As Météo-France anticipates one of the first episodes of heat waves of the millennium this weekend, L’Éclaireur brings you some tips for working remotely in the cold.
Since the beginning of the health crisis, companies have become more flexible in terms of working remotely. Excellent news for employees, except in cases where their home office is poorly insulated.
The main carriers of heat indoors, and electrical appliances – and thus computers and monitors – are our worst enemies during a heat wave. So how do you work great from home?
1 Reduce the number of screens turned on
Anyone who’s ever worked on a multi-screen computer knows: there’s no turning back. Especially not working on a small device laptop. However, the calculation is done quickly. The more screens in the room, the higher the temperature.
Computer screens are actually particularly energy consuming and generate a lot of heat when they are used. We recommend that, where possible, use no more than one monitor. And if possible, feel good about his laptop screen.
In the event that it is impossible to lie on the (small) screen of your laptop, you can reduce the brightness of the screens to reduce their power consumption. Either way, blinds and blinds will likely be closed in an effort to keep cool; No need to have a super bright screen in a dark room.
2 Moderate number of running programs
Remote work requires special gymnastics. Between video conferencing, messaging, organizing, and other spreadsheet applications, our PC processors are put to the test. However, it is a arithmetic process: the more demanded by the processor, the more heat is released.
It is therefore necessary to be careful when closing applications that you do not use and to reduce the number of programs that are launched in the background. The same applies to browser tabs: each tab is treated as a separate process by the computer, and thus increases the workload on it.
3 Activate power saving mode
In the same vein, consider activating the power saving mode. Even if the battery is full!
This power mode automatically reduces screen brightness and slows down the processor speed. Two levers prevent the machine from heating. However, keep in mind that computers are often less efficient with this mode. Using some heavy applications can be daunting.
4 Unplug the chargers
Connect your laptop charger only if you want to charge your device. This tip may sound silly, but many of us leave the charging block permanently on the power strip, ready to go.
However, even when not in use, the chargers run with current and emit heat. It is also a good practice that also reduces electricity consumption throughout the year.
5 Choose an efficient cooling system
If our computers get too hot, it’s also because their cooling system is often rudimentary. or at least Not well suited for bouts of extreme heat.
Here are some tips to improve your computer’s airflow:
- Clean computer fans with a can of dry air
- Consider lifting your laptop: most often, fans are located below
- Choose a well-ventilated computer support
- For stationary computers: change the processor’s original fan for a more efficient model, or even a water-cooling system (water cooling)
There are several tips that should not distract you from the usual rules: ventilate the air in the early morning, close everything when the temperature outside is higher than inside, and above all, stay hydrated.
