Heating and ventilation

The indoor conditions in Lumo homes always follow the Finnish Ministry of the Environment's regulations for healthy living environments.

The temperature in living rooms must, for a longer period of time, below 18°C and must not rise above 32°C outside the heating season. We also use these same limits when we assess residents’ messages about indoor conditions and any possible rent discounts.

Besides these minimum and maximum limits, we aim for comfortable temperatures in our buildings: in living rooms, the goal is 20–22°C, in wet rooms (like bathrooms) a bit warmer, and in semi-warm common areas (like stairwells and basements) a bit cooler. The temperature is measured from the middle of the room, about 1.1 metres above the floor.

Before making a fault report, please check the following:

• The ventilation in your apartment works normally and the vents are in place.
• The fresh air vents are set to winter mode, if possible.
• Windows and balcony doors are closed tightly.
• The thermostats on your radiators are turned fully open.
• There are no furniture, curtains, or other things in front of the radiator thermostats or radiators that could stop heat spreading into the room. There should be at least 40 cm of free space in front of the radiator.

In autumn, the air in your home may feel cool because of humidity, even if the temperature is within the recommended range (20–22°C). This should improve as the heating increases and indoor air becomes drier.

Also note that in early autumn and late spring, the water in the radiators might feel cooler than your hand (about 37°C). Radiators may not feel warm to touch, even though they are heating the air in the room. When it is colder outside, hotter water is sent into the heating system, making the radiators feel warmer.

If you feel comfortable, an indoor temperature of 18–20°C is still safe for the building and usually healthy for residents.

If you have checked all the above and still feel your home is cold, please send a fault report via the My Lumo service so our experts can check the situation.

Here are some tips for keeping cool during hot summer weather:

• Ventilate your home when the sun is not shining in or when it is cooler outside than inside.
• Use cross-draught if possible, but do not ventilate into the stairwell.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed during the hottest part of the day.
• Make sure the exhaust and fresh air vents are clean, and the fresh air vent is open or set to summer mode.
• Avoid using electric devices that produce heat, such as ovens or saunas, during the hottest times of the day.
• Try not to dry laundry inside – use the drying room if there is one, as humidity can make you feel even more uncomfortable.
• If you use a cooling device, remember to empty the condensation water tank regularly. Do not leave the device on without supervision to avoid water damage.

If these tips do not help and your apartment still feels too hot, please send a fault report via the My Lumo service so our experts can check the situation.

Apartments are usually heated with radiators that contain warm water, which is adjusted according to the outside temperature. Do not cover radiators or block the air from moving around them. Radiators are not meant for drying laundry. In wet rooms, radiators should also be on during the summer.

If you hear a gurgling noise from a radiator, or if the top part is cold but the bottom is warm, the radiator may need bleeding. In this case, please send a fault report via the My Lumo service so our experts can check it.

You can reduce the heat from radiators with manual valves. For example, you can take advantage of free heat from the sun, a large group of visitors, or cooking.

The thermostatic valve opens and closes the radiator automatically to keep the right temperature. This means the radiator might only be warm at the top. In summer, turn the thermostatic valve a few times to prevent it from sticking. Do not cover the valve with furniture or curtains, as this affects how it works.

There might be a problem with ventilation if:

• The inside of windows steams up or freezes.
• Moisture forms on surfaces or structures.
• Smells and odours spread in your flat or from other flats.
• The air feels stuffy all the time.
• The bathroom dries slowly after washing.

There are ventilation valves in, for example, bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. These rooms have a gap under the door for air to move. The valves are set to always be open and must not be blocked.

You can easily check if the exhaust air valve works by holding a piece of toilet paper in front of it – the outgoing airflow should hold the paper in place.

It is good to clean the valves 2–3 times a year, and kitchen valves even more often.

Fresh air valves are usually at the top of the outside wall in living rooms, above windows, or in ventilation hatches. Some valves have a filter that removes dust from the outside air. Clean the valve regularly, for example by vacuuming and wiping it. The need for cleaning depends on your area and nearby traffic.

If your home has mechanical ventilation, there are supply air valves in bedrooms and living rooms, bringing in filtered and heated air. Keep these valves open at all times and clean them regularly.

The cooker hood is an important part of mechanical ventilation, as it removes air from your flat. If your cooker hood has controls, you can adjust the ventilation power. If there are no controls, the air is removed automatically.

Cooking smells are removed most efficiently when the kitchen window and balcony door are closed during cooking. This stops smells from spreading to other parts of the flat or to neighbours.

Wash the cooker hood’s grease filter 2–3 times a year, either by hand or in the dishwasher.

The extractor fan helps kitchen ventilation while cooking. Remember to turn off the fan after cooking. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining and changing the activated carbon filter – usually, it needs changing at least every couple of years.

This system is used in older buildings. Air leaves the apartment through ducts using gravity, and fresh air comes in through gaps in window seals, or fresh air vents in newer or renovated buildings. In summer, window ventilation helps improve air movement. An extractor fan with a grease filter helps reduce cooking smells.

Air is removed with a fan that works all the time, and you can adjust the ventilation from the kitchen extractor fan according to the instructions. Fresh air comes in through gaps in window seals, or from fresh air valves in newer or renovated buildings.

During busy times, like when people are cooking or bathing, the exhaust fan runs at full power. At other times, it works at half power. In very cold weather, it works at low power to save energy and reduce draughts.

In this system, both supply and exhaust air move via fans. The supply air is filtered and sometimes pre-heated before entering the flat. Heat is recovered from the exhaust air. Ventilation is always on and can be adjusted centrally or in the flat from the kitchen cooker hood controls.