Weatherization and Indoor Air Quality: Measured Impacts in Single-Family Homes Under the Weatherization Assistance Program
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ORNL/TM-2014/170 Weatherization and Indoor Air Quality: Measured Impacts in Single-family Homes under the Weatherization Assistance Program Approved for public release; Scott Pigg distribution is unlimited. Dan Cautley Paul Francisco Beth Hawkins Terry Brennan September 2014 DOCUMENT AVAILABILITY Reports produced after January 1, 1996, are generally available free via US Department of Energy (DOE) SciTech Connect. 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ORNL Principal Investigator Dr. Bruce Tonn Evaluation Team Task Manager Scott Pigg ORNL/TM-2014/170 Environmental Sciences Division WEATHERIZATION AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY: MEASURED IMPACTS IN SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES UNDER THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Scott Pigg, Energy Center of Wisconsin Dan Cautley, Energy Center of Wisconsin Paul Francisco, University of Illinois Beth Hawkins, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Terry Brennan, Camroden Associates Date Published: September 2014 Prepared by OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6283 managed by UT-BATTELLE, LLC for the US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ......................................................................................................................... xi REPORT SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ xv 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 STUDY SCOPE .......................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.1 Time Period .................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Geography ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.3 Housing Type ................................................................................................................. 2 1.2.4 Measurement Parameters ............................................................................................... 2 1.3 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................. 3 2. APPROACH ......................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 SAMPLING ................................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 DATA COLLECTION ............................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Site Data ......................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.2 Testing and Monitoring .................................................................................................. 7 2.2.3 Occupant Survey ............................................................................................................ 8 2.2.4 Weatherization Measures ............................................................................................... 8 2.2.5 Weather Data ................................................................................................................. 8 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDY HOMES ..................................................................................... 11 4. FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................................... 15 4.1 CARBON MONOXIDE ........................................................................................................... 15 4.1.1 Heating Systems........................................................................................................... 16 4.1.2 Water Heaters............................................................................................................... 18 4.1.3 Ranges and Ovens ........................................................................................................ 20 4.1.4 Indoor Ambient Carbon Monoxide Levels .................................................................. 23 4.2 RADON .................................................................................................................................... 27 4.2.1 Pre-Weatherization Radon Levels ............................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Change in Radon Levels .............................................................................................. 34 4.3 FORMALDEHYDE ................................................................................................................. 40 4.3.1 Pre-Weatherization Formaldehyde .............................................................................. 41 4.3.2 Change in Formaldehyde Levels.................................................................................. 42 4.4 TEMPERATURE ..................................................................................................................... 44 4.4.1 Pre-Weatherization Indoor Temperature ..................................................................... 45 4.4.2 Change in Indoor Temperature .................................................................................... 47 4.5 INDOOR HUMIDITY AND MOISTURE ............................................................................... 49 4.5.1 Pre-Weatherization Indoor Humidity ........................................................................... 50 4.5.2 Change in indoor humidity .......................................................................................... 52 4.5.3 Moisture Observations ................................................................................................. 53 5. DISCUSSION ..................................................................................................................................... 57 6. REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 59 APPENDIX A. SAMPLING, WEIGHTING AND UNCERTAINTY ESTIMATION PROCEDURES ................................................................................................................................ A-3 APPENDIX B. ANALYSIS OF SITES WITH ELEVATED AMBIENT CARBON MONOXIDE ....... B-3 iii APPENDIX C. RADON LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................. C-3 APPENDIX D. FIELDWORK TRAINING AND PROTOCOL ............................................................. D-3 APPENDIX E. FIELD TECHNICIAN DATA COLLECTION FORM .................................................. E-3 APPENDIX F. PICK-UP TECHNICIAN DATA COLLECTION FORM ............................................... F-3 APPENDIX G. OCCUPANT SURVEY INSTRUMENT ........................................................................ G-3 APPENDIX H. LOCAL WEATHERIZATION AGENCY SCRIPTS AND FORMS ............................ H-3 APPENDIX I. HOUSEHOLD RECRUITMENT SCHEDULING SCRIPTS AND INFORMATION FOR STUDY PARTICIPANTS .........................................................................................................I-3