made it shut off," Kruse said. "I didn't want to call maintenance because I didn't want them popping into my room. There needs to be a quick fix. There's no way to get maintenance into your room at 11 p.m."
Some students are more concerned about classroom temperatures.
"Christmas-Saucon [Hall] and Chandler-Ullman [Hall] are equally bad in my book," Caity Heller, '09, said. "I have every psych class in Chandler-Ullman and we sweat."
Emily Gonthier, '09, said it gets really hot in Packard Laboratory because there is no air-conditioning.
"The cooling in Packard is non-existent," Gonthier said. "The second floor is always a million degrees."
