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View looking upward at a residential roof with solar panels. Residential Buildings

Health and Safety

The following best practices should be included in the house design to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of the occupants.

  • Base Rate Ventilation: Provide controlled mechanical ventilation at a minimum base rate of 15 CFM for the master bedroom and 7.5 CFM for each additional bedroom, as listed in ASHRAE 62.2.

  • Spot Ventilation: Provide intermittent spot ventilation of 100 CFM for the kitchen; vent all kitchen range hoods to the outside (no recirculating hoods). Provide intermittent spot ventilation of 50 CFM or continuous ventilation of 20 CFM for each washroom/bathroom. Fans should be quiet, producing less than 1.5 sonnes.

  • Ensure that all combustion appliances in the conditioned space are sealed combustion or power vented. Specifically, any furnace inside conditioned space shall be a sealed-combustion 90 percent plus (AFUE of 90 or greater) unit. Any water heater inside conditioned space shall be power vented or power-direct vented. Avoid designs that incorporate passive-combustion air supply openings or outdoor supply air ducts not directly connected to the appliance. Gas cooking ranges shall follow the practices described in the second bullet.

  • Use sealed-combustion gas fireplaces to prevent harmful combustion gases from entering the house. All fuel-burning fireplaces should have sealed combustion and be properly vented to the outside. If not properly vented and sealed, the fireplace can emit into the home harmful combustion pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide.

  • Provide filtration systems for forced air systems that provide a minimum atmospheric dust spot efficiency of 30 percent or MERV of 6 or higher. MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) is a measure of an air filter's efficiency at removing particles. A fiberglass panel filter may have a MERV of 4 or 5. Critical areas in hospitals may use a MERV 14 filter. Electronic air cleaners should be used with caution because the ozone they produce may affect sensitive individuals.

  • Maintain indoor humidity in the range of 25 to 60 percent by controlled mechanical ventilation, mechanical cooling, or dehumidification.

  • Install carbon monoxide detectors (hard-wired units at one per every approximate 1,000 square feet) in any house containing combustion appliances and/or an attached garage.

  • Maximize hard surface areas (tile, vinyl, hardwood) to better manage dust for health purposes. For slab-on-grade houses, hard surfaces also reduce the cooling loads.

  • Provide occupants with information relating to the safe, healthy, comfortable operation and maintenance of the building and systems that provide control over space conditioning, hot water, or lighting energy.