Improving Ventilation

in Existing or New Buildings with

Central Roof Exhaust

Green & Healthy Housing

Why Ventilate? improving
Most of us spend the majority of our time chemicals from building materials and
ventilation
in Exhisting or
in homes or apartments. Making sure the cleaners; and
New buildings
home living environment has enough clean,
fresh air will help to improve occupant • Provide enough clean, fresh air by
pulling in and filtering outside air before
with central
roof exhaust
health. Many multi-family buildings do not
it is heated, cooled, or circulated in the
consistently provide families with clean,
building to help reduce contaminants
fresh air. While all of our buildings have
and allergens in homes.
Fall 2009
windows, these windows do not make
a complete ventilation system in most
U.S. climates. Nearly all buildings require
Buildings that are ventilated well are also Contents
less likely to experience unhealthy odor
mechanical ventilation and fans to: > Why ventilate?
or moisture/mold issues that can trigger
• Exhaust pollutants generated inside
the building, such as moisture from
tenant complaints. Living in damp or
moldy environments has been linked to
> Do you have
central exhaust
ventilation?
bathrooms and cooking, contaminants increased risks of breathing problems, such > Is my ventilation
generated during cooking, and as asthma.1 system operating
properly?
> Design Problems
Do You Have Central Exhaust > Installation
problems
Ventilation? > O&M and Problems
over time
Central ventilation systems are the most grills may be located in apartment baths > Solution for
common type of ventilation systems used and/or kitchens. In some cases, only a Existing Buildings
in mid- to high-rise multi-family buildings portion of the baths and/or kitchens in a > Putting it all
constructed after the 1960s. You know building will be mechanically ventilated together in existing
your building has this system if there is a and have exhaust grills. Sometimes buildings
farm of “mushroom” fans on the roof. These kitchens and baths with operating > Solution for new
buildings
roof exhaust fans are connected to grills in windows will not have an exhaust.
individual apartments via vertical shafts/ Common areas and corridors may also > Resources
ducts. (See Figure 1.) Exhaust shafts can have one or more exhaust grills at each
be constructed of sheet metal ductwork, floor connected to a central roof fan.
gypsum board, or even masonry. Exhaust Alternatively, they may have one or more

Figure 1 | Central Exhaust Ventilation System

National Academies Press, Damp Indoor Spaces and Health, Institute of Medicine of the National
1

Academies, ISBN 0–3–9–09246–9, 2004.

Impr o ving Ventilation in Existing or Ne w Buildings | 1

supply grills (from which air flows into into the corridors. Field experience suggests
the building) at each floor connected to a that many central systems do not perform as
make-up air unit, which is usually located intended, with significant consequences for
Design Problems
on the roof and blows fresh outdoor air indoor air quality and energy.
The mechanical designer generally
chooses the exhaust ventilation rate
for bathrooms and kitchens based on
Is My Ventilation System local conventions, code requirements,
and green/high-performance building
Operating Poorly? criteria. The International Mechanical Code

Problems associated with central exhaust

systems can be linked to poor design,
• Case 2: Inadequate ventilation in part
of the building and an opportunity for
requires continuous exhaust ventilation
rates of 20 cubic feet per minute (CFM) in
baths and 25 CFM in kitchens. While design
installation, operations and maintenance whole-building energy savings, based
practices vary across the country, it is very
(O&M), and tenant/resident behavior, or on over-ventilation in another part of
common for designers to select exhaust
combinations of these issues. However, nearly the building. (See Figure 3.)
ventilation rates of 100+ CFM per kitchen
all of the problems owners and residents
and 50 CFM per bath. The energy penalty
experience fall into one of two diagnoses: Before discussing solutions, it’s helpful to
associated with such high ventilation rates
take a closer look at the common problems
• Case 1: Inadequate ventilation in all or part of
the building, but no opportunity for whole-
with these systems that apply to both
existing buildings and new construction.
is substantial, and even systems designed
for these high ventilation rates will not
necessarily assure adequate pollutant
building energy savings. (See Figure 2.)
removal in practice without the proper
implementation of critical details discussed
below. Typically, the wisdom of targeting
Figure 2 | Case #1: Exhaust balancing performance: Inadequate ventilation in most
very high exhaust ventilation rates is that
apartments. No whole-building energy savings potential
there is more margin for error and a greater
likelihood that apartments on lower floors
(furthest from roof fans) will receive at least
some ventilation.

Designers are also now asked to achieve

enhanced ventilation as part of local codes,
green building requirements, or owner
instructions. The specified standards most
frequently cited are the ASHRAE standards
(62.2 for low-rise buildings and 62.1 for
high-rise buildings).

A typical mechanical designer’s worldview

is presented in Figure 4. Carefully-drawn
arrows indicate with precision the 50 CFM
that is meant to be exhausted from each
Figure 3 | Case #2: Exhaust balancing performance: Inadequate ventilation in certain bathroom served by the riser. Typical
apartments and whole-building energy savings potential problems of mechanical designers’ choices
are presented below.

For energy efficiency and indoor

air quality, it is preferable to
target lower (but still code
compliant) continuous exhaust
ventilation rates while focusing
on quality assurance details that
will ensure that systems actually
perform as designed.

2 | Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust

Figure 4 | Typical mechanical designer’s
worldview
Installation Problems

Green & Healthy Housing

Ducts not sealed. The mechanical and ductwork can be a major source of
contractor begins to connect the leakage. (See Figure 6.) Highest system
rectangular sheet metal pieces of ductwork operating pressures are closest to the
that will make up the vertical shafts in roof fan; hence the roof connection is
the field. No particular attention is paid the worst possible location for a leak
to sealing transverse (horizontal) joints at in the duct system. Often the most
the connections between two pieces of significant leakage location in the
ductwork. Sealing positively pressurized system can occur at the connection
supply ducts helps to ensure the air in the between the ductwork and the
ducts reaches the designated location. sheetrock/plaster. Figure 7 illustrates a
If ducts are not sealed, air may flow out gap between the back of the sheetrock
before it reaches the spaces where the and the horizontal take-off duct that
designer wanted it to go. But with exhaust connects the vertical shaft to the
ducts under suction, the significance of register assembly. When the register
a leak is not as widely understood. In this assembly slides into the take-off duct,
case, air may be pulled into the ducts from there will still be a space between the
locations other than the units. This may inside of the take-off duct and the
result in well-ventilated chases, ceiling or outside of the register assembly due
wall cavities, attics and crawlspaces, but to sheet metal tolerances. A perimeter
poorly-ventilated units. crack of 1/16” (illustrated by the red
dotted line) will result in a total leakage
Gaps and cracks not sealed. In some cases, area of 1.5 square inches for a 6x6 duct
vertical shafts are made out of sheetrock and 2 square inches for an 8x6 duct.
instead of sheet metal. At every location Holes this large can result in up to 50%

•
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

•
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.

• Finally, roof fans are specified with belt

drives that are relatively cumbersome to
adjust in the field. Direct-drive fans with
speed controllers can be adjusted in the
field more easily.

Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust | 3

Figure 7 | Leakage between sheetrock and horizontal take-off duct system design in the field. As a result of
less than optimal damper adjustment,
upper floors closest to the fan tend to be
over-ventilated and lower floors tend to be
under-ventilated. Leakage in and around
ducts exacerbates this problem. Some
may question the purpose of sealing the
ducts if they are in conditioned spaces. In
exhaust systems, leaks toward the top of
the shaft pull air from random building
cavities, effectively stealing ventilation
air from lower floor kitchens and baths.
Pulling air from these spaces can result in
unventilated or over-ventilated apartments
and, in some cases, owners/residents may
that make such testing challenging. For corners on the necessary testing. While pay to heat air ventilating uninhabited
example, the mechanical contractor may the mechanical designer may blame an spaces (e.g., ceiling and wall cavities,
not own equipment capable of measuring unbalanced system on the contractor, shafts, attics, and crawlspaces). Adjusting
low exhaust flows accurately. Even if the the designer may also be to blame since belts to increase roof fan shaft RPM can
equipment is available, many contractors the typical designs are only possible to help boost ventilation in lower floors
do not bid the full price of the labor balance with extraordinary effort on the somewhat, but creates an extreme energy
associated with running up and down part of the contractor. Adjusting one grill penalty in over-ventilation of upper floors
floors to adjust the exhaust registers for impacts the flow through all other grills, if the distribution system is leaky and
fear of losing the job to a lower bidder. which makes it difficult to achieve the unbalanced. In short, proper balancing is
This can create a financial incentive to cut essential for any ventilation system.

O&M and Problems over Time

Cold climate issues. Particularly in cold flow direction to reverse in upper floors. In to improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) can
climates, tall multi-family buildings can this case, instead of removing pollutants actively result in IAQ problems.
experience significant pressure field from upper apartments, the system draws
changes due to wind and stack effect. Thus, polluted air from lower units and supplies Roof fan issues. Roof fans are often not
if a system was perfectly balanced in the it to the upper floors. This effect is just operating, sometimes unintentionally as
summer, it could be significantly out of one of the ways the system designed a result of broken belts and sometimes
balance in the winter as a result of different
environmental conditions.
Figure 8 | Dirt and dust build-up in exhisting shafts
Tall building issues. The taller the building,
the more significant the pressure changes
due to wind and stack effect. The lower the
operating pressure of the duct system, the
more sensitive the duct system balancing
is to changes in “background “ pressure
changes due to wind or stack effect.
Typical average shaft operating pressures
in these buildings are very low, making
performance very sensitive to wind or stack
effect. Leaky ducts and exhaust registers
specified with large free areas contribute
to such low operating pressures. (The net
free area of a grill is the area that remains
after subtracting the areas of the vanes,
louvers, and screens that the air has to flow
around to exhaust.) If the system operating
pressure is low enough and stack pressure
is high enough, stack effect can actually
overwhelm the exhaust fan and cause

4 | Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust

Figure 9 | Dirt and dust clogging grills/registers and restricting airflow Figure 10 | Occupants blocking
registers due to noise, drafts, or dirt

Green & Healthy Housing

intentionally when they are put on timers at night, which can result in IAQ problems, the registers themselves (see Figure
to conserve energy by only operating because nights are when most units are 10) on upper floor apartments due to
a certain number of hours during the typically occupied. roof fan noise or drafts (air coming out
day. Once a fan is off, a shaft becomes a of register). Residents may also have
passive plenum (i.e., cavity) for transferring Dirt issues. Systems in existing buildings covered kitchen grills to keep the dust
pollutants between units in response to may not been cleaned during the life of and dirt trapped in the ventilation
the smallest pressure differences due to the building. (See Figure 8.) Dirt, dust, system from affecting their asthma.
wind or stack effect. A common practice and grease can clog exhaust registers.
to save energy is to turn the roof fans off (See Figure 9.) Occupants may cover up

Solution for Existing Buildings

A solution to any system with any gap between the sleeve and the take-off Figure 11 | American Aldes
combination of the problems discussed duct that is located behind the exhaust “V-gasket” on airflow regulator sleeve
above must include the four steps grill. (See Figure 11.) Some owners have
described below. successfully used an American ALDES
product that has incorporated this V-gasket
Step 1: Seal all the holes in the duct feature as an option with their Constant
system that can be sealed. Two of the Airflow Regulator assembly, which will be
three possible typical locations for duct discussed in Step 3. In many cases, this
leakage (roof curb connection and behind common leaky roof curb connection and
exhaust grill) are easily identifiable and sheetrock/plaster connection leakage area
accessible in every building. The roof curb is significant and can represent 50% of
connection can be sealed with expanding total system leakage area.
foam. The least time-consuming method
for sealing leakage at the sheetrock/ Owners have also found the Carrier
plaster connection is to use a sheet metal AEROSEAL system or a spray seal system
sleeve inserted into the take-off duct to be a viable alternative for any further
with a V-gasket. The sheet metal sleeve sealing of leakage area associated with
effectively extends the duct to the inside non-accessible duct joints in existing
of the sheetrock and the V-gasket seals the buildings. Both of these systems effectively

Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust | 5

seal holes from the inside. Central exhaust specifications in contracts with vendors. ventilation rate for continuous bathroom
ventilation systems are a relatively new SWA suggests that owners require a and kitchen exhaust in an 800 square foot
application for AEROSEAL, which has post-retrofit duct tightness of 5 CFM per two-bedroom apartment with one bath and
been used to seal heating and cooling floor at a test pressure of 50 Pascal. The a kitchen, would require 45 CFM. The rate
ducts effectively in 30,000 homes and AEROSEAL system automatically measures is the larger rate of 15 CFM per person (45
400 commercial buildings. An AEROSEAL and generates a report documenting pre- CFM for two bedrooms) or 0.35 Air Changes
set-up in a central exhaust application and post-sealing duct tightness. With the per Hour (38 CFM for an 800 square foot
that illustrates the main components of spray seal system, third-party testing for apartment with an eight-foot ceiling).
the system is presented in Figure 12. The tightness is recommended in a sample of
AEROSEAL equipment is easily connected 20% of shafts. If continuous exhaust ventilation is used
to the exhaust ductwork by temporarily in the kitchen and bathroom, the ICC
removing a roof fan. As with a duct While it is technically possible to use requires:
blaster test, all intentional openings are AEROSEAL or spray seal on a duct system
temporarily closed with foam blocks and
the only place for the sealant to escape
of any size, it can be more challenging in
high-rise buildings, as the system requires
• 20 CFM continuous exhaust for the
bathroom plus 25 CFM continuous
the system is through the leaks which simultaneous access to all the apartments exhaust in the kitchen = 45 CFM
gradually plug up over time. Since these served by a particular roof fan. Setbacks continuous exhaust flow.
access points for injecting the sealant are in high-rise buildings can result in vertical
concentrated on the roof, the AEROSEAL
equipment can be set up in one location
shafts with elbows and horizontal sections
at certain floors that make identifying
• By meeting the minimum exhaust rate
for continuous bathroom and kitchen
and the long plastic duct that disperses exactly which bathrooms or kitchens exhaust, we also meet the minimum
the sealant can be adjusted to move easily are associated with a particular fan requirement of 45 CFM.
from shaft to shaft. challenging.

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).

Standard 62.2 also requires fan power to

either occupant-controlled or continuous
exhaust for bathrooms and kitchens.
Fan unhinged for If continuous exhaust is used in the
Sealant Injector Access to Shaft
bathroom and kitchen, 62.2 requires 20
Laptop for Automated
Control & Diagnostics CFM per bathroom and 5 ACH for the
AEROSEAL kitchen. Assuming the kitchen is 59 square
feet and eight feet high, ASHRAE 62.2
would require:

6 | Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust

Figure 13 | Constant Airflow Regulator: Principle of performance and field installation Step 4: Adjust the roof fan shaft speed
(grill removed) to ensure that pressure at the bottom

Green & Healthy Housing

of the shaft is sufficiently high (but not
too high, as this wastes fan electricity).
The bottom of the shaft pressure must
be at least 0.2 inches water column to
ensure sufficient airflow through the
CAR dampers. Taller buildings in colder
climates require even more suction
at the bottom of the shaft in order to
ensure that system performance is not
significantly impacted by stack effect.
Direct-drive fans are very easy to adjust
if they are equipped with motor speed
controllers, which can be added on
as part of a retrofit. Belt-drive fans are
adjustable with more effort. Sealing leaks

• 59 CFM for the apartment minus 20 CFM

for the bathroom plus 39 CFM (5 ACH
suction is put on them. For example,
Constant Airflow Regulator (CAR) dampers,
and dialing into a lower exhaust CFM
per kitchen/bath with CAR dampers will
x 472 ft3/60 minutes per hour) for the manufactured by American ALDES, raise operating pressure. In some cases,
kitchen. incorporate an inflatable bulb or “airplane the resulting operating pressure at the
wing” mechanism that restricts free area bottom of the shaft after Steps 1 and 2

• 59 CFM, which exceeds the minimum

ventilation rate required by ASHRAE
for airflow at higher pressures, resulting
in a relatively constant exhaust CFM for
will be higher than optimal, resulting
in an opportunity for reducing fan RPM
62.2 and the minimum required by the duct operating pressures between 0.2 and and saving some electricity. In other
ICC and meets the high-performance 0.9 inches water column (inches WC). (See cases, bottom of shaft system operating
program requirement. Figure 13.) CAR dampers are essentially pressure after Steps 1 and 2 will still
devices that choke down airflow to not be high enough, resulting in the
Compliance with ICC standards for ensure that there is no over-ventilation, need to increase fan RPM and increase
ventilation does not necessarily ensure particularly in grills closest to the fan. If we fan electricity use. But in either case,
compliance with ASHRAE 62.2. Often prevent over-ventilation in any particular adjusting roof fan RPM to meet optimal
additional ventilation is needed above and bath or kitchen, there is less likely to bottom-of-shaft pressure requirements
beyond the code to satisfy 62.2. be under-ventilation in other baths or effectively minimizes the electricity
kitchens further from the fan. However, required by a particular fan to deliver
Step 3: Specify and install a balancing device it is important to note that CAR dampers acceptable ventilation performance.
at each exhaust point that (in combination require a minimum operating pressure When an existing fan results in extreme
with a sufficiently high system operating of 0.2 inches water column in order to over-ventilation building-wide, it may
pressure) can ensure an appropriate and regulate airflow. If there is insufficient be cost-effective to replace oversized
relatively constant continuous exhaust pressure at a particular location in a shaft, roof fans with smaller direct-drive fans
airflow that meets the design target over exhaust airflow will be lower than the with speed controllers. In the case of the
a wide range of conditions. A number of rated airflow. Maintaining a sufficiently building described in Figure 2, a three-
manufacturers offer self-balancing dampers. high pressure in shafts for CAR dampers to year payback was realized for this retrofit,
These dampers allow a specified airflow function properly requires (1) tight ducts because the smallest possible motor
through them regardless of how much and (2) adjustment of the roof fan. that could be optimally tuned to field
conditions was selected.

Putting It All Together in Existing Buildings

As with any potential building upgrade, the problem. With this information, it is is required and you can proceed with
simple screening techniques are required possible to classify the system energy/ implementing the solution.
to identify problems and inform solutions. IAQ improvement potential qualitatively
If the system in a particular building in terms of Cases 1 and 2 described on If quantified energy savings are required
is not working optimally, measuring Page 1. If the building owner approaches to justify a decision to fix the ventilation
exhaust CFM and static pressure at a this problem like a standard operations system, then some calculations should
representative sample of kitchens/baths and maintenance item to repair a critical be performed. For example, in one NYC
provides an indication of the severity of system, no further screening information building, a one CFM reduction in the

Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust | 7

 system and leaving the old rusty grills is
Combining balancing damper installation with duct like a new car rolling off the assembly line
sealing can minimize both labor costs and tenant without a final vacuum cleaning. Duct
disruptions. cleaners can also help to install the foam
blocks at each exhaust location required for
AEROSEAL preparation. If the duct cleaning
ventilation/infiltration load on a building the top of the shaft; (2) remove the exhaust is thought of as a sunk cost associated with
will result in approximately $1–$2/year register from the top floor apartment and basic building O&M, then this means that
reduction in heating operating costs. fish the roto-brush further down the shaft; you are getting damper installation and
Annual operating cost savings can then and (3) proceed down the line. Therefore, AEROSEAL preparation work almost for free.
be estimated by calculating the difference it isn’t much extra effort for the cleaners Roof connection sealing with spray foam
between the existing ventilation load (sum to install the dampers before they finish. can be done by duct cleaners, building
of bath/kitchen exhausts plus estimate of Depending on labor costs, it may make maintenance staff, or the AEROSEAL crew
leakage at existing operating conditions) sense to provide new grills instead of when they are taking fans off the curbs
and the potential post-retrofit ventilation paying for the cleaner’s time to wipe down to hook up their equipment. While the
load (sum of dialed-in bath/kitchen exists the filthy 20-year-old existing ones manually. AEROSEAL sealant itself will eventually
plus estimate of leakage at new operating Note that the grill is the only part of seal any roof connection gap, sealing this
conditions). Finally, as with any load the system that the tenant sees. Optimally accessible location manually minimizes
reduction measure, operating cost savings tuning all the inaccessible parts of the overall sealing time.
will only be realized if the boiler or other
system is controlled so that it doesn’t have
to work as hard.

With the green light to move forward

Solution for New Buildings
from the owner, you must determine if the
implementation work will include advanced
Step-by-step design guide for new If continuous exhaust ventilation is used in
duct sealing (e.g., AEROSEAL or spray seal)
buildings. The steps required to ensure the kitchen and bathroom, the ICC requires:
a best practice central exhaust ventilation
or manual sealing only. This decision should
be made based on an understanding of
system in a new construction application
are outlined below. The common mistakes
• 20 CFM continuous exhaust for the
bathroom plus 25 CFM continuous
the complexity of the duct system and
that plague new construction are identical exhaust in the kitchen = 45 CFM
a frank conversation with the owner
to those described above for existing continuous exhaust flow.
explaining that the AEROSEAL or spray seal
buildings. With new construction, however,
will be a complete failure without assured
simultaneous access to all the apartments
leakage in ductwork connections can be
easily addressed with the application of
• Meeting the minimum exhaust rate
for continuous bathroom and kitchen
in a line. For technical and human reasons,
mastic duct sealants prior to sheetrock Exhaust, which will also meet the
there is a certain subset of buildings out
installation. minimum requirement of 45 CFM.
there that are not good candidates for any
approach that requires simultaneous access
to all the apartments in a line.
Step 1: Determine the appropriate design
exhaust ventilation flow rate for individual
• Adding another 15 CFM (around 20%)
and increasing the flow from 45 CFM to
kitchens and baths to ensure adequate 60 CFM, which provides a buffer to account
Combining balancing damper installation
pollutant removal and an effective overall for uncertainty in the test and balance and
with duct sealing can minimize both labor
level of air change in the apartment based for changes in ventilation rates caused
costs and tenant disruptions. The above-
on occupancy. (This is similar to Step 3 for by varying weather conditions.
described V-gasket around the balancing
existing buildings.) For apartments with
damper sleeve can seal the connection
both a kitchen and bathroom exhaust, ASHRAE 62.2 requirements: Some high-
of the ductwork to the sheetrock/plaster.
follow the code minimum continuous performance and green building programs-
Note that AEROSEAL can’t be used to seal
exhaust requirements, plus a safety mandated ventilation systems meet the
this gap since it only “sees” leaks between
factor. For example, to meet the ICC code ASHRAE 62.2 Standard Ventilation and
the point of injection and the foam blocks
minimum ventilation rate for continuous Acceptable Indoor Air Quality for Low-
at the end of each take-off duct. The spray
bathroom and kitchen exhaust, an 800 Rise Residential Buildings. ASHRAE 62.2
seal system is also ineffective at sealing this
square foot, two-bedroom apartment with requires a minimum ventilation rate of 7.5
gap or any joints in the horizontal ductwork
one bathroom and a kitchen would require CFM per person plus 0.01 CFM per square
connecting to the vertical shafts.
45 CFM. The rate is the larger rate of 15 foot of floor space and has prescriptive
Since the systems generally have never
CFM per person (45 CFM for two bedrooms) requirements for bath and kitchen exhaust.
been cleaned, it can make sense to combine
or 0.35 Air Changes per Hour (38 CFM for For the 800 square foot apartment example
damper installation with duct cleaning.
an 800 square foot apartment with an noted above, 62.2 would require, 30.5 CFM
Duct cleaners typically (1) drop a roto-
eight-foot ceiling).
brush down from the roof curb to clean

8 | Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust

total (22.5 CFM for the two bedrooms plus 8 Step 4: Visually inspect and conduct air
CFM for the floor space). tightness testing of 20% of the shafts prior
Resources

Green & Healthy Housing

to the installation of sheetrock. Duct air
If continuous exhaust is used in the tightness testing must be conducted after
bathroom and kitchen, 62.2 requires 20 CFM “Constant Airflow Regulators (CAR)
all horizontal take-offs are installed and
per bathroom and 5 ACH for the kitchen. in Multi-Family Multi-Story Central
should be used to verify that the systems
Assuming the kitchen is 59 square feet Ventilation Systems: New York, NY &
meet the performance specifications of less
ASHRAE 62.2 would require 59 CFM for the Caldwell, NJ”—National Association
than 5 CFM leakage per floor at a pressure
apartment—20 CFM for the bathroom plus of Homebuilders Research Center.
of 0.2 inch WC. Duct air tightness testing
39 CFM (5 ACH x 472 ft2/60 minutes per www.toolbase.org/Building-Systems/
can be performed by a certified home
hour) for the kitchen; 59 CFM exceeds the HVAC/constant-airflow-regulators.
energy rater or other qualified independent
minimum required by ASHRAE 62.2 and the This website documents a case study
contractor. After the installation of
minimum required by the ICC and meets the that uses central exhaust systems and
sheetrock, an owner’s representative or
high-performance program requirement. flow-limiting dampers to provide
other third party should visually inspect
exhaust-only ventilation for an
the connection between sheetrock and
Compliance with ICC standards for ventilation apartment building. A link to the final
ductwork to verify an airtight seal in this
does not necessarily ensure compliance with report for the project is included.
location.
ASHRAE 62.2. Often additional ventilation is
needed above and beyond the code to satisfy Energy-Efficient Ventilation for Apartment
Step 5: The owner or owner’s representative
62.2. Buildings—Rebuild America Program,
should coordinate with the mechanical
prepared by Lawrence Berkeley
contractor to be present during the system
Step 2: Integrate performance-based Laboratories. epb.lbl.gov/publications/
balancing. The contractor should first adjust
specifications in the construction documents energy_eff_ventilation.pdf.
roof fan RPM to meet the performance
for duct air tightness and balancing. The This is a large overview of ventilation
specifications for pressure at the furthest
following notes on the mechanical plans are systems in multi-family buildings.
exhaust grill from the fan. With direct-
critical: drive fans, the optimal position on the
“HVAC in Multifamily Buildings”—Joe
•
speed control dial should be marked
Note 1: All transverse joint in ducts shall Lstiburek, Building Science Corporation.
with a permanent marker. Once roof fans
be sealed with mastic. www.buildingscience.com/documents/
are adjusted, a good rule of thumb is to
digests/bsd-110-hvac-in-multifamily-
• Note 2: Total exhaust shaft leakage shall
not exceed 5 CFM per floor at a pressure
verify exhaust airflow for all exhaust grills
in 20% of the units, or at least five units,
buildings/?topic=/doctypes/digest.
This article covers important and often
whichever is greater. With the installation
of 0.2 inch WC. overlooked ventilation fundamentals
of CAR dampers, it is not necessary for the

• Note 3: All connections between gypsum

board and ductwork must be sealed.
contractor to manually balance and then
measure CFM at every exhaust grill in the
and includes a case study that uses
air handlers in each unit to provide
ventilation.
building. Instead, the final system balancing
• Note 4: Contractor shall adjust roof fan
base to provide a pressure of 0.2–0.3 inch
measurements are intended to confirm
performance in a representative sample
“Reduction of Environmental Tobacco
Smoke Transfer in Minnesota Multifamily
WC at the grill from the fan. of the exhaust grills. Since CFM should
Buildings Using Air Sealing and
be measured in only 20% of units, these
• Note 5: All fans less than 2,000 CFM shall
be direct-drive with speed controllers for
measurements must be made accurately,
with the appropriate equipment, and
Ventilation Treatments” —The Center for
Energy and Environment www.mncee.
ease of adjustment. org/research/environmental_tobacco/
with the owner or owner’s representative
multifamily_bldgs/index.php.
• Note 6: Contractor shall provide a
balancing report for each shaft with
present. The pressure drop across the shaft
must be measured at the top and bottom
of the shaft. Owners should take care to
This report covers efforts made to stop
tobacco smoke migration from one unit
operating pressures at the grill furthest to another. It highlights the importance
review the balancing reports as these data
from the fan and with airflow (CFM) of controlling airflow between units,
are critical to ensure the system is operating
measurements at 20% of grills. Airflow regardless of whether it is a smoking or
as intended.
shall be measured with a capture hood non-smoking building.
that fully encloses the exhaust grills and is Step 6: The owner should implement
able to measure as low as 20 CFM ± 5 CFM. a preventive maintenance program to
inspect exhaust grills in all apartments
Step 3: Meet with mechanical contractor once a year. Exhaust grills should be
on site prior to installation of ductwork in Prepared with assistance provided by
removed and CAR dampers inspected for Steven Winter Associates, Camroden
order to clarify expectations regarding duct blockages. CAR dampers and grills should Associates, and Tohn Environmental
sealing. be cleaned. Strategies.

Impr o ving Ventilation in existing or ne w buildings with central r oof exhaust | 9