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Ventilation system design? Rooms in “series”.

user-1137156 | Posted in Building Code Questions on

I’m planning on using an ERV I pretty well have chosen one sold in the US under the Broan brand but made by Venmar in Canada The US PN is ERV250TE Looking around the Broan site I find”
http://www.broan.com/products/lifestyle/ventilation-standards-468fde9c-7f08-4b0e-8c8f-d721c95ad1a0
Which says that each bathroom needs 50 CFNM and the Kitchen needs 100 CFM. Fine I have 3 bathrooms and a kitchen for a total of 250 CFM which the unit can support in “turbo mode” but that means I can only ventilate those 4 areas, or does it? I have a laundry room next to one of the bathrooms and a separate ” toilet room” in my master bath. My proposal is: Use “jump ducts to, in effect place rooms in series for ventilation. Ducts to the ERV originate in the bathroom but with doors all closed air flows from ” the rest of the house” into the laundry area and from the laundry area into the bathroom. In a similar way my toilet room will have a duct to the ERV and a ” jump duct” into the bathing area which will also have another “jump duct” to the common areas of the house. Does this solution meet the code requirements as I believe it does?.

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Jerry,
    The only person who can answer a question about whether an innovative approach to a construction problem meets code requirements is your local code official. Local code officials have broad latitude in interpreting code requirements.

    That said, I don't endorse your approach. For more information on this issue, see this article: Does a Home with an HRV Also Need Bath Fans?

  2. user-1137156 | | #2

    Thank you Martin!
    The article was an interesting and informative read. The article quotes "experts" giving good arguments against adding bath fans to a house served by a central ventilation system. If I chose to make one bathroom larger and contain the laundry and the master suite bath all one room, forgoing the separate toilet room-let then the equipment I've chosen could clearly be commissioned to meet the code requirements without the unbalancing consequence of added fans. My "rooms in series" proposal uses "jump ducts" in the partitions that divide these areas to reconnect them for ventilation purposes.

  3. tenbob | | #3

    I believe that the 100 CFM for the kitchen "allotment" is usually provided by a range hood. I don't think you want your kitchen to be entirely ventilated by your ERV.

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