Low-rise and high-rise residential ventilation standards to become same

ASHRAE is proposing to consolidate its residential air-quality standards into one, regardless of the building height.

Currently, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, applies to multifamily residential buildings of 4 storeys or more, while standard 62.2, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, applies to buildings of 3 storeys and less.

Under the proposed changes it would not matter what height the building is. Common areas in the buildings would fall under the current standard for higher buildings, standard 62.1. However, all dwelling units regardless of building height would fall under the current low-rise residential ventilation standard 62.2.

According to Roger Hedrick, chair of the standard 62.1 committee: “The ventilation rates for dwelling units in Standard 62.1 are different from the rates in Standard 62.2, and this inconsistency has caused concern for some. Additionally, Standard 62.1 does not address modest retrofits whereas Standard 62.2 does.”

He points out that the changes “will allow for consistency across dwelling units and also allow application of ASHRAE ventilation standards to the multifamily retrofit market.”

Paul Francisco, chair of the Standard 62.2 committee, agreed, saying, “Given the growth of the retrofit industry in multifamily dwellings it is important to ensure that these situations are covered in ASHRAE’s ventilation standards.”

The proposed changes are being made by an addendum to the standards and are open for public review until May 4, 2014.

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