Heating
Tang Hall is centrally heated during the winter. Local thermostats are located in each room and living room, which control the amount of heat supplied to each room when the overall heating system is active. (The thermostat has no effect when the heating system is off.) MIT Housing and the Tang Hall House Operations Manager decide when to turn on and off the overall heating system for the season. Once the heat is turned on or off in the fall or spring, it remains that way until the next transition season.
Air conditioners should be removed in the winter and the AC slot winterized to protect the building from damage and help the building retain heat. File an Atlas request to uninstall air conditioners.
Massachusetts Winter Heating Code
Massachusetts winter heating regulations require temperatures of at least 64 degrees F at night and 68 degrees F during the day from September 15 to June 15. Temperatures should not exceed 78 degrees F. Residents should call Housing Operations or file a work request if indoor temperatures persist outside this range.
Supplemental Heating
Supplemental heating units (space heaters) may be requested from Housing if low temperatures (see heating code) persist in your unit. Before distributing space heaters, Housing will take a temperature measurement with the heat on full to confirm that supplemental heating is needed. Residents are only to use space heaters provided by MIT Housing, as per the MIT Fire and Life Policies.
A note about when heating is turned on:
Extreme temperature fluctuations during the New England shoulder seasons, in early fall and late spring, make it especially difficult to satisfy the preferred temperature settings of all residents. Based on the specific heating system in each building, Housing works to balance the external temperatures with the ambient temperature of the heating system, to try to avoid over- or under- heating the building.
If you experience any issues with the temperature of your room or living space after the activation date, please let us know. As a reminder, all non-urgent maintenance requests may be reported as a repair request online through the Atlas website and instructions are located on the back of your apartment door. Please include as much detail as possible regarding the issue you are experiencing. At any time, if you’re experiencing an urgent heating or maintenance request, including during evenings, weekends, and holidays, please contact HRS Operations (“Unit-12”) at (617) 253-1500.
Cooling
There is no central air conditioning in Tang, and the apartments can get fairly humid and warm quickly, especially on the south side. However, air conditioner slots are available for an air conditioning unit. You can purchase an air conditioner online, from a retail store, or purchase a used one from leaving residents. The air conditioner slots can fit air conditioners of maximum dimensions 27″x16″. After you buy an air conditioner, you can raise a service request to install an air conditioner in your apartment.
You can check the MIT floorplans (with kerberos login) at floorplans.mit.edu to estimate the size of the space you wish to cool, and choose an appropriate BTU rating.