Brrrrr! Classrooms get cold this year
Woah! The thermostat on February 23 says the temperature its 73 degrees. The air coming out of the vents was 58 degrees. Photo taken by Chasity Brunner
February 23, 2018
It is quite obvious that the classrooms have been pretty cold lately. It is snowing outside and now classes feel only slightly warmer than the outside temperature.
On Feb. 13 I conducted an experiment to see just how cold it gets. I went into Autumn Barry-Kyle’s classroom with a thermometer on the vent, and it said that the room was 59 degrees fahrenheit. At that same time the thermometer by the door that is installed in her room said it was 75 degrees fahrenheit. Then on Feb. 23 I went into Andrew Danish’s classroom with a thermometer to see how warm is was. The vent was putting out air that was 58 degrees fahrenheit while the thermostat on the other side of the room said it was 72 degrees fahrenheit.
The school sets the temperature at 75 degrees but because the thermostat is on the opposite side of the room from the vent the temperature is not right. It is warmer by the door so the thermostat is reading it saying it is too hot, too cold, etc. The heating system then sets it so cold or warm air comes out of the vent. This system is inaccurate because the thermostat is so far from the vents.
Also, the fact that the vents and the windows are right in the same spot could be making it colder. Some windows let drafts in and because the windows in the classrooms open, they are most likely letting in cold air from outside. So the cold air is coming in from the vent and cold air could possibly be coming in from the windows. This cold air could be making students sick. Students unlucky enough to sit by the vents end up needing to wear hoodies etc. to try to stay warm.
If the school could change the heating system or even put another thermostat by the vents, the temperature would become more accurate. Then classrooms would not be so cold and students could focus on school activities rather than trying to figure out how to get warm.
Riley Reid • May 25, 2018 at 11:27 am
It is true the classes are cooler this year than last, but I think it is better this way. Instead of blasting heat like last year, it is blasting cold air. I personally would rather be cool or cold then hot because I can put on a jacket but I can’t do anything if I am hot, but sweat. With all that said I really did enjoy this article!