Heating and Cooling
This page is intended to provide information about the different heating and cooling systems in our residence halls. You can also see tips to keeping your room’s air quality at a comfortable level.
Heating
When the outside air temperature reaches 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 from 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 have cool air conditioning provided to student rooms. For buildings with air conditioning units, cooling is provided when the outside air temperature is above 65 degree 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.
Indoor Air Quality Tips
- Try small adjustments first to avoid overheating/cooling
- Do not push furniture, bedding, or belongings against convectors 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
- Open windows slightly for short periods of time to allow outside air to circulate
- When possible, keep the room door open to promote air movement and introduce fresh air
- Take wet clothing or towels to a laundry room to be washed/dried ASAP to reduce moisture
- Run a fan to help circulate air
- Fish tanks, 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 have 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 have the desired effect, turn the dial in the opposite direction.
Buildings with radiator heating:
584 Lincoln, 1856 Orrington, 1871 Orrington (east side), 2307 Sheridan, 2313 Sheridan, 2347 Sheridan, 2349 Sheridan, 636 Emerson, 640 Emerson, 710 Emerson, Bobb-McCulloch Hall, Chapin Hall, Elder, Lindgren Hall, Rogers Hall, Sargent Hall, SAI.
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 are controlled centrally per building and do not have individual room controls.
Buildings with baseboard heating:
1871 Orrington (west side of building), 2249 Sheridan, Allison Hall, Ayers Hall, East Fairchild, West Fairchild
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 above 65 degrees then the unit will provide chilled air and if the outside air temperature is below 60 degrees then the unit will provide heated air. Each unit has a controller that allows residents to control the fan speed and temperature of the air provided from the unit. Some units have analog thermostat units and others have 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 to malfunction.
Buildings with convection heating/cooling units:
1838 Chicago, 2303 Sheridan, 630 Emerson, Foster-Walker, Goodrich, Jones, Kemper, North Mid-Quads, Shepard, South Mid-Quads, Willard
Examples:
