Citation

Hunt DRG, Gidman MI. Build. Environ. 1982; 17(2): 107-124.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1982, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0360-1323(82)90048-8

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Information about temperatures in houses is of importance in assesing the value of various energy conservation measures and gives an indication of the standards of thermal comfort enjoyed by the occupants. In the present paper results are discussed of the most extensive survey of domestic dwelling temperatures to have been taken in the U.K. During February and March 1978, when the outside temperature was close to the average for the heating season, spot measurements of the wet- and dry-bulb temperatures were made in each room of 1000 homes nationwide. On the same occasion, an interview was conducted with an adult member of the household to obtain information on thermal comfort conditions and heating patterns. The globe temperature was measured in the room where the interview took place (usually the living-room). Interviews were conducted both during the daytime and in evenings, and at weekends as well as on weekdays. The mean of the living-room temperatures recorded was 18.3[deg]C, mean kitchen temperature 16.7[deg]C and mean temperature of the warmest bedroom 15.2[deg]C. The average dwelling temperature was 15.8[deg]C. The major sources of variance in temperature were the type and operation of the heating system, the dwelling age, household income, the time of day and geographical location. Household composition was a minor factor. The living-room temperature was relatively insensitive to the above-mentioned factors and had the appearance of being held at a level more or less independent of that in the rest of the dwelling. Centrally-heated houses ran 3[deg]C warmer on average than non-centrally-heated houses. However, the difference in mean temperatures in the living-rooms between the two categories was only 1.5[deg]C dry-bulb and 0.9[deg]C globe temperature. Although strong correlations between a number of the explanatory variables, such as dwelling age and heating system type, means that a deeper analysis is required before a firm causal model can be proposed, the results provide an important new basis for assessing energy conservation options in domestic space heating.