Healthy Building Science

  • HOME
  • Who We Are
    • Meet The Team
    • Position Statements
      • Healthy Paints & Coatings
      • Damp Buildings & Mold Testing
      • Water Filtration for All Building Types
    • Qualifications and Partnerships
  • What We Do
    • Residential Services
    • Environmental Testing
      • Cleaning, Verification & Coronavirus Testing
      • Air Quality Testing
      • Water Quality Testing
      • Soil Testing
      • Asbestos Testing
      • Mold Testing
      • Lead Testing
      • EMF Testing – RF Testing
      • LEED IAQ Testing
      • Silica Air Testing (OSHA)
      • Compliance Testing USP 797
    • Healthy Building Inspections
      • Cleaning, Verification & Coronavirus Testing
      • Air Quality Inspection
      • Asbestos Survey
      • Lead Inspection
      • Moisture and Mold Inspection
    • Industrial Hygiene and Compliance Testing
      • Cleaning, Verification & Coronavirus Testing
    • General Contractor
    • Process and FAQs
      • Architect FAQs
      • Building Owner FAQs
      • Property Manager FAQs
      • Human Resource Managers FAQ’s
  • Case Studies
    • Commercial – Industrial
    • Residential
    • School and Health Care Facilities
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Green Building Consulting
  • HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home
March 25, 2023

HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home

HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home

by healthybuilding / Wednesday, 20 March 2013 / Published in Green Building Consulting, Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
HVAC and filtration best practices

HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home

This blog expands on an earlier post about the 25 Principles of Building Biology and the Healthy Home Standard Checklist. Here we’ll dive deeper into the Indoor Air Quality Checklist, and focus on best practices for Heating, Cooling and Ventilating a healthy building. “HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home” is part 2 of 3 from the IAQ Checklist.

Moving beyond a solid foundation, let’s dive into what Building Biologists thought were the most important IAQ elements of a healthy HVAC system.

Heating, Cooling and Ventilating a Healthy Home

  • For heating use radiant heat, such as radiators, baseboards, or in-floor/walls systems.
  • If there is forced air system with AC, the AC system is properly sized for the space based on calculations. Any good HVAC designer or contractor should be able to provide specifications and calculations to claim credit. (GreenPoint Rated has good credit requirements for this.)
HVAC and filtration best practices

Manual J and D – HVAC Load Calcs and Duct Sizing

  • The forced air unit (FAU), ducting, and ventilation system are not located in the crawl space.
HVAC and filtration best practices

Ducts in Crawlspace – Bad IAQ. We find this more than you’d like to imagine…

  • If there is ductwork installed, ductwork is not located in exterior walls or in or under a concrete slab.
  • If there is mechanical HVAC, use metal boxes. Duct seams, end caps, round duct starting collars, plenum to FAU interfaces are sealed with low-VOC mastic.
  • If there is forced air do not use unlined wall cavities as return air plenums or for supply air.
HVAC and filtration best practices

Wall Cavity for Duct – Bad Practice for Several Reasons.

  • If there is ducting there should be no fiberglass exposed to the air stream in the air handling unit (AHU) or ductwork.
  • FAU fan compartment doors have a gasket (taping is not desirable as it will likely be removed and not reinstalled as the years pass.)
  • If there is a heating or air-conditioning or ventilation system is in the attic, the FAU and ductwork have been inspected with a thermal imaging camera for leaks, hot spots and improper seals and repairs to leaks have been made.
  • If ductwork is installed for heating or cooling or ventilation system, a duct blaster inspection was performed to pressure check the ductwork before closing up wall and ceiling cavities.   Leaks were repaired as identified.
  • If new construction, the HVAC or the ventilation system delivery and return openings were sealed with plastic during construction and the system was not used for heating or cooling during construction.
  • If new construction, all air filters were changed out upon the completion building and before occupancy.

Best Practices for Ventilation and Filtration

  • An HRV/ERV outdoor air exchange system is installed for ventilation per ASHARE 62.  In humid climates the humidity should be taken out of the air as it enters using an energy recovery ventilator (ERV).  In very cold climates and/or drier climates, use a heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
HVAC and filtration best practices

Heat Recovery Ventilator – HRV

  • A low-sone Kitchen range hood is exhausted to outside. (LEED for Homes requires a minimum of 100 cfm fan. For defining “low sone,” I’d defer to Energy Star Guidelines for Sone Ratings:
Energy Star Low Sone Guidelines

Energy Star Low Sone Guidelines

  • HRV/ERV is designed for adequate make-up air to prevent negative pressure and the potential for back drafting of gas appliance.
  • Use a air filter with a minimum of MERV 10 filtration rating in the air handler and or the HRV/ERV. (LEED-H requires a minimum of MERV 8, and gives one point for MERV 10 and three points for MERV 13 or above.)

HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home

This blog covers a handful of HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home, but I’d recommend reviewing GreenPoint Rated and LEED for Homes (LEED-H) for additional ideas. In general the Healthy Home Standard incorporates common “green building” measures, AND then adds additional layers of protection for occupant health. But don’t take my word for it – dig in yourself!

It takes time to research and familiarize yourself with best practices. But we’ve already done the homework… so I suppose that’s why we’ve got good job security and a growing business!

Tagged under: Healthy Building Consulting, HVAC, Indoor Air Quality

About healthybuilding

What you can read next

Indoor Air Quality Resources – 2011
Asthma and Allergy Resources – 2011
Building Biology_San Francisco Bay Area
Building Biology Resources – 2011

1 Comment to “ HVAC and Filtration Best Practices for Healthy Home”

  1. Lester says :
    February 9, 2022 at 5:05 am

    I purchased a new built house in May 2021. The house features spray foam insulation on the underside of the roof. The attic located Air Conditioner Air Handler has 2 each 4″ flex ducts on the return side that goes to the outside of the house (soffits). What is the purpose of using outside air? Seems a cosstly mistake to “condition” outside air.

Who is Healthy Building Science?

We are an environmental consulting firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area, a group of scientists working to make your indoor spaces healthier. We test your building or property to find harmful pollutants.
Healthy Building Science

Environmental Testing Services at HBS

  • Air Quality Testing
  • Water Quality Testing
  • Soil Testing
  • Asbestos Testing
  • Lead Testing
  • Mold Testing
  • RF Testing – EMF Testing
  • LEED IAQ Testing
  • Silica Air Testing (OSHA)
  • Compliance Testing USP 797
  • Environmental Testing
  • Industrial Hygiene and Compliance
  • Cleaning, Verification & Coronavirus Testing

Search HBS Blogs

Blog Categories

Archives

Sign up for our Quarterly newsletter

Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter to receive helpful updates and articles from Healthy Building Science.
SIGN UP FOR OUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTERR

We value your privacy.
Your email is never shared or sold.

Sustainable Business Certifications

California Green Business Network

Get in Touch

To speak directly with someone;
Call (415) 785-7986

Email: [email protected]

Or click the button below, tell us a little about your project and let our environmental consultants help you create a healthier building.

New Project Inquiry

Latest From Our Blog

  • Effective Residential Drainage System’s for a Healthy Home

    A well-designed drainage system is essential to...
  • Want to Protect Your Home from Wildfire? The Secret’s not Luck – It’s Science

    It’s no secret – anyone living in Marin and Son...
  • What is ERMI Testing?

    Scientists always needed a reliable process to ...

Blog Categories

  • Business
  • Environmental Consulting
  • Environmental Testing
  • Green Building Consulting
  • Healthy Building Inspections & Testing
  • Industrial Hygiene
  • News

Locations

Mailing Address:
369-B Third St. # 521
San Rafael, CA 94901

San Francisco
201 Spear St, Suite 1100, #3226
San Francisco, CA 94105

Phone: (415) 785-7986

Email: [email protected]

  • GET SOCIAL
Healthy Building Science

© 2022 Healthy Building Science. All rights reserved.

TOP