Bus Heating in Summer
 

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?

Bus Heating in Summer
 

On Aug 7, 6:33�pm, MIG wrote:
A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. �Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?

Exactly the same with the buses I use most regularly: 28, 295 and 211.

I had just assumed it was the sadistic attitude of the drivers
concerned, but perhaps there is another reason!

Marc.

Bus Heating in Summer
 

Bus Heating in Summer
 

On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:33:15 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?

The simple - but bizarre - answer is the heater controls are in the
engine at the back and can't be controlled by the driver. They are only
adjustable by engineers and obviously only when the engine is not
scalding hot itself. This is the explanation I've read on another group
recently.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

Bus Heating in Summer
 

Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:33:15 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?

The simple - but bizarre - answer is the heater controls are in the
engine at the back and can't be controlled by the driver. They are
only adjustable by engineers and obviously only when the engine is not
scalding hot itself. This is the explanation I've read on another
group recently.

That's such a bizarre design that I'm not sure I believe it, but there's
still no excuse for not getting the engineers to turn off the heating on the
whole fleet in, say, May.
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)

Bus Heating in Summer
 

On 7 Aug, 21:45, "Richard J." wrote:
wrote:
On Aug 7, 6:33?pm, MIG wrote:
A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. ?Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?

Exactly the same with the buses I use most regularly: 28, 295 and 211.

I had just assumed it was the sadistic attitude of the drivers
concerned, but perhaps there is another reason!

Why don't you ask the driver to turn it off? *Perhaps he isn't aware that
the heating is on.

Personally I've always assumed that a hot bus in summer meant that the
exteremly basic ventilation can't cope with the solar gain through the
windows. *Indeed I'm not sure how buses are heated these days, e.g. whether
it's heated panels or hot air blown around. *What's your evidence that the
heating is on rather than the bus just not being cooled?
--

There are convector heaters, at least on the top deck, along the edge
of the floor (ie the kind one puts one's foot on). No mistaking the
heat blasting directly out of them.

The other answer suggests it's not in the control of the driver, but
when you are exiting from the top deck and rushing off to catch a
train, pushing through the incoming crowd to bother the driver is not
the most practical thing to do. Getting out of there is more of a
priority ...

Bus Heating in Summer
 

Richard J. wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:33:15 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times the
heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?
The simple - but bizarre - answer is the heater controls are in the
engine at the back and can't be controlled by the driver. They are
only adjustable by engineers and obviously only when the engine is not
scalding hot itself. This is the explanation I've read on another
group recently.

That's such a bizarre design that I'm not sure I believe it, but there's
still no excuse for not getting the engineers to turn off the heating on the
whole fleet in, say, May.
This is the answer customer services gave when I complained 3 years ago.
This reply actually dated 8/8/05 - three years ago to the day

Dear Mr xxxxx

Thank you for your recent e-mail.

We realise that the issue of buses becoming very hot during the summer
is becoming more relevant and that this can cause discomfort. Even when
the heating system is switched off heat can be transmitted into the
passenger saloons as the water in the heating system warms up. Newer
vehicles have much more effective controls to ensure that there is
little or no leakage of heat into the passenger saloon.

Buses running in service all day can get very hot. Heat can build up in
the passenger saloons when the buses are heavily loaded and have to stop
and start frequently. The engine also gets very hot when the bus is in
service all day and this too can raise the temperature in the passenger
saloon.

On some older buses an engineer at the garage must adjust the heating
system. More modern buses allow the driver to control the heating from
the cab. The latest vehicles are fitted with a thermostatically
controlled air circulation and heating system. This system
automatically monitors the temperature within the passenger saloons and
adjusts the air flow accordingly.

Many bus designs incorporate large windows on the top deck for improved
passenger visibility. This design feature was adopted following
extensive research into passenger preferences. Most of these are fixed
windows and for safety reasons they do not open. A steady airflow
through the bus is achieved by means of vents in the front of the
vehicle, along with the small opening side windows. When the outside air
is very hot it is much harder to cool the air coming into the bus.

In order to speed passenger boarding and alighting double deck buses use
a dual door design. Passenger board at the front and exit via the rear
doors. This ensures that buses are not unduly delayed at bus stops. A
disadvantage of this design is that the frequency with which the doors
open means that the saloon environment cannot be easily controlled.

Air conditioning is fitted as standard on many new vehicles. Single deck
buses can easily accommodate the large roof mounted unit. Similarly some
double deck buses can be fitted with the bulky equipment under the floor
of the vehicle. This is the arrangement found on many double deck
coaches. In order to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act we
use a low floor, double deck bus. This bus is easy to board for people
with limited mobility. There is no space under the floor to install a
bulky air conditioning unit. Similarly, it cannot be fitted to the roof
because the vehicle would then be too tall.

This is a long-term problem and the solution is to be found in better
bus design. Bus designers are asked to provide proper ventilation for
buses. Buses are designed by the manufacturers based on the operators
specifications. We work with the operators to create these
specifications. This is an ongoing process as we are always developing
bus design to meet the needs of our passengers.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. If I can be of any further
assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Bus Heating in Summer
 

Pete wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Thu, 7 Aug 2008 10:33:15 -0700 (PDT), MIG
wrote:

A couple of times in the last week I've caught an 8. Both times
the heating has been on full blast.

Is there something up with buses they are using that makes this
impossible to control?
The simple - but bizarre - answer is the heater controls are in the
engine at the back and can't be controlled by the driver. They are
only adjustable by engineers and obviously only when the engine is
not scalding hot itself. This is the explanation I've read on
another group recently.

That's such a bizarre design that I'm not sure I believe it, but
there's still no excuse for not getting the engineers to turn off
the heating on the whole fleet in, say, May.
This is the answer customer services gave when I complained 3 years
ago. This reply actually dated 8/8/05 - three years ago to the day

A commendably full response. But it says:

Air conditioning is fitted as standard on many new vehicles. Single
deck buses can easily accommodate the large roof mounted unit.

So why isn't air conditioning standard on (any?) TfL single deck buses?
--
Richard J.
(to email me, swap 'uk' and 'yon' in address)