February 1990
Preliminary Assessment of Ventilation Requirements for New Single-Family Homes study assessed ventilation requirements for new single-family homes, including the need for and cost-effectiveness of heat-recovery ventilators, non-heat recovery ventilators and passive vents.
Objectives of the study included:
- Investigating the range of ventilation requirements found in building codes and standards;
- Developing a methodology for estimating available natural ventilation and required supplemental ventilation (if any) to satisfy minimum ventilation requirements;
- Evaluating alternative methods to accomplish the required supplemental ventilation;
- Determining the approximate cost of alternative methods for providing supplemental ventilation.
Results
The results of the study indicate that supplemental ventilation is justified only for very tight homes, and even then, a continuous ventilation fan of under 100 cfm is usually adequate to meet supplemental outdoor air requirements. Generally, a heat recovery ventilator is not cost effective for providing such a low volume of ventilation, but a non-heat recovery ventilator, such as a simple supply or exhaust fan, can provide this level of supplemental ventilation at a lower cost to the builder and occupants. Passive vents provide an even more cost effective alternative for providing supplemental ventilation in many cases.
Prepared for:
National Association of Home Builders
58 pages