You Don't Notice the Perfect Temperature

By Hal Alles

Your temperature sensors are part of your warning system, closely related to your pain sensors. It's nature's way of telling you there is danger; if you don't pay attention, your body will try to protect you. You jerk away from something that's too hot or too cold, shiver or sweat when it is less dangerous. But more often, the wrong temperature is just plain uncomfortable and annoying. Be a little too warm all day long and it will probably make you grumpy.

Think of all the things you and your family use in your home because the temperature is not "right." Of course, there is the thermostat &mdash you can always adjust it up or down to change the temperature in the room you want to use. This is OK if you don't mind wasting energy or making everyone else in the home even more uncomfortable.

Sweaters and blankets are common ways to fight the chill. You can fire up that fireplace you bought for "ambiance." There are space heaters and electric blankets, maybe even a hair dryer. Exercise helps too.

After taking off all of the clothes you dare, there are still things you can use to keep you cool. There are fans, either manual or electric. Iced drinks, water spray and wet towels can help &mdash just don't try sitting in front of an open refrigerator.

When the temperature is perfect, you typically don't notice or think about it. Imagine walking from room to room in your home and not having the sunny side rooms warmer than the shady side rooms, or walking up the stairs without the temperature rising a degree every few steps, or working in your home office all day without it getting hot, or watching a movie in you theater room and not fanning yourself before the end &mdash doing absolutely nothing to make the temperature just right in every room of your home. Imagine everyone in your home experiencing (actually not experiencing) the same thing at the same time. How long would it take before you stopped noticing?

Practical products are now available that control a standard forced air HVAC system so the temperature in every room of a home is independently controlled, including even small rooms like bathrooms. If your standard for temperature control is set by living in a typical 2,500-square-foot, two-story home, the first few days might seem miraculous. But within a few weeks, you would become more and more accustomed to not noticing and soon would not notice the perfect temperature at all. It would be like living with a nagging pain for years, and then, all of a sudden, it was gone &mdash at least until you experienced a friend or neighbor's home without perfect temperature control. Then you would think, "How odd!"

Now, building homes with the perfect temperature in every room just makes perfect sense, and especially because it can also reduce heating and cooling cost by up to 40%. I will write about that next month.

August 2007 Builder Architect Edition Issue

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