Environmental Controls in EB

[Jonathan Birch]

I suppose this falls under "talking about the weather but not doing anything about it".

Dr. Lozowski was explaining yesterday that the environmental control system in the engineering building has never been programmed, but is still set on the system default. This, in part, is apparently the cause of the hot room/cold room phenomenon that seems to occur.

I realize CAOS is in dormant mode for the summer, but this seems like the sort of problem that the organization should be helping out with. Anyway, maybe this is something we could address in the fall. (On the other hand, depending on the degree of complication, this could be someone's senior project...)

[Guest]

Yeah if it's real easy involves a database and web front-end it'd be a great senior project.

[Jonathan Birch]

I'm not sure if that was meant as sarcasm, and I don't know enough details about the system to be certain, but it seems like a proper design would necessarily involve both a database and a web-based front end.

As for "real easy" though...

[Geoff Schreiber]

I was under the impression it was left default so that the rooms could be adjusted to suit the class and not force the room temp's by locking down the system.... who knows though :)

I can guarantee the sarcasm in the anon. comment - hopefully the senior projects are adjusted soon - way too many are web fronts developed for databases - and there's just too much software out to simplify the actual skill required for that anymore...

[Guest]

A few years ago, CS sent in complaints about their two labs being too hot.  The open lab was set to a suitable temporature but soon thereafter, several complaints were filed about the auditorium being sweltering hot!  They switched the system again and the CS lab was again steaming.  Eventually, after several revolutions of this, the rooms were balanced out.

As for the senior project lab, CS keept sending in complaints but the temperature of the lab was never lowered.  Phil, however, was on several occasions just about driven out of his office because of the artic weather and to this day, his office tends to be so cold that he keeps his door wide open to moderate the temperature but the senior project lab is still quite hot most of the time.

[Geoff Schreiber]

I'm not sure if this is just beyond anyone's thoughts - but if the room is hot - adjust the temp!  Numerous times this past year I've gone into 2029 and the room was 78-82, all you have to do is walk over and adjust the thermostat down to 76 or so, the AC will kick on and cool the room quite quickly to a decent temp.  The room isn't hot enough to cause problems - but it has been set too low at times (hence the sign by the thermostat)...  Yes, some rooms can't be adjusted and have to be programmed (I think the auditorium is this way), but others and easily controlled...