More Education – Indoor Air Quality
So, last time we learned about VOC’s at least a little. This time I thought we’d take a look at Air Change Rates or Air Changes per Hour. What on earth is that and why does it matter? It is a measure of the air volume added to or removed from a space (for instance, your home) divided by the volume of the space. It is, basically, a measure of how many times the air within a defined space is replaced. Often abbreviated as ACH, ventilation rates are often expressed as a volume rate per person or CFM per person. Great, again we have definitions, abbreviations etc. But, why is it important. Well, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers high performance homes need to be ventilated at a rate of approximately 102 cfm’s for a 2400 square foot home to insure a high quality indoor breathing environment. That rate has increased an amazing 54% in the last decade. Not only did I not know their was a standard I certainly did not know it had increased so dramatically. Air exchange, or we could just call it ventilation, controls indoor air quality. This means it is used to control temperature, replenish oxygen, remove or replace moisture, odors, smoke, heat , dust, airborne bacteria and carbon dioxide, introduce outside air and to prevent stagnation of the indoor air. I honestly never gave any of this that much thought.
Now, before you start freaking out, especially about the ASHRAE standards, understand that only the exceptionally tight, high-efficiency homes being built are expected to be concerned with the considerably high standards of the ASHRAE. However, it is something to think about and perhaps even ask your HVAC professional about. After all, we are all interested in keeping our homes and our families as healthy as possible.
So, there is your indoor air quality education for the day. Hope you feel at least somewhat enlightened. I know I certainly do. As always, if you have questions, or thoughts or just need some help improving your indoor breathing environment please call us or visit our site.
Sources: Wikipedia and greenbuildingadvisor.com
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