Berlin
Weather reports say: There will be rain soon. Don’t want to open the window? Understandable. But experts advise otherwise.
A look out of the window shows: It’s raining again. Would you rather keep the window closed in this filthy weather so that the wet stays out? The Audit Provider”TÜV Rheinland’, based in Cologne, answers this question in the negative. The outdoor air should be drier than the used indoor air, even after it has been heated. In other words: Even when it rains, moisture can escape from the apartment.
The Consumer Center Berlin found out that there are almost twelve liters of moisture per day. A four-person household releases this amount into the air in the form of water vapor. If you don’t let them out, they can condense on the walls. The result: ugly stains, also known as mould. more on the subject: Mold is a health hazard: how to get rid of it
Walter DormagenTÜV expert for clean indoor air, recommends in a press release: “In winter, the apartment should be ventilated in the mornings and evenings, preferably with wide open windows in every room.”
Ventilate when it rains: it can be shorter in winter
The good thing about ventilation: The draft ensures a complete exchange of air. “This is particularly important in the bedroom in the morning, so that the moisture that has arisen from breathing and sweating during the night can be drawn off,” says Dormagen. Also at rainy weather The following applies: The colder the temperatures, the shorter the ventilation process can be. If it’s frosty, five minutes is enough. It’s ten minutes from zero to ten degrees.
Ventilate when it rains? It also depends on the approach. A hygrometer can remedy. It provides information on when to ventilate. Depending on the room temperature, an average of 50 percent room humidity applies. In winter, you should open the windows at the latest when the humidity is over 60 percent.
The roof window manufacturer “Velux” adds on his website: When the air humidity is high, forced ventilation is also the most effective option when it comes to air exchange. And what about days when it rains continuously? The same applies here: mornings and evenings are the best times. His tip: “Open your windows wide, ideally all windows at the same time. This creates a draft that enables rapid air exchange through the entire house.”
If you are currently working from home, you should let fresh air into the apartment more often. The rule of thumb: three to five times a day. Preferably with the radiators switched off so as not to waste energy unnecessarily. You should also make sure that the temperature in the rooms does not fall below 14 degrees. You might also be interested in: Heat properly: This is how you can save money and avoid mould
Expert tip: Avoid tipping
What you should definitely avoid: mere tipping. Why? This ensures no air exchange and is said to be a pure waste of energy. “Otherwise, there is a risk in the window area that the walls will cool down and become damp. The heating would have to do a lot of work to counteract this,” adds Markus Lau, technical expert at the German Liquid Gas Association. (kat/dpa)
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