SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1986
STP19641S

Parameters Affecting Air Infiltration and Airtightness in Thirty-One East Tennessee Homes

Source

A major pathway for loss of conditioned air in east Tennessee homes with externally located heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is leakage in the ductwork. The effect on infiltration rates, as measured by Freon-12 tracer gas dilution, becomes marked if the central duct fan is operating; duct-fan on and duct-fan off measurements of the rate of air exchange gave mean values of 0.78 and 0.44 h−1, respectively, in a total of 31 homes. Specific leakage areas measured by the blower-door, pressurization-depressurization technique are affected to a lesser extent by inclusion of the ductwork volume within the total volume of the house that is being pressurized. A subset of seven of the study homes were measured using this technique; the average increment in the specific leakage area was about 15%. Leaking ductwork in attached garages also causes degradation of the indoor air quality by pulling in pollutants such as gasoline fumes from automobiles and distributing them throughout the house. In dealing with homes that have central HVAC systems, weatherization and energy conservation programs should be cognizant of the seriousness of air and energy losses caused by leaking ductwork as well as possible degradation of the indoor air quality.

Author Information

Gammage, RB
Health and Safety Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
Hawthorne, AR
Health and Safety Research Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN
White, DA
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
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Details
Developed by Committee: E06
Pages: 61–69
DOI: 10.1520/STP19641S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-4971-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-0469-3