Standard Temperature For Your Theater

[cpf]

Of course one of the most important items in a theatre HVAC system is the thermostat placed in a highly visible location that ushers can adjust. It shouldn't be connected to anything other than maybe to DC power to make it light up, but it's amazing how patrons often feel better simply because they saw someone go adjust the thermostat after they mentioned that they were too hot or too cold.

I stumbled across one of these in an older building It was just one of those programmable household ones, tacked onto the wall with 1 screw, powered by a 9V battery. Stuck out like a sore thumb, though, since all the other thermostats were a different model and about 20 years older. I'm still sure it worked like a charm!

 

[NickVon]

We have a 300 seat theatre venue with a high arch vaulted ceiling, formerly a church. Keep the house between 70-72 in the winter and between 67-70 in the summer time. the HVAC system runs nearly 24/7 in the old leaky stone building, but its a powerful system that can keep it at temp for everything except for extended load-ins.

 

[tjrobb]

Very, VERY true. I once worked as a house technician/building manager at a local community theatre and our HVAC was managed by a PC. It displayed air circulation graphics, air filter status, everything. One time during a rehearsal, the cast complained that it was too cold in the downstairs dressing room. So, I go up to the office and log on to the HVAC program and bump that room up two degrees. Minutes later, they are frantically calling me, telling me that the mirrors are fogging up and that the new temperature was way too hot. There is definitely a careful balance to be maintained.

We have one of those systems (I'm in the maintenance dept. and LOVE it, makes my life so much easier). An Andover Continuum, to be specific. In any event, when the space is "occupied" (according to the days and times we set) it stays around 69° year-round. Unoccupied it runs between 65 and 75 (would be 63/80 but the organ goes wonky). With the Andover system, we can tell the thermostats how much variance the setpoint can have, so the auditorium temperature can only be set between 68.5° and 69.5° without accessing the server. This comes in handy as the 'stat is in a patron-accessible area. Oh, and we have 5 temperature sensors in the auditorium and the PC takes the room temperature as the average of the 5, makes the space much more comfortable.

Our stage is set to 70° cooling, and 55° heating. The heat is low as the *** that designed the system put the supply ducts at 25', and the return air AT THE GRID - 55' in the air. It is physically impossible to heat the stage with the stage unit, fortunately the house unit does a good job of keeping the area warm enough. -sigh- A space should not be this screwy one year after a remodel. Still, before the remodel the stage didn't have any dedicated A/C so I'll take this new unit any day.

 

[Blacksheep0317]

An informal poll: What temp does the thermostat at your venue get set at?

I'm managing a 400 seat fly house at a high school and we constantly have patrons complaining about how cold it is in the theater. I've asked the school district over and over to set the temp higher. The latest response I received was that the temp can't be raised above 67 deg for fear of setting up a feedback loop between the heating and the A/C. WTF?

Eh..
Its something that technically can be an issue. Doing a majorty of my work outdoors or in club settings where temp differences of 30-40F arent uncommon you can have some issues in a low headroom monitor situation. It all has to do with how sound waves travel in hot and cold air, as well as humidity levals and all sorts of fun stuff. Personally...I find it all as overly scientific scapegoats to user error.

But as to temps, unfortunatly I have no control over weather so all my outdoor shows range from a Buffalo -5F and snow to a Orlando 95F with 90% humidity. Indoors it all depends on venue and show type. Having a girlfriend who owns a dance studio and runs a company, hee riders always state 73F stage temp atleast 2 hours previous to arrival to warm the stage itself. For concerts that are "never" oversold...most venues will shoot to keep the temp about 20-30F less than their target. Lots of people dancing in a confined space = lots of energy. Lots of energy = lots of cheap heat.

 

[techieman33]

we are entirely at the mercy of the city to set our temps. Sometimes we get what we want and other times we are forgotten and there is very little heat in the winter, or cooling in the summer.

As for the feedback loop the op was talking about it wasn't a sound related feedback. With some heating and cooling systems if the conditions are right they can actually start competing against each other, cooling kick in and drops the temp a degree or two, heating system sees it and bumps it up a couple, and back and forth they go running full tilt to try and keep the correct temps.

 

[chausman]

With some heating and cooling systems if the conditions are right they can actually start competing against each other, cooling kick in and drops the temp a degree or two, heating system sees it and bumps it up a couple, and back and forth they go running full tilt to try and keep the correct temps.

This happened at local theater. They were getting new heaters, but it took several days to get them installed, so if you were under one vent, it was burning hot, and if you stand under a different one, (even in the same room) you would get FREEZING cold air.

 

[CSCTech]

Our venue is in a high school, so we are at the mercy of the districts HVAC computer.
Similar to techieman33 said, it's either freezing or way too hot. Thankfully there is an AC on/off override in the house if needed, but I have no idea how it works really. One time we had to have an early intermission because of the heat, the school was having problems with the AC at the time so luckily that was just a one time thing.

As for temp, we have no control as far as setting a specific one. But most of the time its cold, which in my opinion is better then too hot.

Guess it doesn't help when our stage is, an air return. Don't ask me
(Take the cover off one of our stage front speakers and whoosh cold air)

 

[tjrobb]

Yeah, we have the over-heated issue with our system (see my earlier post). With the supply air in the house at balcony level the patrons (and sound gurus) get blasted with 100° air, sometimes warmer (as it's trying to heat the space). Gets nice and toasty - I saw our sound gent sit down and start sweating within 5 minutes, with no physical activity. Ugh.

 

[Dondaley]

Of course one of the most important items in a theatre HVAC system is the thermostat placed in a highly visible location that ushers can adjust. It shouldn't be connected to anything other than maybe to DC power to make it light up, but it's amazing how patrons often feel better simply because they saw someone go adjust the thermostat after they mentioned that they were too hot or too cold.

I believe I read somewhere a couple years ago about companies doing the same thing in offices, and I believe I read that some of them even went so far as to add some audio effects into the dummy thermostats to make workers believe that they were actually adjusting the temperature of their office.

 

[cirvin]

An informal poll: What temp does the thermostat at your venue get set at?

I'm managing a 400 seat fly house at a high school and we constantly have patrons complaining about how cold it is in the theater. I've asked the school district over and over to set the temp higher. The latest response I received was that the temp can't be raised above 67 deg for fear of setting up a feedback loop between the heating and the A/C. WTF?

I have the exact opposite problem. Our theatre is WAY TOO HOT! We are a high school and the distirct refuses to turn off the heater. I've tried to explain that a theatre must remain cool (especially when there is an audience and the stage lights are going). What can I do to convince them?

 

[marmer]

I have the exact opposite problem. Our theatre is WAY TOO HOT! We are a high school and the distirct refuses to turn off the heater. I've tried to explain that a theatre must remain cool (especially when there is an audience and the stage lights are going). What can I do to convince them?

What can you do? Not much. Non-performing arts facility managers generally don't care about temperature complaints. They have to hear it from members of the public, especially influential ones, and it may have to appear in reviews. "_West Side Story_ at Enormous High School is one of the best productions we've ever seen, with near-professional production values, but the Enormous auditorium is always way too hot." If you have a prayer of convincing them on practical reasons, you might be able to use the magic "energy savings" words to convince them that if you are present in the theatre and able to control it, you can respond quickly to possible overheating or overcooling. Also, generally, code requires a certain volume of air exchange to prevent CO2 buildup so you can't simply turn off the system. They need to modulate the temperature. Is the principal on your side?