Time To Break Out Your Snuggie

Fall is officially here. This means many things to Penn students: changing leaves on the Green, the return of sweaters, scarves and boots, Halloween slutacularness. It also means something else for College House residents: the switch from A/C to heat. While this change isn't as bad as the heat to A/C switch (does anyone remember the sweaty disaster that was Reading Days Spring '07?), it is still insanely complicated. See below.

Dear Residents,

Housing Services has asked Facilities Services to begin the transition from air conditioning to heat in the College Houses and Sansom Place. Because temperatures have been variable and will continue in that vein, the transition will not take effect immediately. The chilled water supply has been discontinued in the buildings that are air conditioned.

The switchover process is somewhat complicated and the transition from air conditioning to heat is not immediate. There is a two pipe system in the College Houses and Sansom Place that serve as a supply and return. This system pumps either hot or chilled water, but not both at the same time. The transition process from summer air conditioning to winter heating requires that chilled water temperatures in the system be gradually raised.

Valves are then switched so that hot water can enter the systems, generating heat which is then circulated in student rooms through a fan coil unit. In College Houses where there is no air conditioning, the water in the system is simply heated at the appropriate time.

It will take a few days for the cooling systems to stop and for heat to come up to consistent temperatures throughout the residential system. This process began on October 5 and should be completed by October 15.

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience during this time. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit your Information Center.

Thank you, The Department of Housing Services