Should I ventilate my apartment when it’s, say, minus 15 degrees Celsius outside? Won’t the rooms get too cold, increasing heating energy consumption? Answer: Fresh air in my apartment is essential for our health, comfort, and the overall condition of my home. This means ventilation is essential. However, proper technique is crucial.
Answer: Fresh air in my apartment is essential for health, comfort, and the overall condition of the home. This means ventilation is essential. However, using the proper technique is crucial.
Rules for airing in winter
- The most important rule for airing your home in winter is:briefly but thoroughly. Instead of cracking the window for a few hours, it’s better to open it wide for 5-10 minutes. During this time, the air will exchange quickly and effectively, but the walls, furniture, and floors won’t have time to cool down. These are the very things that store heat and quickly release it indoors when the windows are closed.
- Cross-ventilation is very effective. By opening windows in two opposite rooms, you can accelerate air exchange several times. This draft is enough to remove moisture, carbon dioxide, and unpleasant odors in just a few minutes, without significant heat loss.
- It’s worth remembering to turn off radiators while airing. Leaving them on will cause the heating system to work unnecessarily hard. After closing the windows, you can reset the thermostats accordingly, and the temperature will quickly return to normal.
Airing not only in rooms
Remember to ventilate rooms with high humidity, such as the kitchen or bathroom, after cooking, bathing, or drying laundry. This will prevent condensation and mold growth.
It’s worth knowing that optimal indoor humidity in winter is around 40-60%. This can be checked with a hygrometer or a humidifier with a humidity indicator.
What about microventilation?
If your windows have a micro-ventilation function, you can use it, but only for short periods. It shouldn’t replace intensive airing. At very low temperatures, it’s better to open windows wide for a short time than to open vents or leave them unsealed for a long time.
Therefore, there’s no reason not to open windows in winter. On the contrary, you should open them, but only briefly and with the radiators turned off. This will ensure a healthy microclimate in your apartment, and the interior won’t have time to cool down.
