Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating & Electric

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT INDOOR AIR

QUALITY ( IAQ) AND VENTILATION

A question and answer format designed to help you guide your decision

1. What is meant by “Indoor Air Quality”?

“Good indoor air quality can be defined as the absence of any substance in the air that is a health hazard or a source of

discomfort to the occupants of a building, or a threat to the building structure.”*

* from Indoor Air Quality NHA 6069, published by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 1988.

2. Should everyone be concerned with the quality of the indoor environment?

Yes. Construction practices used today to reduce energy consumption and moisture damage to buildings have reduced

natural air leakage. Without ventilation, normal activities such as laundry, cooking and showers can cause excessive

moisture generation resulting in high humidity, occupant discomfort, bacterial or fungus growth and lingering odours.

3. What then are the total adverse effects of poor IAQ?

Both the health and welfare of the occupants will suffer. The structure of the building may also be damaged.

4. How may I recognise possible threats to household members due to poor IAQ?

Some household members may have headaches, or irritations of the nose, throat, lungs, eyes or skin.

5. What are some of the major pollutants?

• Aldehydes

• Carbon dioxide

• Carbon monoxide

• Combustion by-products

• Dirt particles

• Excessive levels of radon gas

• Excessive moisture

• Pollen

• Tobacco smoke

6. Can a prolonged exposure to poor IAQ have a lasting or long-term effect upon those

exposed?

Long-term physical weakness may result from, but not be limited to, those pollutants mentioned in the answer to

question #5.

7. In what way will poor IAQ adversely affect the structure of a house?

Both visible and hidden damage to the structure may be caused by prolonged build-up of moisture levels in the walls

and attic.

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

8. How does this happen?

Interior damage to the structure is caused by moisture migration due to air and vapour pressure differentials between

the inside and the outside of the structure.

9. What is the cause of condensation forming on the windows?

Condensation is caused by warm moist air in contact with colder glass.

10. What are some methods of improving and controlling air quality?

• Removing the source of the problem

• Ventilation

• Air cleaning (filtration)

• Air conditioning

• Dehumidification

• Humidification

• Local exhaust fans

11. What equipment is used?

• Ventilators

• Air conditioners

• Dehumidifiers

• Electronic/media air cleaners

• Humidifiers

12. What is ventilation?

It’s a device that exhausts contaminated indoor air from a building or delivers a fixed quantity of outdoor air into a

building.

13. Is there an industry position in Canada regarding IAQ and ventilation?

The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) recognises ventilation as a primary solution to

acceptable indoor air quality.

14. What considerations are important in ventilation?

There are three: amount, balance and distribution.

15. How do I know what is a proper amount of ventilation

Minimum ventilation quantities [cubic feet/minute (cfm) or Litre’s/second (L/s) are specified in the National Building

Code. Also, the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) National Standard CSA F-326-M1989 (Residential Mechanical

Ventilation Requirements) establishes current ventilation rates consistent with current construction practices.

16. How is balanced ventilation achieved?

By having equal amount of supply (intake) and exhaust air.

17. Why is balanced ventilation important?

It maintains indoor air pressure at an acceptable range which reduces problems due to moisture (see Questions #7 – #10).

Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada

18. What about distribution?

Proper distribution provides ventilation to every room in the house

• Homes which have a convection system (e.g. hot water radiators or electrical baseboards) will require the

installation of a ventilation duct system.

• Residences with a forced air system can use existing ducting with minor modifications.

19. Is there an operating cost associated with ventilation?

Yes, fan motors consume electrical energy, outside air must be heated in the winter, and if the house is air conditioned,

cooled in the summer.

20. Can the operating costs be reduced?

Yes, a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV) is an all-season solution that transfers heat from the exhaust air to the intake air in

the winter. In the summer the heat transfer is reversed to save on cooling costs.

21. Is any maintenance required?

Yes, filters must be cleaned periodically. The installer should leave the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions with the

homeowner.

22. What system is right for me?

This can be determined by a qualified mechanical contractor. Many contractors across Canada have been certified as

having successfully completed the HRAI Residential Mechanical Ventilation course. When selecting a contractor, be sure

that company technicians are properly qualified, certified and insured. Consider selecting contractors who are members

of the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) which requires its members to carry relevant

trade, fuel safety and municipal licenses as well as workers compensation. HRAI “Members in Good Standing” are

companies that have provided all the necessary documentation. A company’s membership in HRAI not only tells you that

the company is properly licensed but that they are also committed to continuous improvement through education and

training.

23. What about installation costs?

Installation costs can be determined by your contractor. These costs vary with the size of the home and the complexity of

the installation.

24. Does the installation of a ventilation system increase the market value of a home?

Yes, it does. It indicates to the buyer that the health and comfort of the occupants, as well as the home’s structural

concerns, have been addressed.

This report explores just how unhealthy North Americans’ homes are because of indoor air quality and what you can do to improve this growing pollution problem.

The Canadian population as a whole continues to grow older and older. In 2006, according to Statistics Canada the median age of the population reached a record high of 38.8 years, compared to 38.5 a year before and 37.2 in 2001.

Thanks to longer life expectancy and low birth rate, the number of senior citizens in the country is only expected to grow larger as time goes on, outpacing any other age demographic.

In fact, in 25 years it is projected that Alberta alone will be home to nearly one million seniors, making one in five people over the age of 65.

With the unprecedented shift in age demographic, there is a growing demand for not only improved air quality in seniors’ housing but overall improvements and standards in indoor environmental quality, including comfort, lighting, and sound and odour control.

Robert Bean of www.healthyheating.com, says in the coming years the indoor air quality and overall environment of seniors’ housing will become a major issue in North America simply due to sheer population numbers.

What is needed is to redefine senior residents’ homes as micro-healthcare facilities, he said. However, the task will be hampered by the status quo in the building community. For the time being, the changes that need to be made are purely voluntary and not usually considered in the world of aging in place of universal design, added Bean.

Making the challenge even greater is the fact that, to some degree, seniors who are experiencing cognitive symptoms may be more susceptible to indoor air quality issues.

“(Seniors) may not recognize, through no fault of their own, a potentially harmful environment or they may not be aware how a few lapses in judgment could set themselves up for illness or a fatality,” said Bean. “Carbon monoxide, Legionnela and Radon are three such IAQ (indoor air quality) landmines which can go undetected by seniors until it is too late.”

“For some it may be challenges with personal grooming and good hygiene especially those with incontinence. This can lead to very poor indoor air quality and often times such conditions are exasperated by the senior who may deliberately keep windows closed to eliminate cold drafts whilst keeping exhaust fans turned off to reduce the cost of utility bills,” he added.

“It’s hard enough managing a home built to minimum standards when you’re able bodied and of sound mind. Imagine the frustration of not wanting to move into an institution and yet unable to safely maintain your personal residence—#8212;this negative psychological construct is very real and often the frustration migrates into the lives of the children, particularly the daughters who tend to fill the caregiver roles.”

What can be done for our seniors? In theory the answer is easy: it must be recognized that heating, ventilation and air conditioning, along with interior design must be more aligned with the construction process of new homes, instead of just a concern for the healthcare sector.

In practice, the process may not be so simple and obstacles are abound.

“The biggest obstacle for improvements in Canada is cultural,” said Bean. “The building industry has over a period of time conditioned society to believe for example, that 5% to 7% of construction costs for an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems is adequate for Canadians. What the population seems to forget or fails to learn, or chooses to ignore, is that Canadian building codes are minimum standards which do not require homes to meet green, energy efficiency, and comfort standards like those published by the 55,000 global members of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers).

Furthermore, the industry is educated, trained and judged on how well it puts parts together – in other words we reward the “how” but not the “why”. As such we have placed the North American mechanical contractor in a box which fails to recognize that they are—#8212;by the World Health Organization definitions—#8212;healthcare workers, he added.

For the time being, retirement planning should incorporate an emphasis on indoor air quality to keep seniors healthy and happy when deciding where to spend their final years.

A suggested approach is to first search out building professionals learning to manufacture homes or retirement communities to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Standards, which is being launched for seniors housing by the Green Building Council of Canada in 2008.

“More important, is to ensure that the indoor environmental quality element includes specifications to ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy and that CSA Z317.2 Special Requirements for HVAC Systems in Health Care Facilities serves as the basis for residential design,” said Bean. “The indoor conditions created by these standards are ‘human element based’ and are specifiable, measurable and achievable.”

—Dan Leahul is the Calgary Real Estate News resident reporter.

We do have a solution!!!!!!!! Look here: http://www.gravenhurstplumbing.com/services/indoor-air-quality

Contact us when you need building permit BCIN drawings and Designer BCIN forms

Generator Sizing Guide