We live in a brand new building where the ventilation fans in both bathrooms run all the time. This draws air from small intake vents in each room (but not enough to get a draft).
Technically we don't need to air the apartment but the realestate agent was adamant that we do so (it is also included in our rental agreement). Initially I was shocked and unable to fathom why this would be necessary.
Honestly its worth it though. The apartments are so well sealed (and the underfloor heating so effective) that you feel like your suffocating! And it ensures that you don't get condensation build up on the inside of your windows/ mould in your wardrobes or bathroom etc. You don't need to come home from work to do it just make sure that as others have said you air it a couple of times a day (or in my case I leave a couple of windows cracked open during the warmest part of the day for an hour or so.
Is there actually a rule for that I'm used to air it a bit more than I would have done before after I used to live in China . There the humidity, dampness and mould were so horrible..
What i want to do this year is to get humidifiers as well in my kids' room.
Although we have 2 kids, our heating bill was one of the cheapest ones in our block.. Which is actually another thing that chocked me! we got a list with all the other tenants, so everybody knows how much we heated and how much we spent.. talking about privacy! We were the only one to get money back
They over heat here and to my standard I mean over heating ( I sleep with a blanket even when it's 30 degres !)
I wish Swiss quality cooking hood worked that well, ours sucks out cooking fumes over the stove just to shove them out in the corner of the same kitchen.
You are making me nostalgic.. It's true though, the commie central heating, water pressure, central air system, etc. panelaks we we called them worked great.
I do think, though, the need for fresh air is an acquired taste, it feels good to have fresh air in the room so to air at least when one is at home is a must. Not to the level of discomfort, when you feet are at 15degrees and head 20 deg air, but the need to get some fresh oxygen in gets addicting.
I second Olympe here, the dry air is terrible, I am planning to get an efficient humidifier as well, my sinuses and my kid's always present sniffle drive me nuts. It is better when one airs, the appartment is not as dry, somehow it is not logical to me, but that's the way it is.
It seems to me that if you have to air a flat 3-5 times a day then there must be something wrong with the flat. Still this is something Swiss landlords love to tell you then if you get mould it's your fault. What rubbish!
I air mine every day, not only does it avoid any dampy fungussy grunge, but it just makes the air feel so much fresher and less stuffy. Can't see why anyone wouldn't do it at least once (all thats needed really) a day.
My place is so airtight if I turn on the cooker extractor fan without opening a window/cracking it a noise starts and I have my own windtunnel.
Although it dents my insurance I leave windows cracked during the day except on really cold days, with the external blinds down to discourage burglary.
Been there 3 years now and no problems. But yeah there's a vent for the cellar but none for apartments.
At weekends I sometimes throw open the windows (did it coming home yest. afternoon) if sunny while showering 1st thing in the morning. Helps to wake me up (and I need the help).
We have an older masonry built house, and mould and mildew can also be a problem without airflow. Even a brief period using an electric fan will help.
Microbial sporalization, or the spread of mould spores occurs exactly like cigarette smoke. It can be seen after 14 hours and sporalizes accordingly. The problem is usually within the walls, with dust and wet wall cavities causing the mould to grow from the inside out. Wallboard or older Gypsum board products contains starch binders, which when wet is consumed by mould. What one sees on the outside or just under wallpaper is actually worse inside the wall. The odor one smells is the gas given off by mould as it consumes material. Extreme water damaged materials must be replaced; This is the valid concern of the landlord or property owner to be notified early on.
Many people are allergic, or can become so, breathing mould spores. I suggest using a direct, healthcare-approved spray such as Sporicidin + fan air to treat, and to control surface mould problems. Just spray it on lightly, clean it off, and use the fan, with windows open. Avoid the bleach products here as they contain 95 % water, and are not as effective as Sporicidin spray.
Just be aware that with thermostat heating if you leave a window or two cracked open all day then it WILL reduce the temperature of the room - possibly enough that it will keep the thermostat open and you'll up your heating costs
I'm not saying it's a definite - but just be aware of it that's all
I do the airing 2 or 3 times a day - and you have 2 choices really
1. Windows WIDE open in the whole house for 5-10mins
or
2. Windows cracked open (slanted vertically) for 30mins
the first option is generally more effective
it's sometimes helps to turn on the exhaust fans in bathrooms to ensure that some of the fresh air is sucked in to them as they don't usually have windows and thus have poor circulation
That's fine in the summer but a waste of energy in the winter when the heating is on.
They are right. If you have radiators or underfloor heating, the walls and/or floor heat up and retain the heat.
If you, for an experiment, opened all your windows and then at the same time turned off the underfloor heating and then closed the windows after ten minutes - you would find that the floor would still be warm, as would the radiators.
The house would soon warm up again.
Forced air heating only heats the air so needs to be on almost continuously
(Try turning it off and seeing how quickly the rooms cool down).
Well that surely depends on whether your washing machine is in your house, whether you dry clothes in the house, how many people live there, how much cooking you do, and how many showers and baths are taken each day.
i normally have a window front and back open on the tilt, its open all year round. All heaters in the apartment are always closed and its a fairly constant 24- 25c.
the only problem i get is a few odd spots of mould on the roof of the shower room as the extractor isnt good enough, but 30 secs with a cloth and its all gone.
if people are getting mould in modern buildings its due to dampness in the building and poor building design IMO.
Big problem Specially in England!! Very much so in old houses with little space for air to circulate and with 100% sealed double glazing, in fact most of the windows in the UK have a little air vent at the top that can be opened and closed. The problem is sometimes even worse if you have carpets and the wooden floors are paradise for mites too.
Once the problem develops it's very difficult to get rid of! so airing 5 mins in the morning and 5 mins when you get home specially in the winter is worth every effort and there is nothing better than a house/room that smells fresh rather than stinking of trapped stale air!
so in answer to your question, the Swiss are far from crazy... in fact they are very wise with regards to this specific point in my opinion however pedantic and anally retentive it may sound.
Still not convinced ---> So the floors and walls are only capable of retaining heat if underfloor radiators are used? Also doesn't hold for stand-alone radiators.
The windows in my room are cracked 24/7/365. We have hot water heat and live on the second floor and it's unbearably hot if I don't. I guess I won't have to worry about this problem at my place!!
I still don't see see any way that a properly insulated house will be more heat efficient with a boiler/radiator. Just doesn't follow physical logic in my opinion. I would go take forced air if I had the choice and save the issue of 'airing my place' as well as a likely cost and environmental savings.