Tips for proper heating and ventilation in winter

Winter is approaching and the heating season is beginning – right now, proper heating and ventilation in your own four walls is important to save energy and prevent mould growth. We give you 13 tips on how to achieve a pleasant indoor climate at home or in the office. The most important tips for heating and ventilation can be found summarized at the end of the article, as a practical PDF for download.

What is the optimal room temperature?

How high the "ideal room temperature" should be depends on the room in question. In the living room, the comfortable temperature is between 18 and 22°C, while in the bedroom, slightly cooler temperatures between 16-18°C are recommended. It is best to keep the doors of heated rooms closed. For a comfortable living climate, a humidity of between 40-60% is also recommended. If the humidity is higher, the risk of mold increases. If it is below this, the dry air irritates the mucous membranes. This can be checked with a thermo-hygrometer from the hardware store.

Here are some guidelines for your home:

• Hallway and bedroom: 16–18 ºC
• Cuisine: 16–18 ºC
• Children's room: 20 ºC
• Living room: 20–22 ºC
• Bad: 22–24 ºC

You can find out how to correctly adjust your manual radiator thermostat to get the desired temperature in our guide.

Did you know? If you reduce the room temperature by just 1 °C, you save up to 6% heating energy. An optimized room temperature not only reduces your energy consumption, but also improves well-being and health!

An optimized room temperature reduces energy consumption.

Wie kann ich die Heizung richtig einstellen?

Wenn es draußen langsam immer kühler und dunkler wird, ist es an der Zeit die Heizung auf Winterbetrieb umzustellen. Dabei kann man gleich überprüfen, ob die Heizung richtig eingestellt ist. So wird sichergestellt, dass die Heizung effizient arbeitet und Ihre Wohnung mit angenehmer Wärme versorgt.

• Check the heating pressure: If the heating pressure is too low, the radiators will not heat up evenly. You can read the heating pressure on the pressure gauge of the heating system. For a single-family home, the pressure should be around 1.5 to 2 bar. You can find out how high the pressure should be for you from your heating installer.
• Setting the flow temperature: The flow temperature is the temperature of the heating water when it leaves the boiler. Depending on various factors, such as the condition of the building, the size of the heating surface and the outside temperature, the optimal flow temperature can be set via the heating curve on the device.

Adjust night-time reduction: Modern heating systems offer the option of setting at what time and by how many degrees the temperature should be lowered at night in order to save energy. However, the day and night temperatures should not differ by more than 5°C so that reheating does not require too much energy.

When should you bleed the heating?

Does your radiator heat up or "gurgle" irregularly when heating? Then you should bleed the heating as soon as possible to avoid increased energy consumption.

It's that easy:

• First, switch off the heating circulation pump.
• After a few minutes, you can open the vent valve so that the air can escape from the radiator.
• Since water may drip out of the valve, you should place a small container under the valve as a precaution.
• The valve must then be turned off again, the pressure in the radiator circuit checked and the pump switched on again.
• The correct value in which the pressure should be can usually be found in the area marked as green on your pressure gauge on the heater.

To ensure that nothing goes wrong when bleeding the heater, we give you detailed instructions in our article "When it gurgles - venting the heating in 10 steps".

Why is it worth cleaning the heater?

A radiator can only work effectively if it is well cleaned: over time, dust accumulates in the gaps. This thin layer of dust can reduce the heating output by up to 30%. To make full use of the heating power, lift the lid of the trim from time to time and reach for the vacuum cleaner with a long nozzle. Alternatively, you can use a long round brush. There is also a solution for finned radiators: Hang a damp cloth behind it and blow the dust against it with the hair dryer - this will ensure that the heat output is top again. In order for the heater to heat properly, it should be cleaned 1-2 times a year.

What is the benefit of insulation behind radiators?

If the outer walls are poorly insulated, this can cause high heating costs. With an insulation layer behind the radiator, heat loss through the outer wall is directly reduced. Insulation is particularly worthwhile if your radiator is located in a niche. This is because the wall structure is weaker there, which means that more heat can be lost. Here, additional radiator insulation helps to reflect the heat back into the room. Ideally, you dismantle the body to attach the insulation. If this is not possible, you can use a radiator reflective foil. This is a 3-5 millimeter thick insulation board covered with aluminum foil. You can get the right insulating wallpaper or insulating foils at the hardware store. Radiator insulation is a fairly inexpensive and quick measure to prevent heat loss and can pay for itself in a few years.