Editing Room temperature (section)

==Comfort temperatures==
{{main|Thermal comfort}}
Comfort temperature is interchangeable with neutral temperature in the scientific literature, which can be calculated through regression analysis between thermal sensation votes and indoor temperature. The neutral temperature is the solution of the resulting regression model by setting the thermal sensation vote as zero. ''[[The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language]]'' identifies room temperature as around {{cvt|20-22|C|F K}},<ref>{{cite book|title=The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|edition=5th|date=2014|url=https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=room+temperature|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108000657/https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=room+temperature|archive-date=2015-01-08}}</ref> while the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' states that it is "conventionally taken as about {{cvt|20|C|F K}}".<ref>Oxford English Dictionary, Third Edition, November 2010), sub-entry at ''room''.</ref>

Ideal room temperature varies vastly depending on the surrounding climate. Studies from [[Indonesia]] have shown that the range of comfortable temperature is {{convert|24|-|29|C|0}} for local residents.<ref name="IndonesiaTemperature">{{cite journal |last1=Karyono |first1=Tri Harso |title=Predicting Comfort Temperature in Indonesia, an Initial Step to Reduce Cooling Energy Consumption |journal=Buildings |publisher=School of Architecture, Tanri Abeng University, Jalan Swadarma Raya No 58, Pesanggarahan, Jakarta 12250, Indonesia |date=21 July 2015 |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=802–813 |doi=10.3390/buildings5030802 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Studies from [[Nigeria]] show a comfortable temperature range of {{convert|26|-|28|C|0}}, comfortably cool {{convert|24|-|26|C|0}} and comfortably warm {{convert|28|-|30|C|0}}.<ref name="Analysis of thermal comfort in Lagos, Nigeria">{{cite journal|last1=Komolafe|first1=L. Kayode|last2=Akingbade|first2=Folorunso O. A.|year=2003|title=Analysis of thermal comfort in Lagos, Nigeria|url=https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjes/article/view/2407#:~:text=Frequency%20distribution%20of%20air%20temperatures,warm%20between%20280C%20and%20300C.|journal=Global Journal of Environmental Sciences|volume=2|pages=59–65|doi=10.4314/gjes.v2i1.2407|access-date=4 March 2021|doi-access=free}}</ref> A field study conducted in [[Hyderabad, India]] returned a comfort band of {{convert|26|-|32.45|C|0}} with a mean of {{cvt|29.23|C|F|0}}.<ref name="Hyderabad">{{cite journal |last1=Indraganti |first1=Madhavi |date=16 July 2009 |title=Using the adaptive model of thermal comfort for obtaining indoor neutral temperature: Findings from a field study in Hyderabad, India |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132309001760 |journal=Building and Environment |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=519–536 |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2009.07.006 |access-date=10 August 2023 |via=Elsevier Science Direct|url-access=subscription }}</ref> A study conducted in [[Jaipur, India]] among healthy young men showed that the neutral thermal comfort temperature was analyzed to be {{cvt|30.15|C|F|0}}, although a range of {{convert|25.9|-|33.8|C|0}} was found.<ref name="Jaipur">{{cite journal |last1=Dhaka |first1=Shivraj |title=Assessment of thermal environmental conditions and quantification of thermal adaptation in naturally ventilated buildings in composite climate of India |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132313001200 |journal=Building and Environment |publisher=Department of Mechanical Engineering, Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur, India |access-date=10 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220130122252/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132314003965?via%3Dihub |archive-date=30 January 2022 |date=2014-12-13 |volume=66 |pages=42–53 |doi=10.1016/j.buildenv.2013.04.015 |url-status=live|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

People are highly sensitive to even small differences in environmental temperature. At {{cvt|24|C|F|0}}, a difference of {{cvt|0.38|C-change|F-change|2}} can be detected between the temperature of two rooms.<ref name="Battistel Vilardi Zampini Parin 2023 p.">{{cite journal |last1=Battistel |first1=Laura |last2=Vilardi |first2=Andrea |last3=Zampini |first3=Massimiliano |last4=Parin |first4=Riccardo |date=2023 |title=An investigation on humans' sensitivity to environmental temperature |journal=Scientific Reports |volume=13 |issue=1 |page= 21353|doi=10.1038/s41598-023-47880-5 |issn=2045-2322 |pmc=10695924 |pmid=38049468}}</ref> 

Owing to variations in humidity and (likely) clothing, recommendations for summer and winter may vary; a suggested{{by whom|date=October 2024}} typical range for summer is {{cvt|23-25.5|C|F|0}}, with that for winter being {{cvt|20-23.5|C|F|0}}.<ref name="airQuality">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBbHmp2yisEC&q=+ASHRAE++%22recommended+temperatures%22&pg=PA149|pages=149–151|title=Managing Indoor Air Quality|publisher=Fairmont Press|year=2011|first1=H. E.|last1=Burroughs|first2=Shirley|last2=Hansen|access-date=25 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920182354/http://books.google.com/books?id=KBbHmp2yisEC&lpg=PA149&ots=yTqUP4xIOx&dq=%2BASHRAE%20%2B%22recommended%20temperatures%22&pg=PA149#v=onepage&q=+ASHRAE%20+%22recommended%20temperatures%22&f=false|archive-date=20 September 2014|isbn=9780881736618}}</ref> Some studies have suggested that thermal comfort preferences of men and women may differ significantly, with women on average preferring higher ambient temperatures.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Beshir|first1=MY|last2=Ramsey|first2=JD |date=March 1981|title=Comparison between male and female subjective estimates of thermal effects and sensations|journal=Applied Ergonomics|volume= 12|issue= 1|pages= 29–33|doi= 10.1016/0003-6870(81)90091-0|pmid=15676395}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Karjalainen |first1=Sami |date=April 2007|title=Gender differences in thermal comfort and use of thermostats in everyday thermal environments|journal=Building and Environment|volume= 42|issue= 4|pages= 1594–1603|doi= 10.1016/j.buildenv.2006.01.009|bibcode=2007BuEnv..42.1594K }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kingma|first1=Boris|last2=van Marken Lichtenbelt |first2=Wouter|date=August 2015|title=Energy consumption in buildings and female thermal demand|journal=Nature Climate Change |volume= 5|issue= 12|pages= 1054–1056|doi= 10.1038/nclimate2741|bibcode=2015NatCC...5.1054K|s2cid=83899840 }}</ref>

In the recent past, it was common for house temperatures to be kept below the comfort level; a 1978 UK study found average indoor home temperatures to be {{cvt|15.8|C|F}} while Japan in 1980 had median home temperatures of {{cvt|13|C|F}} to {{cvt|15|C|F}}.<ref name="Mavrogianni Johnson Ucci Marmot 2021 p.">{{cite journal | last1=Mavrogianni | first1=A. | last2=Johnson | first2=F. | last3=Ucci | first3=M. | last4=Marmot | first4=A. | last5=Wardle | first5=J. | last6=Oreszczyn | first6=T. | last7=Summerfield | first7=A. | title=Historic Variations in Winter Indoor Domestic Temperatures and Potential Implications for Body Weight Gain | journal=Indoor and Built Environment | volume=22 | issue=2 | date=2021-06-02 | pages=360–375 | pmid=26321874 | doi=10.1177/1420326X11425966 | pmc=4456148 }}</ref>

Rooms may be maintained at an ambient temperature above the comfort temperature in hot weather, or below it in cold weather, if required by cost considerations or practical issues (e.g. lack of air conditioning or relatively high expense of heating.)

In the UK, the [[Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963]] provides for a minimum temperature in commercial premises, but not for a maximum temperature.