Heating

A suitable indoor air temperature is also tied to your own activity; you sleep best in 18 degrees, when you are cooking, 20 degrees is sufficient, but when lounging on the couch, you may need up to 23 degrees to feel warm enough.

The healthy housing guide defines the following temperatures as a guideline:

• Your health is at risk if room temperature drops below 18 degrees.
• A good level is 21 degrees.
• Room temperature should not be over 26 degrees, unless the rise in temperature is caused by outdoor heat. During the heating period, room temperature should not be more than 23–24 degrees.

Please note that these guidelines are for the actual living areas of the apartment; window surfaces, walls, floors and ceilings may be cooler than these reference values. The living area is defined as the part of the room that ranges from the floor to the height of 1.8 metres and is at a distance of 0.6 metres from any walls or other solid constructions. You can find more detailed instructions for measuring the temperature here.

The Healthy Housing Guide published by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (in Finnish) is based on Health Care Act (763/94) 32§ and it has been in force since 1st May 2003.

In all Hoas properties, the actual heating period begins when the daily average outdoor temperature drops to 15–17 degrees. Room temperature can often feel cool even if it is within the guidelines. This is common particularly at the beginning of the heating period, when the seasonal relative air humidity is high. In the autumn it takes a while before all structures warm up and relative humidity is reduced.

Our apartments are equipped with water circulation radiators, which are controlled by thermostatic valves. The valve adjusts water circulation in each radiator in such a way that the room temperature around the radiator is at desired levels and the space is not overheated. For this reason, radiators in different locations may provide differing levels of heat. The temperature of the water circulating in the radiators is automatically adjusted to the outdoor temperature – for example, when the outdoor temperature is 10 degrees, the temperature of the water in the radiators will be about 30 degrees. When the outdoor temperature drops to 0 degrees, the water temperature will already be about 40 degrees, and as the outdoor temperature drops further, the water temperature will increase accordingly.

The radiator may sometimes be cold or only its top may be warm, but this is perfectly normal. Even if the radiator feels cold, the room temperature may still be suitable and healthy.

The thermostat needs time and space to work correctly. Do not place thick curtains, large pieces of furniture or heat-producing devices like televisions in front of the thermostat. The thermostat will detect the ambient temperature from the air trapped between the thermostat and the piece of furniture and most likely adjust the temperature of the apartment incorrectly.

However, please make sure that during the heating season, the thermostat is never fully closed. If the thermostat is broken or has come off, please submit a fault report. You must never rotate thermostats by force. Their adjustment range is approximately 2–3 degrees.

The radiator may sometimes be cold or only its top may be warm, but this is perfectly normal. Even if the radiator feels cold, the room temperature may still be suitable and healthy. In order for the radiator thermostat to work correctly, the tenant should ensure that it has been set to the desired heating setting (closed/open) and that it has not been covered by curtains or furniture.

The radiator in the bathroom is a water circulation radiator. The water circulation radiator is connected to the hot water system and its function is to keep the water flowing constantly in order to keep the hot water system’s temperature sufficiently high. Having the system at the correct temperature prevents the growth of bacteria and ensures you get warm water from the taps quickly. The radiator warms the bathroom whether the bathroom needs warming or not. Since the water circulation radiators are connected to the hot water system, they work even when the rest of the heating is off in the summer. Due to the reasons explained above you must not turn the radiator off and in fact the radiators do not have any controls that the tenant can change. Overheating in the bathroom is an unfortunate but common problem in the summer months.

Hoas does not recommend using extra heaters in the apartments. As you are getting used to the desired temperature of 20–22 degrees, the thought of an extra heater may seem tempting.

Why should you not use an extra heater? One reason for this is that when you use an extra heater, the thermostat on the radiator will misinterpret the temperature in the apartment to be too high. This will lead to a situation where you are trying to raise the temperature while the radiator is trying to lower it. Heaters left running at full power with no supervision can also be a safety risk. Additionally, extra heaters often cause fuses to blow repeatedly, because the load caused by a heater is too high for the fuse.

You must also remember that heaters do use energy, which in turn counteracts any energy saving benefits gained by keeping the temperature at a reasonable level. Energy saving does not mean that tenants should freeze in their apartments, but if the temperature in your apartment is the recommended 20–22 degrees, then perhaps you could try wearing woolly socks instead of using an extra heater. Beyond that, you should understand that you may well need to wear a little more than a t-shirt and shorts indoors in the winter.