Does HVAC Affect Our Sense of Well Being?

Yes , HVAC systems DO, in fact, affect our well being. Adversely, in my case!

It is a nice 66 degrees outside, yet that doesn't mean a THING to the gal who sets the thermostat here. Whether it is 105° or 35° outside, the a/c is always cranking full-tilt! My office gets absolutely bone-chilling / teeth-chattering cold, while the other areas of the building get only moderately cooled.

I spend half of each day either in the men's room or the break area just to "warm-up"!

Does anybody have a manager who has successfully dealt with the issue, pleasing everybody in the office...?

Air conditioning causes me serious issues with my sinuses. I avoid it with a passion. Living in the Tropics, this can be difficult, but, interestingly, many older buildings (built prior to the advent of air conditioning) were properly designed for the climate and can be quite comfortable without air conditioning. Newer construction (sealed glass towers, for example, with no benefit of natural shading from direct sunlight) are uninhabitable without some form of climate control...

In addition to the above issues there is a thing called "sick building syndrome". Lots of info from google.

Also metal fan blade remove ions from the air. Remember that fresh air smell outdoors after a lightening storm. Metal fan blades remove it. there was a thread recently about negitive ions. many building have none left internally. I am sure you can google more on this.

It is well known in Europe since many decades that HVAC causes health problems. Positive ion generation seriously affects your immune system. The HVAc is a extremely efficient positive ion generator. If combined with en equal amount of negtive ions it would at least be neutral.

Get about and do it, if you have the knowledge!

Good Luck!!

Yea,

air systems apparently make positive ions. Probably true. Some negative ion generators i've heard make the air molecules too big so they don't absorb into your lungs. They can clean the air but don't do your body to much good. Beeswax candles on the other hand do generate small negative ions. Good for you and they smell nice. They are just pretty expensive. I get my beeswax from a beekeeper for cheap and make my own candles. The air does seem easier to breath around them I think.

amos

First let's remember the basics, HVAC is not just about heating and cooling, but also about air movement and IAQ. A well balanced system that is well maintained will affect everyone in the building. Many companies are cutting down on maintenance as money gets tight, resulting in a greater incidence of sick buildings syndrome and more employee sick days.

Another factor often overlooked in maintenance is background noise, a system that is not running correctly can produce a verity of background sound that can have the occupants getting aggressive.

With the easy to fit modern control systems we can easy control temperature, humidity and prevent excessive employee sick days. So why don't we?