Trivia:

What is the maximum height that a thermostat can be mounted in a commercial occupancy?

Is this addressed anywhere?

54" ?

Yes, it is addressed. Atleast it is now.

Roger

Hint: Chapter 11 of the International building code states that "buildings and structures,temporary or permanant, including their sites and facilities, shall be accessible to persons with disibilities"...

Section 1108.13: "controls, operating mechanisms and hardware intended for operation by the ocupant, including switches that control lighting and ventilation, and electrical convienance outlets...shall be accessible"

What does accessible mean?

Ryan try this thread; https://www.electrical-contractor.net/ubb/Forum1/HTML/003261.html

Roger

Roger: Good find

A number of people in that thread mentioned raising outlets to around 4' for child safety. How about the new "hanging hazard" created by having cords plugged in and running down to toddler level. A cheap lamp cord would probably pull right out of the receptacle but a heavier, three prong one may not. A heavier duty rubber cord could grip quite well if the young'un spun it around his/her neck. The hazard created by having uncut window blinds in a home with children is well known!

I think I just spun off on a tangent.

I have found if they are accessible, they want me to install a lock-box over them, then they loose the keys, then no one can access them..........

In a commercial occupancy, I think there would be a real question about if the thermostats are intended for use of the occupants or are limited to authorized maintenance personel. Out of reach could be part of an energy management policy.

Big Jim: You make an excellent point regarding maintanance personnel. The only concern I have is...does this mean you won't employ an individual on the basis the he/she is disabled? Also, what about temporary disabilities?

It's easy to fall into a trap with accessibility provisions.

I was taught that the standard practice was to mount the center of the T-stat at 60", on an interior wall.
I am not aware of any code requirement; I try to locate them where they will accurately reflect the temp. where the people are; in one school, T-state were mounted down, closer to the seated level of the occupants.

That is correct. A T stat is a temperature sensing device that needs to be mounted at a height that will reflect the average temperature of the room which is usually 60".

ADA requirements may keep it to 54" if it can be side reached, or if forward reach is the only way to approach with wheel chair 48" max.

The fact that 60" is a good height for temp sensing makes no difference to the ADA requirements.

Trane makes a nice remote sensor for use in this kind of situation.

A conventional looking thermostat that can be placed anywhere you want and install the remote sensor where it will work the best.

A little off the subject, I have heard from A/C people that they actually install dummy T stats in some office spaces so people will think they are controlling their immediate areas.

They claim this placebo really works.

Roger

Roger I believe the Placebo works.

Around here Johnson Controls handles most of the buildings we do.

The popular thermostat that is used has a slide control with no numbers just blue to red colors like the control on a car heater.

99% of the time all the way from "cold" to "hot" only results in 1 or 2 degrees of change.

The other 1% are in the VIP offices and the control will be programed with a larger temperature differential.

Ryan_J: there are allowances in ADA for job requirements. When I started in my building as an equipment Mechanic, one of the "legitmate" requirements was the ability to work in confined spaces and from ladders and lifts. A significant degree of physical dexterity is really necessary. Most of the jobs in the production side have physical requirements - wheelchairs don't work and the plant can not practically be modified. We do, however, have a large contigent of hearing impaired. It is feasable to modify alarms and warnings to accomodate their handicap. On the other hand, my brother-in-law was a network administrator. For the last years of his life, he was in a wheelchair and the only thing he could move was his head. Technology could accomodate him in his job. Although it is pretty rigid, ADA can't be 100 % every time

Roger,Bob,
We've installed a lot of these fake t/stats in places where we have Commercial Air Con equipment and I must agree with you Bob, it really does work!.
Most of the time, these are installed because we are sick and tired of going to reset the roof-mounted units that have gone out on O/Load because the things have been cranked up to a Million degrees (or minus a Million) and all the windows are open too!.
Oh and by the way, we tell them to keep the darned windows shut, too!.