Reasons for Stuffiness in Container Houses

The main reasons for stuffiness in container houses include material properties, design flaws, and inadequate air - conditioning configuration. The detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Strong heat absorption and significant heat storage effect of metal materials
The main body of a container is made of steel. The thermal conductivity coefficient of metal is much higher than that of traditional building materials (such as concrete and bricks). Under sunlight, the surface of the container quickly absorbs solar radiation heat and rapidly transfers it to the interior through the metal walls. Due to the low specific heat capacity of steel, it is difficult for the heat to be consumed by the material itself, causing the indoor temperature to rise rapidly along with the increase in the outside air temperature. In addition, the metal structure dissipates heat slowly at night, which may lead to the phenomenon of 'night residual heat', further prolonging the stuffy period.

2. Defects in thermal insulation and ventilation design
To reduce costs, most temporary container houses do not use high - efficiency thermal insulation materials (such as polyurethane foam and rock wool boards) or double - wall structures. The thermal insulation performance of a single - layer metal wall is insufficient to effectively block the high outside temperature. At the same time, the ventilation design is limited: some containers only rely on a small number of windows or exhaust fans for natural ventilation. In high - temperature and high - humidity environments, the air circulation efficiency is low, making it difficult to form effective convection. If the window size is too small or the opening angle is limited, it further exacerbates the indoor stuffy feeling.

3. Mismatch between air - conditioning power and space
To control costs, container houses are usually equipped with only a single low - power air conditioner (such as 1 - horsepower or 1.5 - horsepower). However, their interior space is small (with a floor height of less than 2.2 meters and an area of about 18 square meters), but the personnel density is high (for example, 3 people share one room), resulting in an excessive air - conditioning load. In addition, the installation position of the air conditioner may be unreasonable (such as blowing directly at the bed or being far from the activity area), or it may not be regularly maintained (such as a clogged filter), all of which will reduce the cooling efficiency and make it impossible to effectively regulate the indoor temperature.

4. Excessive airtightness leading to heat accumulation
Some containers are overly airtight (such as using rubber strips to seal the gaps around doors and windows) to prevent wind and rain or for sound insulation, reducing the possibility of natural ventilation. When the air conditioner is turned off or malfunctions, the indoor heat cannot dissipate through the gaps, forming a 'heat dome effect' and causing the temperature to continue to rise.