Heat on full blast?

BostonB

Why do the trains, dart, arrow etc all have the heat on full blast. Everyone on them has coats and scarfs for standing on the freezing platforms, then its like a sauna on the train.

Jamie2k9

You can't win weathers its hot or cold, you should see the level of complatins they get for no heat and when its on people are still complaining...just what do you want them to do. Why can't you take your jacket/scarf off when on the train as when you get off you will actualy feel the benefit of them.

BostonB

Install a thermostat? I assume it can have be somewhere between sauna and completely off.

Normally there's barely enough room to stand never mind take your coat off.

bikeman1

Personally I love getting on a nice toasty warm train in the morning!

The odd time I get the bus in to work, its like being in an ice box.

loyatemu

its a lot worse when the heating is off/not working on a carriage - several times this winter I've traveled on unheated carriages with my nose feeling like its going to fall off.

having said that, the underseat heaters on the original DART units are a bit intense, like sitting on a stove.

Cookie_Monster

open the windows, always gets a few good looks from people too

BostonB

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

open the windows, always gets a few good looks from people too

It would be unusual for there to be enough space to get beyond the doors. Never mind the windows.

Obviously its just me, with a problem adjusting between the Siberian platform and the Turkish bath on the train.

Captain Chaos

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

open the windows, always gets a few good looks from people too

Try opening the windows on an 8520 DART.

Sugarlumps

Just another way to torture the paying customer.

MDFM

some of us have a 2 hour rail commute every morning from 6am so hence we do appreciate the heat being on for that length of time as opposed to sitting there in the cold for those 2 hours! If you're too hot, wear less clothing!!
Flip side is, if there was no heat on, no doubt you'd complain about that too!!!
Alternatively, you could move to another carriage - as the carriages are all individually heated you will prob find one that has no heat on or the heat isn't functioning properly.

BostonB

MDFM wrote: »

...as opposed to sitting there in the cold for those 2

.....if there was no heat on, no doubt you'd complain about that too!!!...

No need to doubt. You just did. I'm lucky to get standing room on a train. Must be some parallel universe where you get to choose a carriage based on temperature no less.

Is there some reason ye think heating can only be on or off. With nothing in between ???? I would assume that once sauna levels of steam have been reached, that full heat isn't required to maintain that sun like level of atmosphere, for the rest of the journey. Presumably yecan recreate the Titanic Carriage scene at will, at less than inferno setting on the heater.

I suppose we could hire a man servant to carry a mankini for on the train, and a polar exploration suit for the tundra like platform. Sorted.

MDFM

BostonB wrote: »

No need to doubt. You just did. I'm lucky to get standing room on a train. Must be some parallel universe where you get to choose a carriage based on temperature no less.

Is there some reason ye think heating can only be on or off. With nothing in between ???? I would assume that once sauna levels of steam have been reached, that full heat isn't required to maintain that sun like level of atmosphere, for the rest of the journey. Presumably yecan recreate the Titanic Carriage scene at will, at less than inferno setting on the heater.

I suppose we could hire a man servant to carry a mankini for on the train, and a polar exploration suit for the tundra like platform. Sorted.

I dont know what train u get..however...my train..if there's no heat in the carriage i get on, i move, there is ultimately heat in another carriage..and vice versa..if its too hot, i move, too cold, i also move..there's nothing parallel about it, just initiative really as there's no point in complaining.

BostonB

You seem to be missing the point. At peak the train is hot primarily because its packed with people. Barely space to stand. You can't simply stroll at leisure through the carriages. Because there's so many people you don't need the heat on. At least not all the time.

MDFM

well thats where we differ..My train, at peak times (arriving in Connolly 7.35am), while full, isn't crammed to capacity and there is room to move about.

BostonB

Basically. Get up earlier.

steamengine

Funny as it sounds, air conditioning might be required during winter months as well as heating. A carriage packed with, for arguments sake, 50 people means you have the equivalent of 50 radiators at 37 deg. C augmenting the heating system. The required comfortable temperature is 21 deg. C so a thermostatically controlled heating system might not be sufficient to reduce the temperature unless it can switch to air-conditioning mode and cool the air. It would be interesting if someone could obtain some temperature readings to see exactly the maxand min and see how the temps vary and how far they are off 21 deg C for their particular journey.

omicron

steamengine wrote: »

Funny as it sounds, air conditioning might be required during winter months as well as heating. A carriage packed with, for arguments sake, 50 people means you have the equivalent of 50 radiators at 37 deg. C augmenting the heating system. The required comfortable temperature is 21 deg. C so a thermostatically controlled heating system might not be sufficient to reduce the temperature unless it can switch to air-conditioning mode and cool the air. It would be interesting if someone could obtain some temperature readings to see exactly the maxand min and see how the temps vary and how far they are off 21 deg C for their particular journey.

Air conditioning when the temperature outside is 5 degrees? Ever hear of opening a window?! :rolleyes:

LoonyLovegood

omicron wrote: »

Air conditioning when the temperature outside is 5 degrees? Ever hear of opening a window?! :rolleyes:

Windows don't open on the ICR. Discovered that the hard way on Monday, full train, everyone was boiling.

loyatemu

the Dart stops every 2 minutes and all the doors open. Given that it runs along the coast where its generally windy, the heating effect of having a lot of people on board is minimal - I've sat on a packed Dart with the heating off and have felt like my nose was going to fall off.

On commuter trains with fewer stops it might not be the same.

BostonB

omicron wrote: »

Air conditioning when the temperature outside is 5 degrees? Ever hear of opening a window?! :rolleyes:

In the car the AC works vastly better than opening a window to keep the windows clear. I assume the same would apply on a train. Ditto controlling temperature.

Sugarlumps

loyatemu wrote: »

the Dart stops every 2 minutes and all the doors open. Given that it runs along the coast where its generally windy, the heating effect of having a lot of people on board is minimal - I've sat on a packed Dart with the heating off and have felt like my nose was going to fall off.

On commuter trains with fewer stops it might not be the same.

I travel from Bray on the dart and feel the polar opposite, so unless you’re wearing hot pants into work with a Wham t-shirt...man up. Thankfully tis my last week on the darts so everyone can freeze or burn for all I care.

steamengine

omicron wrote: »

Air conditioning when the temperature outside is 5 degrees? Ever hear of opening a window?! :rolleyes:

Fair enough on the older Darts which have opening windows. On the latest 8520 class Dart there is no such facility as they are fully air conditioned. That being the case, when the temperature rises beyond the accepted set point of 21 deg C (or thereabouts) do these units then automatically switch over to cooling the air ? If so anyone standing directly below one of these roof mounted units and the diffuser/vents should be able to detect the cool air. That's my understanding of how these units operate, same as elsewhere in commercial buildings etc.