Seasonal Changes for Air Conditioning and Heat

Hale Hall

Weather in the Fall and Spring can significantly fluctuate from hot to cold and cold to hot within a matter of days. The heating and air plant that supplies Hale operates on a single pipe campus system that cannot be switched on and off from AC to heat or heat to AC without significant adjustments.

Switching to heat or AC requires that the water system be bled and changed over. After doing this we would not be able to switch modes very easily should we get a change in temperatures.

The physical plant carefully monitors temperatures and makes decisions about when to convert to heat or AC. When the heat or AC first comes on, be sure to check on the adjustments available on your units. Each residence hall has different types of controls so if you have any questions regarding adjusting your heat or AC, contact your friendly neighborhood RA.

General Guidelines for Switching between Heat and AC

Over the years the Physical Plant has worked out guidelines whereby temperature changes are monitored and a determination is made when to turn the heat and air on and off. Taking into consideration the many weather changes we have in the fall and spring, the following general guidelines have been established:

• Fall: Turning on Heat In cooling mode we track five consecutive days/nights with the recorded low temperature of 50 degrees or lower. We also consider daytime temperatures to some extent. If we have not made the changeover by the 15th of October, we will do so at that time.
• Spring: Turning on Air Conditioning In heat mode, we track five consecutive days/nights with the recorded low temperature of 50 degrees or higher. We also consider daytime temperatures to some extent. If we have not made the changeover by the first week in May we will do so at that time.
• Residents of Hale: Please note that in the spring we may turn off the heat without meeting the temperature guidelines for turning on the air conditioning. For the halls that have air conditioning there may be a time period before the air conditioning is turned on in order to reach the temperature guidelines.