Nipple thermometers

Nipples are wonderful things. They nourish us in our first days and weeks. Later on they can have entertainment value and the cycle repeats.

Nipples seem to act like thermometers and maybe they are a gauge of personal comfort levels. Or they are just embarrassing.

Do you realize that your dance studio probably uses nipples to control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)? Even better, nipples are controlling and hurting air quality. Actually that is bad. Bad for the lungs.

Unfortunately, nipples aren't qualified and they can't be trained to monitor carbon dioxide. Even if we run cable between a nipple and the fan, nipples are always inadequate for this job.

Think I'm nuts? Your studio probably has a thermostat on the wall. It may not do a very good job. But watch the teacher enter the studio, cross her arms over her chest, and move to the thermostat. This means the fan or AC will be turned off, or maybe the heat turned on. The objective thermostat doesn't stand a chance against this teacher's subjective and personal opinion of conditions in the room.

When nipples, or any other subjective and personal opinion, are used to control the studio HVAC, bad things can happen to the 20 sets of lungs that are also in the room.

Suppose the AC is turned off for the first class of the day, at 10:30. The temperature is allowed to climb but humidity and carbon dioxide levels also climb since ventilation is shut off. Even if the AC system only recycles air it serves to decrease humidity and now that needed feature has been lost.

When the temperature climbs a few degrees and when the studio air becomes more humid, toxic gas like formaldehyde is released in greater quantities from the flooring, walls, and costume racks.

By the time the 2:30 class starts the room isn't just 'stuffy' it is simply dangerous. Listen to the class and you'll hear the teacher complain about 'lazy Mondays.' She can't keep the class energy level up and dancers seem to be dull and slacking off.

Air quality and carbon dioxide levels are too important and can change too quickly to be monitored and controlled by a human. It is too much responsibility and too much of a hassle for high school aged assistant teachers or guest master instructors.

The key point here? Studio ventilation must be automated. It should not be linked and limited to a specific HVAC mode (heating or cooling). Carbon dioxide levels must be monitored and controlled with inexpensive sensors. You should be able to change the temperature of the studio without shutting off ventilation and without causing carbon dioxide or humidity to climb. Comfortable temperatures and clean air don't need to be mutually exclusive.

If the studio has gas heating or cooling then carbon monoxide sensors should also be used.