Pawtucketville sits north of the Merrimack around the university's north campus, and its housing runs from older three-deckers near the river to post-war ranches and newer infill along Varnum Avenue and Mammoth Road. The mix means two very different heating layouts within a few streets of each other.
The ranches often carry ductwork in an attic or a crawlspace, with the furnace in a closet or on a slab, while the older flats have a basement furnace and a chimney. Student rentals add a third pattern: a furnace that runs hard through the term, filters nobody changes, and thermostats set by whoever moved in last.