Heat Control in the McLaughlin Cluster

The heating systems in the McLaughlin Cluster and in Fahey & McLane are the only ones of their kind at Dartmouth. There is hot water tubing buried in the 10" thick concrete floors with up to 200 feet in each room. Once the decision is made to turn on the heat, warm water will circulate through this zig-zag of tubing, heating the concrete floors and radiating heat into your room. All temperatures are set by a computer system which knows the temperature in your room and the temperature outside. There are no user settable thermostats in student rooms in these buildings and by design, all rooms will be adjusted to pretty much the same temperature, 68 degrees F. If you find your room to be unusually warm or too cold, please call the ORL Operations Office at 646-1203. We will send someone to check the room temperature with a digital thermometer. Should the heat be below 68 degrees, or above 70 degrees, we will have FOM try to make an adjustment. Because of the design of these systems, adjustments will be done a bit at a time and may take several hours before you notice a change. The lag is due to the "thermal mass" of the building's 10" thick concrete floors. Please keep in mind that this is a new system for Dartmouth and it will take us all some getting used to.

If you have any questions, call or blitz: Residential Operations, 646-1203.