Why are they cold?

So I've had to replace power strips 2 days in a row at work, as they've burned out. Looking around at the daisy-chained power strips (always a smart setup), I discovered that the 4 affected cubicles had a total of 3 space heaters running in them. I'm certain that's the problem.

What I don't get, however, is why they're on at all.

I wear shorts every day to work. It's 96 degrees outside. It's summer. Our office is exactly 74 degrees all day long. I've never been cold here, either in summer or in winter.

Here are the things I've found that these workers have in common.

1) they are all women
2) they are all overweight
3) they all are wearing long pants (which would provide them with extra heat)

I have a couple of theories I'm working on about this phenomenom. Does anyone know if women get cold more easily? It could be, for instance, that they have a womb they have to keep warm that I don't, which is drawing additional heat to their core.

Another idea, if it's not a gender-issue, is that sitting all day coupled with a lack of exercise (as demostrated by their weight) has resulted with poor circulation. This, in turn, affects the extremities, so they must run space heaters year round.

Finally, it occured to me that in Post-World War II America, for the first time in history, it's become not "OK" to be slightly cold. In all previous human history, being slightly cold, if it did not affect your chances of survival, wasn't a big issue; perhaps now it's a huge deal. I bring this up because when I indicated that running 3 space heaters wasn't a good idea from a safety as well as electrical standpoint, I was met with indignation. They will NOT turn off their heaters.

Anyone have any ideas to back any of these theories, or another? It seems weird to me to need a heater running when it's 74 degrees.

Thanks!

Taco

By any chance, could you see these women's reflections in the mirror?

Hey taco...

Been there done that....seen the same kinds of stuff myself. Interestingly enough, I can add that it's not necessarily just heavy women. I have seen some at sub 100lbs. with similar attachment to running a space heater in their cube. probably lack of body fat for that group.

Interestingly enough, if this is an office space, you can always call the fire marshall in. It is against fire code to plug a surge protector into another as well as Space heaters are often not allowed within most building management companies due to insane draw and potential surges back into the circuit.

On an aside, a surge protector won't protect equipment that's plugged into the same power strip as the space heater. A surge protector protects from the outlet only, but nothing on the power bus. If you have an appliance that spikes into the surge protector then it can potentially damage anything else plugged into that power strip. Only protection is on the tail that plugs into the wall.

Thyroid problems?

-Ghoti

I don't know about women getting colder easily (especially if they've got extra padding, as you say) -- I know skinny people get colder easily ...

That said, I'm a wimp, and while I'm not overweight, 74 degrees all day is just below my level of comfort (although if I were wearing jeans and an appropriately warm shirt it wouldn't be a problem at all).

i think it's the sitting all day. i'm always hot, but once i've been sitting at my desk for 3+ hours at a time, i start to get chilly. i'm guessing that the more obese you are, the poorer your circulation is (no idea if that's really the case).

i wouldn't bother them about the space heaters. i've tried at previous jobs, and it seems to make the old bats even nuttier!

On average, women have a better tolerance to low temperatures than men. It's a factor of... erm, increased internal insulation.

But... if you're going from 96 degrees to 74 degrees, that's a relative temperature drop of 22 degrees. That makes it seem colder than it is. And (in general, on average) if a woman is feeling cold, she's less likely than a man to suffer in stoic silence and more likely to do something about it.

One more thing: check where the AC vents are pointing. Just because it's 74 at the thermostat doesn't mean it's 74 where that arctic blast is pointing. I've been in situations where I'm coding away in perfect comfort while a coworker five feet away is shivering, because the microclimate in her cubicle was vastly different than mine.

This, I think is the problem. On my hourly ADD sparked walk for no reason around the office, I found a total of 6 heaters on, and 4 fans. Different cokes for different yolks, i guess.

Sitting all day long promotes blood clots, so perhaps they have circulation problems.

How many amps do their space heaters use? I imagine it must be around ten (*the average house circuit has 20w, sometimes 15, so 10 is a huge draw). Trying to run 3 on one circuit would explain why things keep dying.

Here's the way to talk to the boss aobut it:

Charge per KwH: 10c (or whatever yours is, just change the formula)
Kilowatt Hours per space heater: 10 amps * 120 volts= 1200 watts= 1.2 KwH

1.2kwH * 8hrs * 3 space heaters total * $.10 = $2.88/day.

That's without any kind of service charges or taxes or day rates or any other special things your power company decides to add. So, let's call it $3.00 since it's easier to deal with.

$3.00/day * 20 days a month= $60/month it's costing to run those 3 stupid space heaters.

$60 * 12 months= $720 a year. "Now," you'll say, "Imagine what happens if MORE employees want to use space heaters. Not only will the fire danger go up and the business be endangered, but you'll be spending more than $1000 a year on space heaters!"

Cost of blanket= $10. Buy them blankets. 3 blankets ==1/24 cost of space heaters for a year.



*Oh... SIX Space heaters?! Yeah, you can just double up my calculations. They are running that company into the ground!-- I'd make a great Scrooge.

** If they are really intent on losing that much money, your boss could buy them all gym memberships at a discounted group rate instead of them having heaters. It would be preferable if he suggested that to their faces

Brilliant!

I run my fan all day at work. Not usually because I'm warm, but because:
1. drowns out noise - my coworkers are LOUD
2. air circulation - office air is stuffy

I think some people are just warmer or cooler than others. And usually overweight people are warmer, not cooler I thought.

My office flat out doesn't allow space heaters. Fire hazards and electricity spikes. I vote give them some warm socks and a sweater

Bring in some juice sucking appliances of your own, and when you're questioned about it, simply tell them that you need them to be comfortable!

Seriously though, I have been through this too. It seems to affect over and underweight folks. Folks who fall in the middle don't seem to get cold so easily, so perhaps at least part of it can be explained medically.

I had a roomie for a while who had to have a space heater at her feet. She played EQ 14 hours a day while chain smoking. Don't cigs dilate the blood vessels? Perhaps that was part of it with her. Do these gals you work with smoke? I know that when I used to occasionally smoke, back in my college days, one of the effects I would get was feeling cold, especially in my extremities.

All in all, I really frown on space heaters. I have an extensive electrical background, so I know quite well the dangers and consumption issues.

The fact that I lost my father in a fire caused by overloading of an electrical circuit back in '89, doesn't exactly help.

Don't even get me started on going to my mom's or grandma's house in the wintertime here in Minnesota... talk about a blast furnace...

I feel your pain Taco.

We have a tech office at one site that is on the same breaker as a lady's office next door. We're usually uploading/downloading/imaging etc. in that office. She's doing paperwork. She can't control her thermostat and it's a brisk 98 degrees outside so she brings a space heater & plugs it in alongside the equipment rack for the building.

Last summer the breakers started to blow. About once a month, then a week, then every day around noon. Maintenance would come out, scratch heads, scratch asses, shrug & leave. We suggested a certified electrician but no one wanted to foot the bill for it. Finally power died for good. Upon inspection, the wiring inside her wall had shorted and burned completely through.

Sure am glad we used cinder block for the construction.

Other than that I too run into the odd female (so far always a female) of varying physiques that runs their heater year-round. Always a desk job too. I suppose it must be a combination of health/activity.

They need to move their hams once in a while. Blood clots.