RetireJapan

Just to add onto that: getting one liter of cold water to boil takes about 50000 times the electricity compared to heating one liter of (rather dry) air by 20K (= bringing outside air in winter up to room temperature). It depends of course on how dry the air is and how efficient the AC is. It can ea...

Actually, it won't take much energy. Have you ever tried it? Really, heat your home to 20 degrees and keep it like that for a day. Then open everything for just 1 or 2 minutes and close it again. You will see that you'll get to almost 20 degrees indoor room temperature quite quickly even if your AC...

The problem is with insulation. If you have really good insulation, fine. But if you don't, then your structures (walls etc.) will get very cold over the night. If you then have warm and humid air in the room, it will condense at the wall and you'll get mold. And since most homes in Japan are not w...

I find the question very interesting. More broadly speeking, how does one participate in (and therefore protect against) the rising land / real estate prices in Tokyo? (assuming living in Tokyo) There's buying property here, but I'm also one of those who don't want to do that for various reasons. An...

Maybe invest in PM 2.5, CO2, temperature and humidity sensors, then experiment with turning off the 24hr fan and closing the vent. I live in a 20yo place with none of that fancy stuff. So if I put the bathroom fan on, the air starts rushing *in* through the kitchen hood unless I also open a window....

In Hokkaido we crave heat and humidity in winter. It would be ludicrous to open windows just before you go to bed if it's -10 C outside. And silly to let the lovely warm moist air left after a shower escape outside! The problem is with insulation. If you have really good insulation, fine. But if yo...

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Fri Jan 31, 2025 9:19 am We have a pretty airtight home so usually leave a window cracked. My wife's parents' place (that we renovated a few years ago) has heat-exchange mechanical ventilation. Wonderful.

Which solution do they use? I'm curious because there are not so many options in Japan and it's hard to find them.

(...)The only reason to get in fresh air in summer is to keep CO2 levels low. (...) Yeah well, I hope you’re right. What do those pesky Japanese architects know about sick building syndrome and PM2.5 and the superiority of opening windows over 24/7 ventilation systems, eh? 8-) Fair enough - if you ...

Sorry if this may sound quite insensitive, but an important point to consider - in my eyes at least: What would your plans be in case your wife dies before you or her health declines? That's an important. If the answer is "if my wife were to pass away today, I would not move to Japan" the...

I have vents similar to these in our house in Hokkaido, and the guy who built the house says it's OK - in fact advisable - to close them in winter. However, there is a fan running 24 hours a day that pulls air in from the outside through these vents and exhales it through other vents in the ceiling...