Fact Sheet G&HH Improving Ventilation Central Roof Exhaust
Fact Sheet G&HH Improving Ventilation Central Roof Exhaust
Fact Sheet G&HH Improving Ventilation Central Roof Exhaust
National Academies Press, Damp Indoor Spaces and Health, Institute of Medicine of the National
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where the vertical sheetrock shafts are in of roof fan exhaust flow being pulled
The total roof fan exhaust flow is equal contact with the floor or ceiling, there is an from random building cavities, instead
to the sum of the exhaust flows from unsealed gap. (See Figure 5.) With any shaft of the kitchens or baths that require
each floor, which implies a perfectly construction, when the contractor reaches ventilation.
sealed duct system. Yet the designer the top floor and punches through the roof
did not provide specific guidance on deck, the gap between the rough opening Field balancing of exhaust flows not
duct-sealing details or performance and the ductwork is not sealed. In some completed. After the fans start up, the
specifications in the construction cases, the rough opening is fairly tight. In design specified by the mechanical
documents. other cases, daylight is visible through this designer called for manual balancing
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gap. Later, after the roof curb and fan are of exhaust flows at each bath/kitchen.
The operating pressure at each register installed, the gap between the masonry Sometimes problems occur in the field
that is required to deliver the 50 CFM
exhaust for the bath is not specified.
Instead, the designer specifies an
Figure 5 | Leakage point at connection Figure 6 | Leakage point at roof deck
adjustable register at each point of
between gypsum board shaft and floor connection
exhaust that is to be adjusted based on
slab (red arrow)
field conditions to achieve the desired
exhaust at each floor. This register
effectively transfers the responsibility
of the system performing as intended
from the mechanical designer to the
mechanical contractor.
According to Steven Winter Associates Often the mechanical drawings are not
• Adding another 15 CFM (around 20%)
and increasing the flow from 45 to 60
(SWA), AEROSEAL has been used to seal accurate, causing surprises. Despite these CFM, which provides a buffer to account
85%–90% of shaft leakage in a wide range challenges, the taller the building, the more for uncertainty in the test and balance
of building and shaft types. The spray seal important it is to have a very tight duct and allows for changes in ventilation rates
approach utilizes a system that pumps system, since taller shafts must be operated caused by varying weather conditions.
water-based mastic sealant to a nozzle at a higher pressure in order to minimize
and video camera assembly. The nozzle fluctuations due to wind and stack effect. ASHRAE 62.2 requirements: Some high-
and camera assembly is lowered down performance and green building programs
the shaft and sealant for inspecting and Step 2: Determine the appropriate design state that ventilation systems must meet the
sealing leaks. This system has been proven exhaust ventilation flow rate for individual American Society of Heating, Refrigeration,
to be effective at sealing joints in vertical kitchens and baths to ensure adequate and Air Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE)
shafts, but not in any horizontal take- pollutant removal and an effective overall 62.2 Standard Ventilation and Acceptable
off ducts connecting to vertical shafts. level of air change in the apartment Indoor Air Quality for Low-Rise Residential
These take-off duct joints must be sealed based on occupancy. For apartments with Buildings. Standard 62.2 requires a
manually by accessing the exhaust grills. kitchen and bathroom exhaust, follow minimum ventilation rate of 7.5 CFM
With any advanced duct-sealing system the code minimum continuous exhaust per person plus 0.01 CFM per square
(AEROSEAL or spray seal), it is important requirements, plus a safety factor. For foot of floor space and has prescriptive
for owners to require performance-based example, to meet the ICC code minimum requirements for bath and kitchen exhaust.
For the 800 square foot apartment example
noted above, 62.2 would require 30.5 CFM
Figure 12 | AEROSEAL set-up for a central exhaust ventilation application total (22.5 CFM for the two bedrooms plus 8
CFM for the floor space).