Why do people crank up the AC in offices when it is hot outside?

[MagpiePi]

I'm in the office today in jeans and a sweatshirt with my sleeves pulled down over my hands because I'm bloody freezing and the AC is blowing out cold air down the back of my neck.

......because it's hot?

Because they're hot?

I get what you mean, our office A/C was set to 16 yesterday, everyone was in coats and jumpers...at least pick a decent temp

Without aircon it very quickly becomes just as hot inside, especially when a lot of electrical equipment is running. But it does sound like your aircon needs to be dialled down a bit.

Someone else has just commented and gone to fiddle with the controls, and brave the potential wrath of the office manager.

Mistaken belief that lower temperature setting will mean quicker cooling - when first turning it on?

Feeling excessively hot after being outside and wanting that extra cooling hit? I've been doing that in the car, but wouldn't in a building.

Doesn't make sense though, a comfortable temperature to work in would be around low 20s. And if it is hot people are likely to have less layers than in winter as well.

Guess your boss is a female of a certain age?😂

You need to agree on a temperature that everyone is sort of comfortable. Working in an office with others is always a compromise.

It's the same in winter when people turn up the heating to maximum when it is cold outside. You just need the thermostat at a reasonable temp, say 20 c, no at all the way up!

Our office do this too, it’s basically a sealed unit and not really susceptible to changes in the outside temperature but the air con temp seems to go down when it’s warmer outside, I wear a cardigan indoors and take it off when I go outside!

Ours ist set at 16 degrees. Nobody is wearing a coat. I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. Some people are wearing jeans. Don't see the issue. Do you complain about people putting the heating on when it's cold outside?

She's not my boss, and yes she is of menopausal age, but so am I.

But 16 would be considered cold enough to turn on the heating in the winter! Usually comfortable is 18 to 20. Its the absolute minimum allowed in the UK by law and most people find it too cold.

Me too 😂

No, I don't complain when it is a reasonable temperature in the office. I do object to having and arctic gale blowing down my neck no matter what it is doing outside.

I'm comfortable at about 24/25 deg C and wouldn't expect you to complain!

I don't understand it either. Where I used to work we all used to end up wrapped in jumpers and blankets at the height of the summer

Exactly!

I would complain yes if the heating was set to too hot, same as I did yesterday when it was too cold

16 degrees is the absolute minimum temperature that the HSE says it's reasonable for ppl to work in

AC set to 16 degrees is just ridiculous

When we first moved to Oz it was the middle of summer. Our rental had electricity included so we set it to 17 degrees. Our landlord dropped in one day and almost had a heart attack, but his wife took pity as we needed it that cold when it was 42 outside. Now our aircon goes on at 23.

Aircon wars are a nightmare. Thankfully in the office I share with 1 other person we both have similar body temps so it’s not an issue.

I once worked somewhere where one woman insisted on wearing a suit jacket and black opaque tights all year round. The rest of us had to put up with the air con ridiculously low just to accommodate her. You just couldn’t wear a summer dress in the summer as you would be freezing.

I hate it that I have to carry a coat/jacket about to put on when I go inside places.

The AC shouldn't be blowing down your neck if it's working properly.

The temperature should be set at a temperature so that you don't get thermal shock when you come in from outside. The cooling on fully controlled buildings won't kick in until 22°C at lowest.

Local setpoint adjusters are frequently limited so you can't adjust the temperature below a certain design setting - it may seem that you can, but you can't

16 degrees is colder than my gym has the air con set to! Although it's always too warm in there for my liking.16 is cold, if it's that cold when i WFH i have to put the heating on.