ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have recognized the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ventilation guidance as a means for creating healthy homes.

Last month, Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson released The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Healthy Homes, calling for Americans to prevent disease and promote healthy environments in homes. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, was recommended as an effective way to reduce indoor air pollution through ventilation in the CDC’s and HUD’s supporting guidance for builders and homeowners.

“The citation of Standard 62.2 by the surgeon general highlights the relevance of this standard to the national need for safe and healthy housing,” said Andy Persily, chair of ASHRAE’s technology council. “ASHRAE members should be proud to be able to contribute to such an important goal.”

According to the association, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2 helps ensure air inside homes is clean and safe by limiting sources of pollutants and requiring enough mechanical ventilation to provide dilution for unavoidable contaminants. The standard ensures that HVACR systems work together to effectively ventilate homes and minimize sources of indoor pollution. It applies to spaces intended for human occupancy within single-family houses and multifamily structures of three stories or fewer, including manufactured and modular houses. It does not apply to transient housing such as hotels, motels, nursing homes, dormitories, or jails. The standard applies to both new and existing buildings and renovations.

For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.

Publication date: 07/13/2009