Heating and Cooling
Heating
The College turns the heat on each year when the outside temperatures drop below 55 degrees on a regular basis. Since it is based on weather, the timing varies from year to year but typically happen in October.
During the NYC heating season (Oct 1 – May 31), the College tries to maintain interior room temperatures in a range of 68-70 degrees.
In buildings with central air conditioning (Sulzberger, Sulzberger Tower, Plimpton, Elliott, and Cathedral Gardens), AC is no longer available when the building is switched to heating mode.
Please follow these helpful hints to help conserve heat:
- Close windows and doors to prevent drafts and heat loss.
- If you are having trouble closing a window or if you feel air entering around a window, please see below for reporting to the Facilities office.
- Keep radiators clear of furniture, bedding, and clothing to allow unrestricted air flow around your radiator. This helps keep warm air circulating and distributes heat throughout the room.
My radiator isn't warm, how do I turn it on?
The radiators are not warm all the time. The radiators cycle on and off throughout the day. If your radiator is never hot after heat is turned on to the rest of the building, please contact the Facilities office (see below).
In buildings with central heating & cooling (i.e. Sulzberger, Sulz Tower, Elliott, Plimpton, and Cathedral Gardens), students have a dial on their unit to turn a fan on to circulate heat. Please note that as with traditional radiators (see above), the air blown by the unit may not be hot at all times.
Problems with your heat?
If your room feels cold or a radiator appears not to be working properly, please submit a Work Order online and/or contact the Facilities Office at 212-854-2041 (8am-5pm). After 5pm and on weekends, please call 212-854-3362 (CARES) to report heating issues A Facilities mechanic will be dispatched to check and address the problem(s).
If you live at 601 W 110th St and your room feels cold or a radiator appears not to be working properly, please contact the 110th St Front Desk or dial 0 on your intercom (facilities concerns are handled by 110th St personnel).
Cooling
The following residence halls have individual room air-conditioners, available year-round:
- 121st Street
- 600 W 116th Street
- 616 W 116th Street
The following residence halls have a central air-conditioning system:
- Sulzberger
- Sulzberger Tower
- Elliott
- Plimpton
- Cathedral Gardens
Central air-conditioning in the buildings listed above is typically available between late May/early June and late September. Once the buildings' systems are switched to heat in October, air-conditioning is not available until the end of the heat season (see above).
Students may not install window or portable ACs in any residence hall. Students who need a placement in a residence hall with air-conditioning because of a disability or medical condition should submit Housing Accommodation Request through the Disability Services office.
Students may use fans in all residence halls; however, no fans or other items should be placed on windows sills where they may fall out of open windows and injure people below.