Can anyone explain why this habit of keeping the air conditioning so low-temperature in Summer.....?

Question

..and the heating so high in Winter? Should it not be better to keep a constant temperature all year round? In many offices and shops it's freezing cold in Summer (when everyone wears light clothes) and too warm in winter (when everyone wears heavier wintery clothes). Isn't it a nonsense? I believe that isn't good for the health. And what about energy-saving? Very seldom I've heard air conditioning being mentioned as a waste of energy.....

Answer 1

I'm with you on this one. Ive done a lot of work in the Middle East and the AC was always far too cold for me. Walking outside was like walking into the path of a giant hair drier. I like a constant temperature all year when I am comfortable in shirt-sleeves

Answer 2

Air conditioning wastes a lot of energy. I am a senior energy consultant and I have never seen a building set up properly. I fully agree that they leave a building far too cold. The reason for this is very simple and very easy to cure. The system is not set up properly. I have been called into buildings to "sort out" these systems. In winter I have seen air conditioning "pulling" heat out of buildings due to the balance between the setting of the air conditioning and the heat requirements were incorrect resulting in fighting against each other. I have seen buildings where the heat was trying to make 22 degrees C and the air conditioning was trying to keep the temperature at 20 degrees C. The result was that the boilers very working very hard to maintain the heat in the building and at the same time the air conditioning system was "removing" heat out of the building. Both were going at the same time wasting a lot of energy.
In summer the air conditioning level is incorrectlly set removing heat and leaving the building colder than it should. All it needs is properly set by an expert and not someone without enough experience but is cheaper to hire. The cost of setting up any such system properly by the right person or company is very small compared to the huge waste of expensive energy caused by an experienced person but cheaper by the hour. Thermostat sensors which control heating and cooling can be plus or minus 10% and this often leads to the situation you describe. Cheap maintenance people use the readings from these thermostat sensors. I much prefer setting these systems up by computer which given the right programme is much more accurate and creates the right environment for staff and reduces costs for the company.

Answer 3

This probably isn't the answer that you were seeking. The AC does just that, it conditions the air. I live in the Ohio Valley and the humidity can be outrageous. When the thermostat is set lower, it causes the system to run more. When it is set higher, it runs less, therefore not working on the humidity as often. Our bodies also run different in the seasons. In the winter, we slow down to burn less calories , keeping or adding fat to protect from the cold. When our bodies run slower, less blood pumping, we feel colder.

Answer 4

There must be an system to keep Automatic Climate control ... which provides airflow with the ventilation system to have a constant flow of air to be comfortable for room temperature. Like its in the cars. It automatically gets adjusted to the outside temperature and provides the suitable climate inside. Fix this to your home, and all the office buildings should have this kinda system. Fully automatic you know, we shouldnt ever tamper with the temperature settings, cool huh ?

Answer 5

I agree with you it seem so stupid that offices have it so cold i think there is no one there that understands thermostats so they just sit there in the cold.