WEB EXCLUSIVE: How a German Home Maximizes Energy Efficiency | Ask This Old House

In this Web exclusive, Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows host Kevin O'Connor an average German home to understand how building practices and lifestyle affect energy consumption.
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: bit.ly/Subscrib...
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
Twitter: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
bit.ly/AskTOHTw...
Pinterest: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
Instagram: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
bit.ly/AskTOHIG
Tumblr: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: bit.ly/ThisOldH...
WEB EXCLUSIVE: How a German Home Maximizes Energy Efficiency | Ask This Old House
/ thisoldhouse

[@eazeyt1759]

Europeans are smart, wish we had this level of care and competence in America.

[@imari2305]

The United States needs to adopt these energy efficient plans. Very cool!!

[@FelixAB88]

From time to time I'm slightly impressed, how cool we are in Germany. :D I never looked at all these rules and technologies as unusual - I'm used to it. Thanks for the new point of view. :-)

[@mmg1903]

Ich wohne in England seit drei Jahren … hahah ein Witz wie die Häuser bauen 😂😂😂😂 null Isolation, die Kabel im Boden anstatt in der Wand und und und

[@Pead929]

I’m always in awe of how you live and the way you design things. I try to put as much German design into my life as I can afford to 😂

[@flavedrops6073]

3:28 The point with the ladder on the roof was wrong. The ladder is for the Santa Claus at Christmas.

[@gordondry]

Who was invented by Coca Cola.

[@MightywoodNet]

I am a German house owner. This was a great short description. Just some additional information. The roll shade also make a break in more difficult. It sound a little bit like the chimney sweeper is also paid by the government, but every house owner has to pay him by himself.

[@MightywoodNet]

+Karl Lehtonen (karLcx) It is an annoying imposition, but it is a matter of safety too when using an oil or gas heating system. The also check for corrosion so you have a less chance for water leaks. I think in the end it is worthehile to spend a few bugs per year to be more safe, have maintenance and do a bit for te environment.

[@BillyJoe1305]

+Mighty Wood So what happens if you don't do it? how does enforcement work?

[@1Abrenoir]

+BillyJoe1305 After missing the yearly deadline the they remind you politely to contact a chimney sweeper and make you pay between 40€-100€. If you don't react (again) the government steps in and is even allowed to call a locksmith to get into you house and sweep your chimney. And I think I don't have to mention, that they are going to make you pay for the chimney sweeper, the locksmith and addtional few houndred euros. The chimney sweeper isn't just something unneccesary you have to pay for, he/she is there to make you fire places save and protect you and the people living around you! Another important thing: If there is a fire caused by your fireplace, which wasn't inspected by a chimney sweeper, your fire insurance doesn't neccesarily have to pay for the resultet damage. It could also happen that your neighbours accuse you for negligent behavior and this is going to cost even more money, additonal to the money you have to pay them for the damage on their property.

[@BillyJoe1305]

L'Arbre noire Chimney fires aren't really that common, less common with people who only have modern furnaces. My chimney is only like two feet long anyway. I don't mean two feet above my house either I mean two to three feet from my hot water heater to the end and roughly two yards to my furnace. In case you wondered that's like half a meter and a whole meter.

[@chaosgoettin]

+BillyJoe1305 anyway, any damage that is caused by you neglicting your duties as a house owner has to be paid by you. Also, it's not only a question of your duty, but also a question of responsibility to the envirioment. even us, living in a rented apartment, having no chimney or gas/oil heating, have to have let the chimney in for an inspection once a year to have him/her cleaned the "chimney" (that is actually a system that runs through the whole complex, creating a little bit circulation. I don't know what it's for, but I see the dirt that is coming off every year :D). Anyway, we are obliged to let him/her in and- if we are not able to be home at this time- to tell the landlord/landlady a week beforehand to avoid a we have to pay the second time he drops by. And just as mentioned in the video, it helps to lower the cost of the apartment/house in short terms, middle terms and long terms. Short terms: let's face it, the better a system work, the more efficient it works and the less the costs in the running are. saves money. middle terms: since damage and corrision can be already be discovered in the short terms, it's less pricey. A small damaged part is often less expensive than a larger one. Long term: so, you didn't have your system checked the last years and there is that funny dripping or smell in the air. Congratulation to your hazard. please renew all the damaged walls, since there is propably mold in every wall and floor and pay for the health issues that may have ocured. Since your insurance won't pay for that, you'll have either to pay for everything to renew it or move out. And if you have been renting out, you might even end up to pay for the damage personal obsession and health damage of your tennand(s). The cost of that will make you wish you just saved up the 100 to 200 bucks a year, parted on 12 mounths (around 17 bucks a mounth) and paying THAT once a year every year as long as you possess a house. Let's just face it: when you own *proper*ty, you need to take *proper* care for that. Once a year, every year. And things that has to be fixed have to be fixed. That is what we call here responsibility.

[@bobibest89]

What a great nation. Salute from Bulgaria.

[@Bu4rst]

Do you guys know what is not good about this energy law? We have the highest price for electric energy on the world. The people can't perform solar power are paying those which could had afford solar. And the whole county is buying Poland's coal and nuclear electric energy when there is no wind and no sun. And now they want even "forbid" oil heating. Our Government went total Socialist more and more. Every year more rules and taxes.

[@julesforrest2009]

all that was said is true. I know I been married to a German for 10 years and my In-laws house is bigger than the one shown but very similar in every way. Germany are all about energy efficiency in their homes.

[@mirola73]

Clearly not here in the UK, even the newest houses can't stand up against most new houses on the continent ! Saw a bog standard home being built in an estate somewhere in the Netherlands, massive amounts of insulation and draft proofing everywhere, coming back home compared that to a new house being built down the road from here, oh boy, what a massive difference and not in a good way. Old fashioned UK again.

[@martijnfransen9933]

yep here in the Netherlands we have almost the same rules as in Germany.. The only difference today is that most these rules are thre and for new houses old houses are still in atransition period(they need to be brought up to standard). to be able to bring them up to standard some of the investments are highly supported by the government via taxes or contributions by their side.

[@Marcel_Germann]

It's actually the same thing here in Germany. They don't force you to modernise your old house, but new construction must meet the new requirements.

[@Blobjonblob]

Not just Germany but a huge percentage of European homes uses radiators.

[@redfreckle2044]

yeah same here in Canada, electric radiaters are more common in new homes though. Ductless mini-split units that provide both heat and air conditioning are becoming very popular as well.

[@DarkRaptor99]

+Steve Hillier How expensive are electrical rates in Canada if you used Electric in the USA to heat it would cost you a small fortune.

[@Blobjonblob]

+DarkRaptor99 Same here in Ireland using electric rads will get you into serious money trouble with the ESB

[@redfreckle2044]

+DarkRaptor99 where I live it averages to around 17 Canadian cents per kwh. I'm no expert with electrotechnologistics so I don't know if that's high or low (I'd guess high). I think a lot of people like the ease of instalation of electric and not having to worry about pipes bursting in the wintery months.

[@redfreckle2044]

+DarkRaptor99 Electrical bill for an average bungalow works out to about $200 per month but of course that includes not only heat but all of your electricity use.

[@MattUebel]

>They want to keep the heat in the building that they paid for Walks away from the open sliding door while saying that 😂

[@zpetar]

Small kitchen??? That is not small kitchen by European standards. There is lots of houses and apartments with much smaller kitchens where food is prepared on daily basis for whole family and people donćt feel they need anything bigger

[@Sizzlik]

Indeed..that kitchen was over 1/3 of the space in my whole appartment. I would call that a kitchen plus dining room

[@spiritualhumanist]

That’s not a small kitchen for American standards either, no idea what he was thinking.

[@peterhendry2154]

The majority of European buildings were constructed before The United States Of America even existed. Most are built of stone with 3 foot thick gable ends and 2 foot walls front and back. In summer the walls absorb heat but cool the interior and in winter they give it back. Central heating is like the, ever present on old films, steam systems in NY etc. but uses water which is safer and cheaper, though you need an oxygen inhibitor as well so it does not corrode. Check your house insurance and waaaay down there in the tiny print you will probably find a clause that requires you to have your chimney ( should you have one) cleaned and checked every year just like it says in the German version. It is not a "Government" obligation it is common sense and part of your insurance. I have a huge, built in 1880 farmhouse here in France and cut and burn my own wood just like i did in the old house in Scotland and it costs me peanuts, keeps me fit and the stove does the cooking too. Stop vilifying our european government rules; it is us, the citizens, who made them for our own common wellbeing unlike USA and Britain where rules are made to benefit industry. On the other hand we do make wads of money from your profligate American "waste it who cares" attitude. P.S. Just checked my pension investments. Keep on going dudes you are making me almost wealthy.

[@Jerbod2]

@EpiDemic117 Lol the USSR won that war mate, not the USA.

[@DarkRaptor99]

Wow I knew forced air was popular in the USA but didn't know it was 93% That's pretty crazy!!

[@kiyomidalvi2115]

DarkRaptor99 A very late response, but 99.9% of the time when looking for homes on the market in America, the only two types of heating you see are propane and electric. If you ever see an exception, it will probably just be a wood stove if you're in a rural area.

[@shawniscoolerthanyou]

And my dry skin hates it haha!

[@bmbpdk]

Watching this and seeing how overwelmed and surprised they look, makes me wonder how many years behind the US really is concerning private heating. A lot of the things Richard says have been standard in Denmark for almost decades now. But i was pleasently surprised hearing that Germany is getting rid of nuclear power by 2022. I guess you learn something in every episodes of TOH

[@jmklamm]

Very informative. We are in the minority with radiators in our house and love them!

[@foxdmulder]

It's a big culture shock if your into architecture, home design and technology to travel from Europe (Ireland) to the US and observe differences between our build design and American. felt shingles on roofs as opposed to tone slates, homes completely built from timber and sheet rock compared to cavity block wall...etc etc. I often wondered why American homes chose forced air ducting and now I understand the logic behind it. It all amounts to climate. The rest is a balance between energy and efficency. I guess in the next few years we'll begin to witness how we share technology and advances in home energy globally. The use of solar, photovoltaic, and biomass are areas which if used correctly can improve home energy efficiency.

[@alexku8452]

I also allways wondered about the forced air heating, makes a lot more sense now. Also I remember in the 1950s and later some houses had been built with convection air heating. Nowadays you will also find more timber framed houses in Germany. It is a very cheap and quick way used mainly for what we call "Fertighäuser". Those are actually preassembled in a factory and then all the preassembled walls will get assembled in place. Those can be build with same energy efficiency and actually thinnner walls as the hollow walls provide room for insulation. but you find more likely drywall instead of plywood, as wood compared to the US is more expensive. We have wood but not in the same abundance as Canada and the US. As an Electrician I also wondered so many times about the US standard metall conduit. We put the cables directly within our brick walls and fixate them with gypsum. But then most likely we talk about more fire resistant materials than wood. I guess most of the electrical codes in the us are based on preventing to high loads, thus overheating the cables and preventing fires. But with 110 Volts you necessarily reach higher amperage. A German standard breaker for 230 Volts is 16 amps. In terms of quality I think it can be the same for both, but then with certain materials it seems also to be a bit of a mindset. I think clay tile, concrete tile and slate (seem to be the most common roofing materials here) will last longer than felt shingles and other lighter stuff (For any of those I think it also depends on climte and if installed properly)

[@Micha-xl5yc]

Alex Ku - I'm an electrician myself and from what I've learned so far about the US wiring practices is that metal conduit is primarily used in industrial and commercial applications. There are, however, several areas in the country, where local laws require residential installations to use metal conduit - it's definitely required in Chicago and neighboring areas, but I think it's also common in New York and a few other locations. The rest of the country uses Romex cable (double insulated cable very similar to what we use in Europe) that they lay directly in the wall by stapling it to the wooden structure of the wall or drilling holes in it to pull the wire through. It is true, though, that metal conduit isn't very popular in Europe since commercial and industrial wiring usually uses double insulated cables that run in cable trays, baskets, ladders and conduit is only used to protect cables where they're prone to an actual mechanical damage.

[@Karrde]

This has been the standard for many years now, as we are seeing the rise of energy-neutral homes. Homes so insulated you hardly need any energy to keep them heated. These houses are airtight and subsequently need ventilation in and out.

[@tektkite7255]

+Glenn Van Biesen problem is mold. many super sealed houses have huge mold issues

[@swanky_yuropean7514]

+Tekt Kite Only in older houses. The newer houses have an air circulation system located in the roof.

[@justuskertscher2418]

+Nolynox or in the utility room and they have a heat exchanger to keep the heat in the house.

[@leDespicable]

And that's why Germans have a secret weapon against mold: STOẞLÜFTEN! ^^

[@torstenbehrendt870]

If you have a regular fire place the chimney sweeper comes twice a year.

[@Someonesaidthis]

Never heard of this in the US.. WOW!

[@shadowblack1987]

Brilliant, unlike the garbage in the US.

[@RedPetrol76]

I never knew that was the root cause why most US houses have forced-air heating. But that makes perfectly sense. Even the Northern US major cities like Minneapolis are still more south than 'hot' European cities like Milan.

[@Rebasepoiss]

They be more South but climate-wise Minneapolis is actually much colder during winter months than Berlin, for example. Europe is heated by the North Atlantic current which brings warm air from the southern latitudes.

[@covfefe1787]

@@Rebasepoiss but the sun is stronger in most of the U.S Chicago gets the same UV radiation as Rome and is still colder but homes still get heated by the suns rays enough that offsets energy inefficiency to keep the house warm.

[@thuvang1987]

thank you for the video!

[@MisterKabul89]

Germans are champions in efficency

[@USAads2023]

Just look the 15:1 killing radio

[@Bu4rst]

Do you guys know what is not good about this energy law? We have the highest price for electric energy on the world. The people can't perform solar power are paying those which could had afford solar. And the whole county is buying Poland's coal and nuclear electric energy when there is no wind and no sun. And now they want even "forbid" oil heating. Our Government went total Socialist more and more. Every year more rules and taxes.

[@yansfor5306]

Trying to build my own little house and I want to see if it would be possible to make something similar here.

[@techedfireman4981]

Thanks, for this. It's something to see how progressive other countries are to being more efficient and environmentally aware with their energy use.

[@mmmodafoca]

+ThisIsTurok1 well the planet isn't dying.. it's been here closeto 4.6 billion years.. it's doing great.. WE are fucking changing it. and TechEdFireman wasn't "whining", he/she was admiring the EFFICIENCY other countries allow their homes to be. The US use to be a country of, we do things right.. they right way. cause we have the best fucking engineers the planet has to offer. now everything is so politicized Those houses of the FUTURE people dreamed of in the 60.. would be under attack for being too liberal minded.. too democrat or too much goverment in the home!!.. blah blah blah..

[@MKRM27]

+ThisIsTurok1 Mars? Are they using radiators or forced air? Fool! Might be the fact that they're 50,000,000 miles further from the Sun, that helps explain why it's cooler.

[@MKRM27]

+ThisIsTurok1 I think you'll find it said 50 million. Again, I assert you will find Mars is cooler because it's further from the Sun... get s grown up to explain it to you. You really are embarrassing yourself. Rather than going further, just apologise and as it you were wrong. It's the only way you can recover this. p.s. I wasn't educated in America; very foolish to make such silly assumptions.

[@MKRM27]

+ThisIsTurok1 I'll take that as your apology, and admission that you were being silly. It's okay, not everyone can be smart.

[@MKRM27]

+ThisIsTurok1 Apology accepted. You may be an ignorant moron, but at least you can accept when you've made a silly mistake - hilariously stupid mistake.

[@migratedcoconut]

This is exactly how they build houses in the US, we have energy codes too. You compare a new or remodeled German home with a 100 year old American home.

[@christopheb9221]

among of things it doesnt help that, in america, housing developers and their contractors try to spend the least possible to make each mass produced house in the housing developments to build them as cheap and fast as possible and this seems to be the dominate model. and its amazing that houses will gain value with the quality of some of them. There is also a big difference between older homes and newer ones(and products in general) which the idea of planned obsolescence which things are made with a lifespan in mind rather than trying to make things last as long as possible and then to replace rather than fix or replace parts. Also the material things are made out of. Old houses are made of much less plastics and similar material and which lifespan is not as long as metal, ceramic/rocks (but plastics from back then are much worse) and wood depends since they have come up with better treatment. what's interesting is how a old 2x4 looks so much larger than today's because they are actually 2"x4" modern pieces are all smaller than named since they are finished/planed after cutting so a 2"x4" is really only 1 1/2" by 3 1/2"

[@ppwalk05]

I wonder about the indoor air quality of these tight houses. The one major advantage of forced air is that it makes filtration, humidification/dehumidification, and air to air exchanges easy. I think the ideal would be a hydronic fan coil with integrated HRV/ERV core and radiant in floor heating.

[@compuholic82]

That is indeed a problem with old buildings which have been improperly upgraded. If you only upgrade the insulation they tend to have problems with mold since the moisture inside cannot get out (unless you vent regularly). Modern buildings usually have a ventilation system with a heat-exchange element. Hot air from inside is vented, heating some sort of heat-storage medium. Then, cold air from the outside is pumped in, using the stored heat to warm it up.

[@jackboike7643]

ppwalk05 Germans open the windows multiple times per day in order to get fresh air

[@JakobFischer60]

The main difference between the US and germany is the weather. Germany is far more north and the main focus lies on heating. In the US it is cooling. You can not cool a house with a water system, so in the US air systems are predominant.

[@fritz4345]

Great video which shows an average modern German house.

[@algalkin]

Another part of why these things are done - the cost of Energy in Europe in general. If, here in US we'd start paying for Electricity or natural gas as much as they pay over there, we'd start to see more energy efficient technology in the houses.I'd love to have those nice looking sliding triple pane doors in my house, but to pay $10000 for a door to save $15 per month? No thanks.

[@sebastianurbas7699]

+Алекс Галкин Such a sliding patio door with triple pane glass like in this video cost about 3,000 - 4,000 Euro. Windows and doors in the U.S. are maybe cheap at first sight. But considering the questionable quality, they are quite expensive.

[@benjaminrush4443]

Das ist Gut ! Danka.

[@A_J502]

This aged incredibly well. Germany is one of the least effected by energy fluctuations BECAUSE they pushed for energy independence so long ago.

[@dragonstalk86]

what are you talking about, their energy prices are through the roof; they did all this efficiency stuff, then they crippled themselves by limiting their energy availability

[@MrPonca77]

Great! Very true in some ways the Europeans are light years ahead of us

[@72strand]

It's not the size of the house, that matters. It's the size of the furnitures.

[@feelinggrape]

Great videos!! The difference in culture is apparent and very well explained!

[@heroknaderi]

Very interesting

[@stankormy5717]

Beautiful house!

[@marciabrzezinski7188]

I made it with INPLIX handbooks !

[@AlaKareem]

It's a mind set

[@Gastell0]

Energy Pass is not available for every single building though, they are useless for historical buildings (Denkmalschutz) as they are impossible to "upgrade" in energy efficiency from outside with exception of windows (you still need custom made windows approved by local government per individual case). There are quite a lot of old houses (mine was built in 1650 on papers) in towns that are considered historical. At least you're getting tax breaks from any upkeep or improvements to this buildings (as long as it have been done by contractors)

[@ML-lg4ky]

I need to move to Germany!

[@MrDaryca]

A typical German house, that's a bit exaggerated, a high percentage of people there live in cities, in block of apartments. Still impressed of course.

[@kronk358]

I bet radiators dont dry your sinuses out terribly every night during the winter like every house Ive ever lived in

[@compuholic82]

You still get dry air. It doesn't matter how you heat: Heating up air always results in a lower relative humidity and that sucks the moisture out of the tissue. The only way to combat this is with a humidifier. In the winter months I always have a humidifier running and it makes a huge difference.

[@Mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee]

is there a video that show how buildings are in the usa? im from germany and the buildings in the video are totally normal for me, so i wonder what is it in the usa?

[@algalkin]

+Mike Zeller dude, this whole channel is about buildings in USA...

[@DavidBcc]

Despite natural resources (mostly gas), the fossil fuels in this area are 300-400% more expensive than in the US. Instead of sharing the resources with the people, they'd rather make a shit ton of profit on them. The insulation is about stopping energy costs shooting through the roof (quite literally). As such I don't consider it to be a cultural trait, rather a sheer necessity.

[@mrjakobt]

+David The problem is that we don't have many natural ressources and we have to buy oild ang gas, which is highly unefficient and expensive, because of the long transportation routes.

[@DavidBcc]

Bollocks. The Netherlands has plenty natural gas to provide their own population.

[@mrjakobt]

David Well Germany isn't the Netherlands, so I don't see how that is connected...

[@DavidBcc]

My original comment and the video very much applies to the Netherlands as well. Almost identical building standards and energy costs.

[@mrjakobt]

David Building standards are a lot harsch in Germany. There are also extra rules for certain states, regions, cities or even areas. almost everything on a german building is build to a specific norm.

[@SheenaBoBeena84]

But as far as the argument of Germany using water to regulate temperature in the home because they're in a more Northern climate German homes have radiant cooling as well as radiant heating.

[@mih77]

What is crazy about using HVAC in climate where you need cooling and dehumidifying? And actually, there is a strong marketing and PR pressure to buy air-to-air or any other heat pump instead of gas heater/radiators in Europe because of "free energy" surplus and better eficiency.

[@BeteSpatioTemporelle]

Separate the electrical and thermal system ! Otherwise > 60 % energy loss. Use solar heat in the summer, wood heat in the winter ! Otherwise polluting and depletable. Make you own paradise ! :-)

[@maribelhutchinson5174]

I am sure that you will find good way to make it on Inplix Webpage.

[@justinelliott3529]

My house is 864 sq ft in the United States

[@MarcusWolschon]

Germany may be slightly more on the northern side of the US...but northern Germany is smack at the end of the warm gulf stream. It's not THAT easy.

[@michaelhardy3593]

Goal Zero Yeti 3000 solar generator no gas needed please test it out

[@jake78441]

wow cool

[@haferman92]

German engineering is the greatest in the world!

[@Stangil1]

And begin the America bashing below.

[@chevy6299]

I do not believe the average house in the US 2500 square foot or more, more like half that size. He could be talking about new construction though.

[@phototristan]

Way for Germany to make everyone else feel inferior.

[@TrevorEditor]

Republicans in this country would loose their freaking minds if we required someone to come out and check our homes for efficiency.

[@Marcel_Germann]

It's not only about efficiency. They also check if the system is safe. The exhaust or the inlet for combustion air could be clogged, causing dangerous levels of carbon monoxide inside of the house. So carbon monoxide detectors are not mandatory here. That's their additional job. Back in the days their job was to clean chimneys and to prevent chimney fires which can be extremely dangerous. And that's what they still do if you have a traditional furnace. Some people here still have an a fireplace, mostly as an addition to the central heating, because it looks nice. And they won't shut down the heating if it's not efficient enough, especially not in the winter time, they'll only do that if the heating becomes dangerous and the use of it endangers health or life.

[@Nunyobidne55]

I can name many dems who would do the same

[@jbichl]

the US should have the annual inspection and energy pass.

[@baderabed3330]

jbichl did

[@rbeck3200tb40]

NO we dont need that totalitarian gov. nonsense 99% of the houses here in the US wouldnt pass the energy efficiency test anyway

[@shawniscoolerthanyou]

@@rbeck3200tb40 You kinda contradicted yourself.

[@rbeck3200tb40]

@@shawniscoolerthanyou No I didnt

[@tjohannam]

You Americans are a bit megalomaniac. 180m2 is not small. I grew up in a house with 120m2 and that was big! Cultural differences indeed.

[@feelinggrape]

Johanna M dude Said Square foot, not square m.

[@alexku8452]

I think you can easily say most average German homes range between 120 and 145 square meters. detached houses seem to be more on the smaller side than town houses. but that might be due to land prices in the cities, and a detached house requires more land. In square feet that ranges roughly between 1300 and 1600 I think (might be a little less actually)

[@zpetar]

Where would they fit those huge kitchens they rarely use?

[@zpetar]

Americans. I replied to comment about Americans being megalomaniacs. I was a little bit sarcastic :)

[@tealkerberus748]

You're heating water to heat the house .. and then circulating it through a panel on the wall right beside a window. What happened to circulating it through the floor like sensible people? Minimise your heat loss through the window and also have the whole room warm instead of one bit of wall, while not using up wall space that you might want to put furniture against?

[@Skyl3t0n]

Floor heating is very popular as well btw, but every window here is triple paned. The Position of the radiator makes no difference. And even if there was a open hole in the wall, it wouldn't really matter where the radiator is placed. The air is criculating anyway if there is a leak of some kind where heat could be exchanged. Also i think you don't really know how radiators work. They don't heat the wall. You heat the air around the radiator and the wall rather reflects the heat into the room.

[@tealkerberus748]

@@Skyl3t0n The radiator heats air. Hot air from the radiator rises and immediately chills against the window. You get zero benefit from that heat except however much it prevents the rest of the room being chilled by the window instead.

[@Tyr002]

@@tealkerberus748 Beide Systeme sind in Deutschland beliebt und sie haben ihre unterschiedlichen vor und Nachteile. Die Fußbodenheizung ist in der Anschaffung teure, dafür im betrieb günstiger. Eine Fußbodenheizung brauch ein wenig mehr Betriebsplanung, da sie sehr viel länger braucht um die Räume aufzuheizen. Die Wahrnehmung der Wärme ist bei beiden Systemen auch unterschiedlich, so das es letzten Endes auch eine Frage von Geschmack ist.

[@Rick2010100]

If the heater is hung under the window, the warm air it produces rises straight up and forms a kind of protective veil. This prevents the cold air from entering the room and warms it up directly before it can cause cold feet inside. The heating has to be always on the coldest place of the room for optimal circulation of the warm air. This was not only a wisedom from ancestors, it is also today proven by computer models.

[@Zygmunt-Zen]

American McMansions are an ecological disaster. Even rich people only typically live in the same 1000 sq ft. Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room.... that's all you need. Do you need a party room you use once a month at most?

[@andreacoppini]

Yeah, we Europeans are all about efficiency, which is why I cringed when you walked out and left the door wide open....

[@maxlittle1063]

What kind of shingles are those on the roof under teh solar panels?

[@sgthree]

Like pretty much every house in Europe, we don't use shingles. We have clay or slate roof tiles. Much more efficient and will last typically well over 100 years with zero maintenance for wear and tear.

[@abalada]

@@sgthree Those look like concrete roof tiles. They have only a lifetime of 40 years. Clay roof tiles 60-80 years. Sure 100 years might be possible, but the ones on my house had to be replaced after 85 years.

[@sgthree]

@@abalada don’t know where you got those numbers from. I know for a fact they commonly last MUCH longer, unless they are sub-standard tiles.

[@cyborg266]

Take some notes and learn something USA!

[@TheThornbird21]

I want this house here in the states🙄🤗

[@Mihogan]

This sounds awful. Boilers that may last 50 years will need replaced every 10 years. Gaining 5% efficiency by replacing will cost $10k and would take 20 years to pay off..

[@chrisx1197]

Germans are good at building things

[@Mamamiaia-2015]

And my Oma in the Bavarian Alps leaves windows open in the winter….

[@shawniscoolerthanyou]

Fresh air during the day! If you're cold at night, pile on more blankets!

[@aaron___6014]

It's a cultural thing. And its too bad that the American job market has made it difficult or financially unwise to stay in one location for your lifetime.

[@pamgessler5923]

It bothers me to see these guys walk through the house with their shoes on! :-D

[@billiamc1969]

It's a shame Americans waste so many resources...

[@wallygator5274]

I work for the Germans for a few years at Airbus . I found everything to be well done however one of the downfalls is over complicating engineering they'll make something so good it will last 50 years when its service life may only be 20 years. I've read many books that say that is one of the main reasons that they lost the Second World War

[@Esthersimpson620]

+Wally Gator A lot not all but a lot of our modern technology comes from the Germans, Jet engines, m/ovens etc Not to forget the V1 and V2 rockets America "went" to the moon in! Germans are very smart.

[@MKRM27]

+esther19741974 All? Really? The Internet? Smart phones? Internet of things? No.

[@Esthersimpson620]

MKRM27 Your right, I meant all the technology that changed the World, like the Jet engines, V1 and V2 rockets etc

[@MKRM27]

+esther19741974 Again, you appear to be suggesting that the invention of the Internet didn't change the world. And at the other end of the timeline, I don't think the wheel, electricity or the telephone were German. Looks to me like they must be some of your fave inventions; that you're positioning as world changing.

[@Esthersimpson620]

MKRM27 What are you dribbling?? I never said Internet, or any such thing!

[@mirzapa]

Ze Germanz. They know a thing or two about efficiency.

[@hermanstrom3948]

That's extremely intrusive of the government.

[@jpjay1584]

not more intrusive than they "force" you to pay tax, abide by the law or stop at red lights.... how come you more believe BS that is supposed to SCARE you, rather than doing something GOOD for the whole nation. (save energy, save money, don´t pollute the environment, keep up with modern standarts,...) nothing to be afraid of. then pls check the lung cancer rate of big cities. it is alarmingly high. developed nations need to fight energy waste. for one reason or the other. we´re not talking about "communism" here. US still thinks that health care is commie practice.

[@Marcel_Germann]

But there's a reason for this. The chimney sweep-law is an old regulation to prevent chimney fires (which are very dangerous) and carbon monoxide poisoning of the inhabitants through clogged chimneys (soot, birds nest). And especially in areas where houses are pretty close, like it is in most parts of Germany, a burning chimney can flash over to the next houses. Looks very spectacular, but is quite dangerous: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHvTnneAqrNmo9U Actually now you can let a company of your trust, mostly the plumber which installed the heating, perform these measurements during the yearly maintainance of the heating system. It doesn't matter, because you have to pay for the chimney sweeper too. The chimney sweep is not an employee of the state.

[@shaclo1512]

yea, thats why we have to pay half a million € to build a tiny shitty house

[@ChillingSpartan]

Omg. They talk like they came from another planet. But it doesn't surprise me much. The came from a country where houses are build out of toothpicks and cardboard.

[@Netlogic.]

He keeps calling the bricks German (European) houses are made with concrete blocks in all of his videos. They're extruded clay blocks (basically fancy bricks) ffs.

[@norwegiannationalist7678]

It pains me as a northern european to see him keep the door open

[@nultari1]

"It's a mindset" draconian rules and regulations can push anyone to adopt a certain mindset

[@shawniscoolerthanyou]

Well, they have a democratic government, so the majority has chosen much of those rules.

[@AleksisSa]

No to Big Brother State.

[@d.b.c.t1m059]

+AleksisSa In the U.S. the government is allowed to spy on its own citizens in every possible way and you can end up in a black site prison without ever being heared of again. But if the german government wants to check your energy system is scares you?

[@thegreenman4898]

ha! he thinks because they trot out the tired old cliche of "freedom" everywhere, he actually is free

[@stanleysiewierski]

I calculate 112% efficiency with Russian women!