By Bob Baker

Some of our best input comes from letters we receive. The following comments from Len Damiano the Director - Marketing for EBTRON, Inc. are well worth considering.

We are a relatively small SC manufacturer of thermal-electronic airflow sensors for HVAC applications. Our company has been manufacturing a microprocessor-based product since 1983. Currently we are in design of our 5th generation of devices. (Changes are not quite as fast here, compared to the consumer electronics market.)

To the point, we believe that the significance of AHSRAE 62-1999 will not really be felt till the model codes and subscribing jurisdictions start to adopt the standard for enforcement. OSHA and the U.S. government are hamstrung for the next couple of years. OSHA stumbled in 1994 on ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) issues when they attempted some sweeping regulation. A good thought, but politically ill timed. At this point, nothing will probably happen at the federal level until well after the elections.

Individual states will become more involved, especially with IAQ for schools. ERV's will exploit a big market in the humidity of the South. In order to satisfy the requirements, we believe the path of least resistance for code officials as well as engineers, will be to use the prescriptive and quantifiable "Ventilation Rate Procedure". The "IAQ Procedure" is riddled with potential subjectivity, questions, risk and costs. This does not mean that one should ignore pollution sources, only that continuous monitoring is economically impractical.

The keys to compliance with the "Ventilation Rate Procedure" in 62-99 are "hidden" in plain sight. Too many will try to interpret the standard without having read the document. They will be the ones who end up getting burned.

Careful readers will see these key points relating to ventilation control (quoted by par. no.):

(5.1) When mechanical ventilation is used, provision for airflow measurement should be included...

(5.2) Ventilating systems shall be designed and installed so that ventilation air is supplied throughout the occupied zone (note Equation 6-1 for Multiple Spaces)

(6.1.3) Ventilation Requirements: Indoor air quality shall be considered acceptable if the required rates of acceptable outdoor air in Table 2 are provided for the occupied space.

(6.2) The Ventilation Rate Procedure described in 6.1 is deemed to provide acceptable indoor air quality, ipso facto...

In our opinion, the initial or intermittent system balance reports will not satisfy the requirements for changes in dynamic HVAC systems, even smaller ones (4 - 6 tons). However, I can also see many attempting to roll the dice and hope the impact goes unnoticed.

We also believe the standard rooftop constant volume Trane or Carrier air handler will not be able to ensure minimum ventilation rates without additional instrumentation and minimum outside air controls. There is too much evidence of the need for and the benefits of acceptable IAQ, plus strong indications that the downside costs are too large to risk for skipping a step.

Len Damiano, Director - Marketing, EBTRON, Inc., 1663 Hwy 701 South
Loris, SC 29569 USA, Office Phone: U.S. Toll-free: +1 (800) 232-8766
Office Fax: +1 (843) 756-1838, Email: damiano@EBTRON.com
Internet Site: http://www.EBTRON.com

These comments make a great deal of sense. As we gain a greater understanding of the causes and solution of indoor air quality problems, it stands to reason that more and more complex control systems will be required to achieve and maintain the conditions called for. Several researchers have pointed out that the outside air designed for and that actually delivered can vary greatly. A control system that senses and adjusts for changes in building dynamics is a logical solution. What our experience to date has taught us is that achieving and maintaining an optimal indoor environment is complex. System design, operation, maintenance, controls and possibly additional factors we have not yet identified all work together. Ignoring these or doing them incompletely will produce an environmental quality acceptable by yesterday's standards. The fact is that standards have changed. Today, people expect more.

In part this comes from the new understanding that the indoor environment can have a significant impact on health. The importance of health considerations is pointed up by recent policy developments in ASHRAE. For some time many ASHRAE members have been uneasy with the amount of attention indoor air quality and especially health considerations have been receiving in the society. In fact, they presented a petition that articulated those concerns a year ago. Their feelings were that as an engineering society, ASHRAE did not have the expertise to deal with health matters. Air quality and especially health aspects represented too great a departure from system design and operation.

As a result, a group was appointed to study the issue and report to the board of directors. Their report was presented at the Dallas meeting and accepted by the board. The report pointed out that indoor air quality cannot be separated from the design and operation of HVAC systems. The product of the engineer's work has an unavoidable impact on the indoor environment and thus, health. Thus it was reaffirmed that ASHRAE standards should include health impacts. This action is likely to bring new awareness to the relationship between indoor air quality and health.

Mr. Baker's field of expertise is the control of contamination in air-conditioning and ventilating systems by mold, mildew and bacteria. He writes and speaks frequently about the efficacy, legal risks, and regulatory issues involved in various control strategies. He serves on ASHRAE Technical Committee TC 2.3, TC 2.4, TC 9.8, and Sampling of Airborne Particulate Concentration in Commercial and Residential Buildings GPC 17P. He also serves as a member of ASTM D22.06 (Indoor Air Quality) and is on the Board of Directors of the Indoor Air Quality Association and the Florida Public Health Foundation. Because HVAC applications encompass new uses from an U.S. EPA regulatory standpoint, Mr. Baker works closely with the EPA and industry groups, including serving as the chair of the IAQ committee of the Consumer Specialty Products Association, to help formulate policy in this area.

Bob Baker is Chairman and CEO of BBJ Environmental Solutions, Inc., a company specializing in providing clean air through environmentally responsible products, such as BBJ MicroBiocide , BBJ Micro Coil Clean , "FreshDuct Odor Eliminator ", and BBJ Mold and Mildew Remover™ as well as the revolutionary new Power Coil Clean™. For additional information, Mr. Baker can be reached at (800) 889-2251 or through the company web site at http://www.bbjenviro.com.