Cosiness can do more harm than good
It's a cold winter day, the family is gathered in the living room, the stove is well lit, candles are lit, there are candles all around the room and a film is playing on the TV. While this sounds very cosy, it can also be very dangerous - at least for your indoor climate and your health.
Candles emit more particles than a diesel car
When a candle is lit, more soot particles are emitted than the soot particles emitted on a busy road. At the same time, harmful nitrogen dioxide will also be produced when something is burned, and this burning is similar to diesel pollution.
A study from Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (CAMB) shows that among 7,000 respondents in their 50s, almost half had lit stearin candles at least 4 times a week during the winter months.
Why are wood burning stoves so dangerous?
As with candles, harmful nitrogen dioxide is formed as it burns. If the wood being burned is still wet and/or contaminated, it will cause an additional discharge of harmful particles and will also cause soot in the chimney.
During calm periods with cold weather, smoke from wood-burning stoves will have a hard time escaping, but will lie like a dense fog over the roofs. In these cases, the amount of small particles, soot and tars will be high enough to impair air quality.
How does particle pollution affect us?
Particles in the air are inhaled and lodge in residents' lungs. These particles can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms and, in the worst case, can lead to cardiovascular disease.
Tips and tricks
Tips for using wood burning stoves:
- Choose a stove that is Swan or EN labelled.
- Use clean and dry firewood
- Ventilate when using the stove. Choose a door or window at the opposite end of the house or in the opposite wind direction.
- Ensure proper storage of firewood to keep it dry and clean.
- Light the firewood from the top of the
Tips for a good indoor climate in the living room
- Ventilate 3 times a day with 5-10 minutes of draughts. If this is not possible, consider investing in a ventilation solution
- Use the stove wisely
- Replace flammable candles with electric candles
- Avoid drying clothes in the living room
- Clean at least once a week
Improvement
Consider investing in a ventilation solution
To get rid of particles and moisture in your home, a ventilation system can be the solution. DUKA One is a ventilation solution that ventilates the room 24 hours a day. For 70 seconds, the system sucks out stale and moist air, storing heat in the unit's ceramic core. After 70 seconds, the system's motor reverses and blows in fresh air, which is heated by the ceramic core. This constantly changes the air, ventilating away particles and moisture and saving on heating bills as the heat in the home is recycled. DUKA One is mounted directly in the outer wall and can be installed wherever there is a need for ventilation.
