Muhlenberg College > Student Life > Residential Services > Housing Services > AC Policy Muhlenberg College Air Conditioner Policy Purpose The purpose of this policy is to provide information for the Muhlenberg College community on the requirements for eligibility for air conditioning in student housing, the guidelines for window units and the process for having a unit installed. Policy A request for air conditioning with appropriate documentation must be submitted to Student Health Services (Fax #484-664-3522). All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and documentation of a need for air conditioning does not guarantee that your application will be approved. Also, there is no guarantee that you will be housed in an area equipped with central air. If you select to live in a residence hall without central air, you need to provide your own window unit. Requirements and Process Documentation from the physician providing care is required indicating a need for air conditioning.

The student or the student's physician must provide documentation to the Director of Student Health Services (Fax #484-664-3522). Approvals are determined on a case by case basis by the Director of Student Health Services, and are dependent upon the documentation received relative to the severity of illness and the availability of rooms that are centrally air conditioned or have the capability of supporting a window AC unit. highest rated portable ac unitsThe documentation must include the diagnosis, treatment plan, and any additional information that would support the need for this intervention. replacing filter on ac unitPhysician notes on a prescription such as "Please provide an air conditioner for my patient due to allergies" will not be accepted as documenting the need. ac unit hot fan not running

Priority will be given to those students who have provided documented evidence of exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases including asthma, chronic medical conditions, and those receiving allergy injections on a regular basis. Documentation needs to be up dated each year to maintain eligibility. All request must be received by June 5th for the following academic year. The College uses ADA standards to determine pre-lottery housing. Simply needing air conditioning is not a reason to be housed before the campus body. Residence Halls with Central Air Benfer Hall - 8 person suite styled building, once heat is on AC does not work, suites need to be filled in order to live in this building, houses upper-class students Taylor Hall - double rooms with heat and AC systems that work independently, houses upper-class students Robertson and South Halls - 4 person suite styled building, systems work independently, suites need to be filled in order to live in these buildings, A/C outdoor unit does not work when outdoor air temperature is 47F or lower, houses upper-class students The Village - 4 and 5 person suite styled building, systems work independently, suites need to be filled in order to live in these buildings, houses upper-class students Walz Hall - double rooms

, once heat is on AC does not work on first 3 floors, houses first year students 2201 Chew St - 4 person suite styled building, systems work independently, suites need to be filled in order to live in these buildings, houses upper-class students Prosser Hall Ground Annex. East Hall- double,single and triple rooms with heat and AC systems that work independently. Residence Halls where window units can be installed Brown Hall Martin Luther Hall Window Unit Requirements: No higher than 14" No more than 120 volts No more than 7000 BTUs Must be Energy Star rated (Read the President's Greening Committee Statement regarding this requirement) Need extension cord that is 12-3 wire with a ground for A/C units. The College does not provide extension cords. Installation Information In order to ensure window units are installed correctly, the Plant Operations staff must install them. Once you have been approved by the Health Center, you will receive an email reminding you of what needs to occur.

Requests approved once the school year has started will normally be installed within a 3 business day period.With the hot summer days upon us, air conditioning is a must for New York residents. Though, because air conditioners are only needed three to four months out of the year, they are often are underused, out-of date and in poor condition. Poorly maintained air conditioners, especially commercial and industrial AC units on rooftops, can generate excessive and disturbing noise to residents and local schools. To block out loud AC units noise during these summer days, invest in soundproof windows to protect a peaceful environment in your NYC apartment or townhome this summer.As we all know New York is a vertical city where apartment homes and businesses are within close proximity and are often stacked on top of each other – much to the dismay of residents. In fact, New York City’s 311-complaint line receives, on average, 4,500 complaints about air conditioning and ventilation equipment each year.

The majority of noise complaints come from residents living in Midtown South, North Side, SoHo, Lower Manhattan, and West Village. This does not come as a surprise; New York’s noisiest cities have tall buildings with giant industrial ventilation systems on rooftops and several one-bedroom unit air conditioning systems outside apartment windows that produce incessant noise all summer long.To protect residents’ peace and quiet (not to mention, sanity), New York has a Noise Code in place restricting the decibel level of air conditioners and circulation devices. According to the code, a building’s cumulative noise level from AC units cannot exceed 42 decibels as measured from three feet away from the noise source. For context, a comparison noise level of 42 decibels would be the humming of a dishwasher or the collective sound of light traffic.This decibel level seems very reasonable, but what if your apartment window is three feet from the AC unit? Now that’s an entirely different story.

As a New York resident, I am grateful for this noise code restriction, but I have to admit – it’s loosely imposed and the process of actually implementing enforcement is arduous. Sometimes qualified inspectors from the Department of Environmental Protection have to take multiple readings before they can enforce the Noise Code on a business, and even then the decibel level usually has to be significantly above the Noise Code limit. Even still, what are residents to do if their window is only a few feet from a roaring, loud AC unit that is within the decibel limit?Soundproof windows are the perfect solution for NYC residents who are victim to loud AC units that the DEP cannot (or will not) deem necessary to enforce decibel level restriction. CitiQuiet soundproof windows are proven to block up to 95% of relentless and unwanted noise. The installation process is simple and quick, as it requires no construction or alterations to the existing windows. Our soundproof windows are installed into the interior opening of the windowsill, a few inches away from the existing window.