Residential Ventilation Primer

7100 Blower Door Being Ran

You will understand how to calculate ventilation for ASHRAE 62.2-2013.https://youtu.be/sGQpcOmYm6c

Local Exhaust (Spot Ventilation)

  • Bathrooms: 50 CFM (intermittent) or 20 CFM (continuous)

  • Kitchens: 100 CFM (intermittent) or 5 ACH continuous
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Local fans count toward whole-house requirements, so you can “double-dip” them.

Whole‑House Ventilation

The total required outdoor airflow (Qtot) is calculated via:

Qtot = 0.03 × Afloor + 7.5 × (Nbr + 1) [in CFM]

  • Afloor = floor area (ft²)

  • Nbr = number of bedrooms (at least 1)

  • In metric: Qtot = 0.15 × Afloor(m²) + 3.5 × (Nbr + 1) L/s

Accounting for Infiltration

If a blower-door test is done, infiltration credit (Qinf) is subtracted:

Qfan = Qtot − Qinf

  • Qfan = mechanical ventilation needed

  • Qinf = infiltration credit (from multi-point tests via ASTM E779 or CGSB)

    • Qinf may not exceed ⅔ of Qtot for new construction

Final Mechanical Ventilation Rate

  • Continuous systems: supply/run fan at Qfan CFM continuously.

  • Intermittent systems: Qon (on-cycle rate) is determined so that average ventilation meets Qfan, adjusted using factors from Table 4.2

Example Calculation

For a 2,400 ft² home with 3 bedrooms:

  1. Qtot = 0.03 × 2400 + 7.5 × (3 + 1) = 72 + 30 = 102 CFM

  2. Suppose infiltration test yields Qinf = 30 CFM

  3. Required mechanical is Qfan = 102 − 30 = 72 CFM

An intermittent system running 50% of the time would operate at ~144 CFM to average 72 CFM ventilation.

Why It Matters

  • Combines continuous area-based and occupant-based ventilation methods.

  • Offers infiltration credits—when validated by blower-door testing—to potentially reduce mechanical load.

  • Accommodates continuous or intermittent systems, including local exhaust offsets.

  • Clearly defined in ASHRAE Standard 62.2‑2013 Sections 4.1–4.5, with comprehensive guidance on credits, system types, and intermittent operation.

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