Radiators & heating - survey feedback

Many responses to our survey last week mentioned that the Hall has been too hot since we turned the heating on in October.

We are mindful that before we turned the heating on, many residents were complaining that it was much too cold in the building. So we have to try and find a happy medium.

In response to your feedback in the survey, we have modified the times when the heating is turned on as follows:

	Changed FROM	Changed TO:
Morning	06:00 to 10:00	06:30 to 09:00
Evening	15:30 to 23:00	16:30 to 23:00

If it's still too hot for you, remember you should be able to turn the radiator in your room off (turn the knob clockwise) and on (anticlockwise) to control the heat in your room. If your heat control does not work, log a request in the maintenance book at reception so we can take a look at it for you.

We had new boilers installed at Connaught Hall over the summer, so we think the greater efficiency of our boilers and higher pressure in the heating system is what is making the Hall so hot, despite the heating being on for less time than ever before.

We do rely on your feedback to get this right, so please email suggestions@connaught-hall.org.uk if there is a problem with the heating generally in the Hall.

Residents' Survey - the dining hall

Responses to Residents' Survey 8: heating in the dining hall

Continuing my series of blog posts to repond to residents' comments in the February 2010 intercollegiate halls residents' survey. A summary of responses to the multiple choice questions on the survey can be seen here: Residents' Survey results. And you can filter this blog so just the survey-related posts show by clicking on "survey" in the list of labels on the right hand side.


Several survey responses mentioned that the dining hall can be cold, especially in the mornings.

The radiators in the dining hall have all been checked and are working properly. A major contributing factor to the cold is the very poorly insulated roof with north-facing skylights, some of which are very difficult to close. The Bursars have secured fundig for the roof of the dining hall to be completely replaced during the summer this year, which should make it much easier to control the temperature in that part of the building.

Residents' Survey - heating

Responses to Residents' Survey 5: heating

Continuing my series of blog posts to repond to residents' comments in the February 2010 intercollegiate halls residents' survey. A summary of responses to the multiple choice questions on the survey can be seen here: Residents' Survey results. And you can filter this blog so just the survey-related posts show by clicking on "survey" in the list of labels on the right hand side.

It is very cold in the afternoons because the heater is not on till the evening, which makes it very hard to study. It'd be good if the heater could be on for 1 or 2 hours in mid-afternoon just to heat up the room so that it'll be more conducive for studying (for those who are in, at least).

Poorly insulated, the curtains need to be kept closed throughout the winter to stop the room from being too cold when the heating isn't on.

When the heating is turned off in winter, during the day and at night, it gets too cold. Sitting at the desk next to the window is not possible during the day when it is colder than 5°C. At night, the duvet provided is by far not enough. Double glazing should be a standard that I would expect. Not only for matter of temperature but for environmental reasons as well.

On cold winter days, my room is freezing because of the single glazed window. Only if the radiator runs the entire night, the temperature is alright. But if, as so often, this is not the case I wake up in a freezer. Or at least a fridge.

My room is very cold during the day

It is often very cold.

The radiator does not come on sometimes and this is not good during the winter months. I think it happens in all the 4th floor rooms.

The heating turns off during the day making the room very cold

.

Could you usually open the heated system?

Continuous draft from an unpragmatic window.

The room is usually very cold during the period that the heater is switched off

It's so cold most of the time. I have to get up early in the morning and the heating is never on early enough. It's horrible taking a shower when it is so cold!

The University of London applies the same heating times across all eight intercollegiate halls of residence. This survey is the first time the same questions have been asked of students in all eight halls, so it is a good opportunity to compare how standardised/centralised policies work in different halls. I hope it will demonstrate that there are often good reasons for local variation in policies - which helps keep services responsive to the particular needs of students in that hall.

As you can see, quite a few residents commented on the cold in their free text responses (more than in other halls) and the multiple choice answers also suggested that Connaught Hall is colder than the seven other halls. I hope this will be sufficient evidence that in this case Connaught Hall is different (maybe because it is an old building with poor insulation) and that we need slightly longer heating times during the winter. I will keep you updated on progress with this.