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Sustainable Building HVAC System Considerations

Learn about essential considerations for a green and healthy HVAC system, focusing on energy efficiency, safe materials, ventilation, sealing, and filtration. Ensure proper design and safe practices for efficient operations.

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Sustainable Building HVAC System Considerations

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  1. Vince Cord Poly-Tech Environmental Inc. 805-306-0354 vincecord@sbcglobal.net Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  2. Eight Considerations for a Green and Healthy HVAC System 1.Energy efficient design 2. Safe materials 3.Duct and equipment sealing 4.Air filtration 5.Outside air (central ventilation) 6.Adequate returns 7.Cleanliness 8.Fiberglass insulation in the air stream Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  3. 1. Energy Efficient System Design Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  4. Attic Split System Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  5. Basement Split System Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  6. For proper operation and maximum energy efficiency, residential systems should be designed according to the highest industry standards: • Manual J, Residential Load Calculation. • Manual D, Residential Duct Systems. • Manual J and D are written by ACCA (Air Conditioning Contractors of America) www.ACCA.org Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  7. 2.Non-Toxic Materials All materials and equipment used in this presentation have been independently tested to contain no toxic substances. If you choose to use other materials you will be risking the introduction of unhealthy chemicals/substances into the living space. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  8. Safe duct sealants: Dow Corning 999A clear; (www.dowcorning.com) Design Polymerics; DP1010; DP1020 (www.designpoly.com) Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  9. Reflective Insulation (a.k.a. bubble wrap) or foil faced FSK duct wrap, to keep fiberglass particles contained. Available at local HVAC supplier. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  10. Duct and Equipment Sealing. • Every visible seam and joint must be meticulously sealed in order to ensure a tight duct system. • Follow all CEC title 24 guidelines, even if the project is in an exempt costal area (www.energy.ca.gov). • Seal your system to leak less than 5% of rated system air flow. Includes new and existing buildings. • Have your fully assembled system (including heating and cooling equipment) tested by a qualified duct tester (aka cheers rater). See www.Cheers.org for a list of raters in your area. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  11. Avoid open return-air passages Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  12. Open return, properly sealed Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  13. Seal all penetrations into air- handling equipment Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  14. Seal all electrical penetrations into air-handling equipment Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  15. Typical leaks around start-collar Notice light from other side Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  16. Properly sealed start-collar Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  17. Properly sealed register boot in ceiling. This is one of the worst areas of leakage on just about every system. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  18. Properly taped furnace blower access door, tape all four sides Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  19. Dirty blower compartment from leaks, filter bypass, and poor filter Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  20. 4. Air Filtration • An often overlooked no-brainer. • Filter efficiencies are rated by MERV rating. Filter efficiencies range from 1-20 See www.nafahq.org/LibaryFiles/Articles/Article006.htm. • If no MERV rating is given, it’s probably very low. • Use MERV 11 or better for primary air filtration. • Upgrade by installing an additional HEPA and Carbon bypass type air purifier. www.pureairsystems.com Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  21. Dirty air conditioning cooling coil Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  22. The best filter is not much good if it doesn’t fit snugly into the equipment Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  23. All factory filter retainers fall short Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  24. Popular filter with fiberglass and air bypass Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  25. Seal filter channel to duct to prevent air bypass between channel and duct. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  26. Install Gasket in filter channel Use standard 3/8” wide x 5/16” thick foam weather stripping; available at hardware stores Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  27. 4” thick, MERV 11 PowerGuard, non-fiberglass filter media(www.airguard.com) Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  28. Ultra Violet Lights • Ultra Violet lights that bathe the coiling coil in UV light are effective in preventing microbial on wet cooling coils. • UV light in the return air stream are minimally effective in killing air-borne bacteria and viruses, and may not be worth the cost. • Choose a UV light that does not emit ozone. Manufacturers will tell you that theirs do not emit ozone. Our research show that Honeywell and Second Wind coil irradiation lights do not emit ozone. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  29. Filters should be taped into housing to eliminate leakage Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  30. After I year, with good filter system, sealed return duct and air-handler Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  31. Dirty blower compartment Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  32. 5. Outside Air • Choose clean area away from crawl space or attic vents, dog runs, trash cans, dryer vents, plumbing vents, etc. • Intake should be 4’ above hardscape or 8’ above soil. • Avoid roof top air intakes because of VOC’s from roofing materials. If unavoidable intake should be at least 5’ away from roof surface. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  33. Attic split system Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  34. Intake from crawl above hardscape Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  35. Intake from crawl above soil Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  36. Side wall intake Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  37. 6. Adequate Returns Any room with a door that will ever be closed, such as bedrooms, offices, etc. (except bathrooms) must have a return duct to prevent undesirable negative pressure in the house. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  38. Attic split system Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  39. Dirty carpet at base of walls Indicates air passing through gaps Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  40. Well placed return-grilles, outside air intake and a tight duct system, will ensure that the house will have a slight positive pressure. Use an Energy Recovery Ventilator in colder climates, where neutral pressure is best. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  41. 7.Cleanliness Install clean materials. Dirty ducting and equipment contributes to poor air quality and reduces energy efficiency. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  42. Typical dirty duct Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  43. Typical leaky, return-platform Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  44. Cover open ducts during construction to keep debris out Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  45. Keep open ducts closed during installation Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  46. Keep open ducts closed during installation Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  47. Duct cleaning that works • Ducts get dirty because air filtration is poor and return-air ducts leak. • Seal all leaks in the return side of the system, including the air handling equipment. • Install a filter system with a minim um MERV 11 rating. Ensure that it will not allow dirt to bypass the filter. • A powerful dual motor HEPA filtered vacuum is connected to the main duct or plenum. • Rotation brushes on 25’ long cables are run through the ducts, by inserting it in each register boot, while others are blocked to create maximum air flow through that duct. • Follow-up with compressed air is helpful, especially on very dirty systems. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  48. Some hand vacuuming with HEPA filtered vacuums is always needed. • Wash all registers and grilles before reinstalling. • Remove and disassemble the blower assembly for thorough cleaning. • Wash the cooling-coil and drain pan with commercial, evaporator coil cleaner. To keep VOC”S from the detergent out of the building, rinse thoroughly (even if product instructions say “no rinse”) • Be sure to tape the filter media in place and tape the blower door closed to minimize the introduction of unfiltered air. • One manufacturer of this equipment is Nikro. (nikro.com). • Air Duct Cleaning Company 800-358-3828 Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  49. 8. Eliminate fiberglass insulation in the air stream. Sustainable Bulding Advisor

  50. Typical gas/electric basement split system Sustainable Bulding Advisor

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