I’m deeply annoyed today. We just got a workplace-wide email from the CEO’s admin assistant about how some people have mini-fridges in their cube, and as of today they are banned because of power usage.
…said admin assistant (as well as many other people) has a space heater in her office and/or cube.
I’m doubly annoyed, because a space-heater is a real safety issue in our workplace (considering the offices are surrounded by labs full (literally hundreds of gallons) of highly flammable material.
I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth it to make a stink about this, or just resign myself to using the over-crowded, filthy, nasty community fridge in our break-room.
What’s the power usage comparison between a mini-fridge and a space-heater? Assume the heater runs 9 hrs / day, 5 days a week vs. the fridge running 24/7, getting opened maybe 3 times / day.
I don’t know if you’ll win based on comparing power consumption. It’s not like the employees are allocated a certain number of watts per month for their discretionary use. The company is looking to save money on their power bill. One way is to have a large, efficient fridge instead of many small ones scattered around the office. Other policies might be to ban desk lights and enforce computers to be shutdown at night. You can’t say that since the admin is using X watts with the space heater, you should be allowed to use X watts as you see fit.
If the company could come up with a cheap way to keep the admin warm without the space heater, they would ban space heaters. As it is, there are certain people who feel cold all the time and they don’t have many other options.
I feel your pain about the community fridge. Yuk! Those are awful. One thing you could do is buy two large ice packs and a cooler. Keep the cooler under your desk with one ice pack and leave the other one in the community freezer. Then each day swap ice packs. That should keep your cooler pretty cool all the time.
She could wear more appropriate clothing for the region. As in, dress for a northern midwest climate. Put on a sweater, wear pants, etc. I totally get what you and the other posters are saying (It’s the boss’s decree, just live with it.) And you are all probably right. But it pisses me off just because I’m an engineer, and therefore unpleasantly logical.
Rather than pedantically pointing out that fridges use less power than a space heater (which I would be tempted to do right along with you), follow up on her announcement by mentioning to her the conditions in the community fridge.
“Now that private cube-fridges are banned, I’d like to request that you implement some changes to improve the circumstances in the break room by A) adding another refrigerator to provide adequate space to meet the needs of everyone who wants to bring a lunch, and B)implement a weekly cleaning program to improve the conditions of the break room refrigerators so that people will be encouraged to use them.”
It’s a fair request, now that private fridges are off-limits, and if you can deliver it in a diplomatic fashion and follow up on it diligently, you might even see it implemented.
If the space heater used 1.5 kW (a good estimate), then to use the same amount of energy as the fridge (90 watts, daily average), it’d have to run for only 6% as long to use the same amount of power, or 1.44 hours per day, 526 hours per year.
ETA: runner pat’s link says 3-11 kW, but I’m thinking of a small portable 120 volt model (about 1.5 kW max from a 15 amp (1.8 kW) outlet, minus some overhead for continuous operation)
Does this also apply to our mini space heaters? I know they’re power hogs and dangerous given all the flammable chemicals onsite, but they really do help keep you comfortable.
No, they’re not. The compressor runs intermittently, only as needed to keep the interior of the fridge at the desired temperature. As Michael63129 explains, the time-averaged power consumption of a fridge is actually quite modest.
If it’s a real safety issue then it’s not just a corporate pissing match but a matter of OSHA compliance, along with regulations for flammable storage cabinets for those chemicals, sprinkler maintenance, GFI outlets, etc. etc. if the space heaters put your facility in violation, they have to go.
I know some of you are saying “don’t make waves, your employer will find a way to get revenge.” But government bodies look very sternly on retaliatory action.
The difference is that every watt a space heater uses is one less watt that the heating system needs to heat the building. In the winter, your fridge is no different. However, in the summer that fridge will be drawing X watts to run and it will cost the air conditioning Z watts more to cool. That is a simplification, but the point is accurate. A fridge will be a much bigger energy hog over the course of a year than a space heater.
I do that sometimes at my chilly work, but it looks really unprofessional when I’m in a suit’n’tie office with a knit beanie, fingerless gloves and heavy sweater. Some people are cold blooded enough that they cannot dress in a manner suitable for the workplace while also maintaining a comfortable temperature.
Fridge vs heaters: heaters are turned off at the end of the work day.
Fridge vs AC: Fridges generate a lot of heat because of the way they work. Try to feel around the back or bottom of the fridge for the amount of hot air coming out. Because of this extra heat, the AC has to work harder. The more fridges, the more the AC has to work.
Fridge vs People: How many people use a fridge? I’m sure if you have a fridge in the break room, maybe the entire floor shares it. A fridge for a single person is a waste of energy, considering they probably have 1 sandwich and a drink in it at most.
