Why are some houses always uncomfortable and freezing even when the heater is on?
Human thermal comfort describes the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the surrounding environment and refers to several conditions in which the majority of people feel comfortable.
Thermal comfort is affected by a range of factors such as convection, conduction, radiation, and evaporative heat loss, so even if a heater is on, cold air coming from the window or through cracks in the insulation, will leave an uncomfortable sensation.
An unpleasant sensation of being too hot or too cold (thermal discomfort) can distract people from their activities and disturb their well being. This may reduce the ability to concentrate and decrease motivation to work.
When it comes to comfort, the perception of temperature is more important than the temperature itself.
For a person to feel comfortable, the difference of temperature between the head and the feet should not exceed 2.5 degrees.
This demonstrates the importance of floor insulation and this explains why we usually
feel more comfortable standing barefoot on carpet than on tiles, or why we still feel cold when the split system is running (hot air blowing at us, but the surfaces in the room are cold).
The building envelope (insulation) needs to be treated as a delicate continuous shell. Each small gap and leakage will impair the energy efficiency and the well being of the occupants.
It is essential to consider the end product in order to determine how energy efficient a building really is.
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