Penn students living in on-campus residential buildings have reported discomfort from high temperatures since the university switched central temperature control systems from air conditioning to heating last month.

The Quadrangle, high-rise buildings and Gutmann College House switched entirely to heating on October 22. As the unusually hot weather continued into November, with temperatures sometimes topping 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with students who said switching to heating had made their dorms too hot and uncomfortable to live.

Executive Director of Operations and Maintenance Faramarz Vakili wrote in a statement to the DP that at any time in the dormitories, “fan coils, which are the heating/cooling units in each room, can be connected either iced water for cooling or hot water for heating.”

“Each season, the process of transitioning from cooling to heating (or vice versa) takes several days for university houses,” Vakili wrote. “The decision to switch modes is based on temperature forecasts and historical data, but there may be unexpected fluctuations in temperature during shoulder seasons.”

He added that students can turn off their fans when temperatures are high or submit a work ticket if the room remains unusually warm.

Wharton freshman Carys Martinez, who lives in the Quad, said the heat in her dorm impacts her mood throughout the day, especially when she wakes up in a sweat or returns to her room after a long day.

“I have to walk up four flights of stairs because I’m in McKean, and McKean doesn’t have an elevator,” Martinez said. “I want to be greeted by a breeze, but it’s just heat and my fan.”

Martinez noted that she was grateful to have brought a fan with her to Penn, unlike some of her friends who do not have fans or windows that open properly to cool their living spaces.

College sophomore Katherine Chacon said the heat prevented her from being as productive in Harnwell’s downstairs lounges, where she studies the majority of the time. She added that the heat also affected the quality of her sleep.

“I’m someone who needs my room to be cold to sleep in,” Chacon said. “If it’s too hot, my nose gets stuffy and I just can’t breathe.”

Chacon said she tried leaving her windows open as a solution. However, the trade-off was the disruptive sounds of traffic and passing cars, which one day prompted her to wake up at 5 a.m. to close her windows.

College sophomore Henry Li, who lives at College House at the Radian, remembers going to the rooftop lounge at Rodin College House to study and having to leave within ten minutes due to the heat.

“I can’t imagine having to live in this,” Li said.

Switching from air conditioning to heating did not directly affect Li, as Radian residents can adjust their room thermostat. However, he noted that the change impacted many of his friends living in the high-rises, driving them to the library or to other students’ rooms “to avoid the heat.”

Despite student discontent, Martinez said she understands why the University has not indicated it will turn the air conditioning back on. She noted that due to large temperature fluctuations over the past few weeks, residential services would have to switch between air conditioning and heating every few days.

Students previously expressed concerns on high temperatures in dormitories in fall 2021, after the University switched to heating systems in mid-October.