Professor: Overheating rooms a source of health problems
Although the harsh winter frost has not yet arrived, the heating season has already begun. However, it's advisable not to overheat your home during winter, as statistics show that people living in excessively warm homes are more likely to take sick days.
Tallinn University of Technology Professor Jarek Kurnitski stated on the morning show "Terevisioon" that indoor temperatures during winter should ideally range between 21-22 degrees Celsius. For those looking to save on heating costs, 20 degrees Celsius may also be sufficient. According to Kurnitski, there's no need to wear a T-shirt and shorts indoors in winter; instead, a light sweater is more appropriate.
"Statistics show that people who overheat their homes, maintaining temperatures of 24-25 degrees Celsius in winter, are more prone to health issues. These individuals also tend to take more sick days," the professor noted, advising people to keep a reasonable indoor temperature. Overheated rooms lead to dry air, which can cause sneezing and nasal congestion.
Dryer air also increases static electricity. Kurnitski explained that indoor air humidity is generally similar to outdoor humidity. "In winter, when it's cold, there is very little moisture in the outdoor air. Indoor air tends to be dry, and the warmer we heat it, the lower the relative humidity becomes, which results in more static electricity," he said. Maintaining a sensible indoor temperature can thus help reduce static electricity.
If an existing heating system isn't warming a room adequately, it's worth inspecting it and releasing any trapped air from radiators, according to Professor Kurnitski. If the system is in working order, there's no need for additional heating devices.
However, if extra devices are truly necessary to heat a room, portable heaters, electric radiators or oil radiators available in stores are generally safe, Kurnitski said. It's important to note, though, that the temperatures in fan heaters and electric radiators can get very high, so they should never be covered or have anything placed on them.
"The safest option is an oil radiator, which resembles a regular radiator and doesn't reach as high surface temperatures," the professor explained. However, oil radiators take longer to heat up. Fan heaters, on the other hand, are a good temporary solution – for instance, when working in a garage. From a heating cost perspective, Kurnitski noted, it doesn't make much difference which type of additional device is used, as all of them are about three times more expensive to run compared to a regular heat pump.
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Editor: Sandra Saar, Marcus Turovski
