Background Information for Ventilation Checklist
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Background Information for Ventilation Checklist The Ventilation Checklist offers in-depth Most checklist activities apply to guidance to schools for inspecting mechanical systems and are designed ventilation systems. Typical schools have to ensure that the ventilation system is multiple ventilation units and central clean and that outdoor air is adequately HVAC systems. Perform the activities supplied to the appropriate areas. The and complete a checklist for each unit checklist is designed for individuals who and system. are properly trained in mechanical Primary Topic Areas systems and safety procedures. Basic The following process is tools are required for most activities recommended for completing the • Outdoor Air Intakes (see Appendix B: “Basic Measurement checklist: • System Cleanliness Equipment” in the IAQ Reference • Controls for Activities 1–3 Guide). Skip checklist items that do Outdoor Air Supply Perform these activities for all outdoor not apply to your system. (See diagram • Air Distribution air intakes while outside the building; of a Typical HVAC System on reverse • Exhaust Systems mark the results on the Ventilation side of this sheet.) • Quantity of Checklist for each unit. Outdoor Air • How to Measure Activities 4–12 OUTDOOR AIR INTAKES Air Flow Perform these activities as a set on each Blocked or clogged outdoor air intakes ventilation unit or air handling unit can result in reduced amounts of outdoor while you’re in the appropriate room air, which can lead to stuffy air and with the unit turned on. health problems from exposure to accumulated pollutants. Proper location Activities 13–16 of outdoor air intakes can minimize the Perform these ventilation control system entrance of contaminated air. Problems Instructions activities as necessary. due to pollutants near intakes may be Read this Activities 17–21 resolved by: section before Perform these air distribution activities • Removing the source (such as completing the as necessary. Ventilation relocating a dumpster). Activities 22–23 Checklist. • Separating the source from the intake Perform these activities regarding the (such as extending a pipe to raise a quantity of outdoor air on all units while nearby exhaust outlet above the you have the airflow measurement intake). equipment available. • Changing operating procedures (such For more detailed information see IAQ as not allowing buses and delivery Building Education and Assessment trucks to idle). Model (EPA 402-C-01-001), listed in Appendix L: “Resources” in the IAQ Reference Guide. SYSTEM CLEANLINESS Accumulated dirt can interfere with the There are two primary types of proper operation of the ventilation ventilation systems in schools: system and lead to: •Mechanical systems—unit ventilators, • Insufficient ventilation. central HVAC (e.g., air cooled packaged rooftop HVAC unit, chilled • Uncomfortable room temperatures. water air-handling unit), and central •Lowered efficiency (and higher utility exhaust. bills). •Passive ventilation—operable • Additional maintenance. windows, air leaks, wind, and the stack effect (the tendency of warm air • Rapid deterioration of equipment. to rise). 1 of 8 Typical HVAC System 2 of 8 Air filters must be properly selected Based on your equipment and and regularly replaced to prevent dirt experience, perform as many of the and dust from accumulating in the activities and make as many indicated HVAC system. Dirty filters restrict repairs as possible. Discuss the need for airflow. Filter “blow outs” allow dirt in additional help for incomplete activities unfiltered air to accumulate on coils, or repairs with your IAQ Coordinator. producing a need for more frequent cleaning and reducing the efficiency of NOTE: If the amount of outdoor air the heating and/or cooling plant. It is supply measured in Activity 22 of the much less expensive to trap dirt with checklist proves to be inadequate for the properly maintained filters than to clean number of occupants served, you may ductwork, coils, fan blades, and other have to slightly adjust the minimum HVAC system components. outdoor damper setting. Use a nut or a knob to adjust for a larger damper WARNING: Do not clean dirty or opening. If a larger adjustment on an biologically contaminated system outdoor air supply is required, contact components when the system is the HVAC system installer or HVAC operating or when the building is maintenance contractor. occupied. WARNING: If there is visible biological AIR DISTRIBUTION growth (such as mold), obtain expert Even when sufficient outdoor air enters advice about the kind of respiratory the school building, under-ventilation can protection to use and how to use it. occur in particular areas of the building if the outdoor air is not properly CONTROLS FOR OUTDOOR distributed. Problems with air AIR SUPPLY distribution are most likely to occur if: This group of activities is for ventilation •Ventilation equipment malfunctions. systems that use fans or blowers to supply outdoor air to one or more rooms •Ventilation intakes are located too within a school. close to ventilation exhausts. Since your ventilation controls may be • Room layouts are altered without unique, and since there are many adjusting the HVAC system. different types and brands of control • The population of a room or zone components, you will find it helpful to increases without adjusting the HVAC review controls specifications, system. as-built mechanical drawings, and controls operations manuals. Unit Ventilators are sometimes specified to operate under one of the following American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sequences: Cycle I: Except during warm-up stage (outdoor air damper closed), Cycle I supplies 100 percent outdoor air at all times. Cycle II: During the heating stage, Cycle II supplies a set minimum quantity of outdoor air. For cooling, outdoor air is gradually increased as required. During warm-up, the outdoor air damper is closed. (Typical sequence for northern climates.) Cycle III: During the heating, ventilating, and cooling stages, Cycle III supplies a variable amount of outdoor air as required to maintain a fixed temperature (typically 55°F) entering the heating coil. When heat is not required, this air is used for cooling. During warmup, the outdoor air damper is closed. (Typical sequence for southern climates, with adaptations for mechanical cooling.) 3 of 8 • Differences in air pressure move • The backdraft damper at the exhaust contaminants from outdoors to outlet may be stuck open. indoors then transport them within • Obstructions may be clogging the buildings, or from bathrooms to ductwork. hallways and classrooms. • The ductwork could have leaks or be In schools with mechanical ventilation disconnected. equipment, fans are the dominant influence on pressure differences and • The fan belt may be broken. airflow. In schools without mechanical • The motor may be installed backwards. ventilation equipment, natural forces (wind and stack effect) are the primary • The fan may supply insufficient influences on airflow. quantities of air for room capacity (i.e., improper design). Air moves from areas of high pressure Negative Pressure to areas of low pressure. To prevent infiltration of outdoor air and soil gas QUANTITY OF OUTDOOR AIR (for example, radon), mechanically To maintain good indoor air quality, you ventilated buildings often maintain must ensure that acceptable quantities of a higher air pressure indoors than outdoor air enter the building. ASHRAE’s outdoors. This is known as positive ventilation recommendations are located pressurization. At the same time, in Table 1: exhaust fans control indoor contaminants by keeping some rooms— 1. In the first column of Table 1, find the smoking lounges, bathrooms, kitchens, listing for the type of area served by and laboratories—under negative the unit you are evaluating. pressure compared to neighboring 2. Check the second column to see if the Neutral Pressure spaces (for example, another room, a occupancy for each 1,000 square feet corridor, or the outdoors). Negative that the ventilation unit serves is no pressurization of buildings may cause greater than the occupancy assumed for problems with natural draft combustion the recommendations. appliances or cause outdoor pollutants, such as pollens or vehicle exhaust in 3. Compare the recommended ventilation loading docks, to be drawn into the in the third column of Table 1 to the building through openings and cracks in calculated outdoor air per person from the construction. Activity 22 of the Ventilation Checklist. To determine whether a room is positively or negatively pressurized—or 4. If the calculated airflow falls below the Positive Pressure neutral—release puffs of smoke near the recommendations in Table 1, the school top and bottom of a slightly opened door may have been designed to meet a or window. Observe the direction of lower standard that was in effect when flow. If the smoke flows inward at both the school was built. If you have design the top and bottom of a slightly opened specifications for the system or know door, for example, the room is negatively code requirements in effect at the time pressurized when compared to the space of construction, compare the measured on the other side of the door. outdoor air to this specification. Repair the system to meet the design EXHAUST SYSTEMS specification, if necessary. Exhaust systems remove contaminated air and odors. Some HVAC designs also rely on the operation of exhaust fans to create