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Q: ideal room temperature ( Answered 5 out of 5 stars,   1 Comment )
Question  
Subject: ideal room temperature
Category: Family and Home > Home
Asked by: pootz-ga
List Price: $5.00
Posted: 09 Jun 2004 16:20 PDT
Expires: 09 Jul 2004 16:20 PDT
Question ID: 358853
What is the ideal room temperature for an office space? If the answer
is to subjective, giving me the most common room temperature would be
a satisfying answer.
Answer  
Subject: Re: ideal room temperature
Answered By: crabcakes-ga on 09 Jun 2004 17:10 PDT
Rated:5 out of 5 stars
 
Hi pootz,

  It sounds like you and your office mates may be having a hard time
deciding where to set the thermostat! Every workplace seems to have at
least two people who fiddle with the thermostat?one turning it up and
the other turning it down!
?If you walk into almost any office building, you'll find some people
sitting comfortably in lightweight, short-sleeved shirts while others
are shivering in their sweaters or jackets. And if the temperature is
too hot or too cold, many people will be unable to concentrate. While
some adapt easily to varying temperatures, others need for the room to
be at their comfort level before they can pay attention to anything
else.?
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/lwc_cda_article/0,1643,A%253D150008%2526X%253D1%2526M%253D50088,00.html

While researching this answer I have learned that the ideal
temperature for minimizing asthma and allergies, preserving cigars,
maintaining cut gerbera daisies, serving wine, and growing marijuana
(!) is 72 degrees!

I had always heard that the ideal room temperature is 72F degrees, and
indeed in a hospital environment, 72 degrees is the target
temperature, for the comfort of patients and employees alike. One
would need to take into account different conditions when trying to
accommodate all employees. Someone surrounded by heat producing
equipment may be uncomfortably warm, while a worker, across the same
room, sitting quietly near an air conditioner vent may feel too cool.
It can be very hard to regulate the temperature in each part of one
room! In a very humid work environment, people will often feel
uncomfortable warm, even at a standard temperature.


According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety ?A
general recommendation is that the temperature be held constant in the
range of 21-23°C (69-73°F). In summertime when outdoor temperatures
are higher it is advisable to keep air-conditioned offices slightly
warmer to minimize the temperature discrepancy between indoors and
outdoors?

?When relative humidity is kept at about 50%, office workers have
fewer respiratory problems (specifically in the winter) and generally
feel better. Higher humidity makes the office feels "stuffy". More
important, it can contribute to the development of bacterial and
fungal growth (especially in sealed buildings).
Humidity lower then 50% causes discomfort by drying out the mucous
membranes, contributing to skin rashes, and causing some electrostatic
disturbances to both office equipment and their users.?
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/phys_agents/thermal_comfort.html


From the University of Sydney:
?Typically staff and student concerns about indoor thermal comfort
occur in areas that are poorly ventilated and/or inadequately shaded
from sunlight. Individual thermal comfort can also be affected by
physical exertion, crowded working areas and some medical conditions.
The NSW WorkCover Authority has issued guidelines on indoor thermal
comfort which describe optimal conditions for occupational health and
safety in an office environment. These are outlined below
Optimum summer temperature range 21-24 oC 
Acceptable summer temperature range 20-26 oC
Optimum humidity range 40-60% 
Minimum recommended fresh air rate 10 Litres per second (L/s) per
person or 10 L/s per 10 m2 for mechanical ventilation systems
Optimum air movement 0.1-0.5 m/s (naturally ventilated), 0.1-0.2 m/s
(air- conditioned).
http://www.usyd.edu.au/risk/policies/ohs/IndoorThermalComfort.shtml


?Temperature is important: 16°C is reckoned to be workable and 25°C too hot.?
(16C = 61F,  25C = 77F)
http://www.writersservices.com/wsres/hs_environment.htm
?Inside climate
A good climate in the office advances your well-being and
productivity. If your office is uncomfortably warm, too cold or you
get static electric shocks because it is too dry, it is possible that
there is something wrong with the inside climate. Rooms where people
can regulate the temperature themselves, for instance, by opening a
window or adjusting the radiator, are ideal. Unfortunately this is not
always possible. In some buildings the climate is regulated centrally
by means of a climate control system. That is not to say that then the
climate cannot be changed. For instance, the Technische Dienst
(technical service) can programme the temperature differently. You
should, however, first come to an agreement with your colleagues
before you have the system changed or open a window on a cold winter?s
day. Everyone experiences temperature and damp differently.?
http://www.arbodienst.leidenuniv.nl/index.php3?c=74

Hope this helps! If any part of my answer is unclear, please request
an Answer Clarification, before rating. This will allow me to assist
you further, if possible.

Regards,
crabcakes


Search Terms
Ambient temperature
Optimum room temperature
Ideal office temperature
pootz-ga rated this answer:5 out of 5 stars
just what i needed ;)

Comments  
Subject: Re: ideal room temperature
From: crabcakes-ga on 14 Jun 2004 14:29 PDT
 
Thank you for the 5 stars! I'm glad I could help!
Regards,
crabcakes

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