ASHRAE Offers Guidance on Improving IAQ in Residences; Photo Available 12/4/2003
From: Jodi Dunlop of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-onditioning Engineers, 404-636-8400, ext.1140 or jdunlop@ashrae.org ATLANTA, Dec. 4 -- The following was released today by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air- Conditioning Engineers: Are concerns about indoor air quality making it difficult for you to breathe easy in your own home? Acknowledging reports that air quality inside homes can be worse than outside, engineers have identified ways to move air in and out of homes to minimize the factors that lead to indoor air quality problems. The key is to design HVAC and other systems to work together to effectively ventilate homes and minimize sources of indoor pollution. New guidance for home ventilation "would generally result in increased indoor air quality (IAQ) and decreased health problems compared to those that do not," Max Sherman, Ph.D., said. The guidance is contained in a new standard developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). Sherman is immediate past chair of the committee that wrote ASHRAE 62.2, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low- Rise Residential Buildings. "The standard is just good, basic common sense," he said. "People need fresh air. The standard tells how to provide it and how to avoid other common problems." Residential ventilation traditionally was not a major concern because it was felt people were getting enough outdoor air by opening their windows and by air leaking through the building's walls. As homes were built tighter to save energy, trapping contaminants indoors, concern has risen about IAQ, especially now that people spend almost 90 percent of their day indoors -- 65 percent of that in their homes. Also, residents are less likely to open windows because of energy costs, security issues, drafts, noise and dirty air from outside. Studies from the Environmental Protection Agency on human exposure to air pollutants show that indoor levels of pollutants may be two to five times, sometimes more than 100 times, higher than outdoor levels. People in buildings frequently report discomfort and building-related health symptoms, and sometimes develop building-related illnesses. "Publication of this standard does not immediately require changes to building practice, but it does set the minimum level expected of HVAC professionals with respect to residential ventilation," Sherman said. Some requirements in the standard that represent significant changes from standard practice include use of sound rated fans, disruptively noisy fans are commonly used, as well as use of mechanical, whole-house ventilation, only a small fraction of houses currently use this. Implementing the proposed standard will cost homebuilders between $150 and $250 per house, according to Joe Lstiburek, a consulting engineer and a member of the committee. Most of the requirements in the standard are already standard practice for most builders. Although the standard is prepared for engineers who design HVAC systems in homes, there are several recommendations that can be applied by homeowners to their homes. "Any house, even ones meeting the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 62.2, can have indoor air quality problems if there are unusual activities, malfunctioning equipment or damaged systems," Sherman said. Sherman said the standard meets another need -- it is the only nationally recognized IAQ standard developed solely for residences. It is intended for use in building codes. ASHRAE, founded in 1894, is an international organization of 55,000 members. Through its meetings, research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education, the Society helps keep indoor environments comfortable and productive, deliver healthy and safe food to consumers and preserve the outdoor environment. The Society spends $350,000 annually on indoor air quality related research, such as indoor air quality in classrooms, writes industry and government recognized standards for ventilation in buildings and provides guidance for controlling humidity, particularly mold and mildew control. ------ Editor's note: A high resolution, publication-ready graphic supporting this story is available for free editorial use at: http://www.wirepix.com/newsphotos/USN |