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The Conversation
The Conversation
William Bahnfleth, Professor of Architectural Engineering, Penn State

Lüften sounds simple – but ‘house-burping’ is more complicated in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh United States Google TikTok Europe
Lüften refers to the German practice of opening windows and sometimes doors to rapidly fill a house with outdoor air, at least a couple of times daily. Jan Nevidal/Getty Images

Recently, the German term “lüften” has been circulating on social media and trending on Google. The term refers to the practice of opening windows and doors to replace stale indoor air with outdoor air, a longtime practice in many European homes. Americans have dubbed it “house burping” in many videos on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

William Bahnfleth, a professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, has personal and professional experience with lüften. He spoke to The Conversation’s Pittsburgh Editor Cassandra Stone about the science behind it and how Pittsburgh homeowners can best navigate the “house burping” trend.

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