ATLANTA - The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has long said that proper ventilation levels can lead to healthier, more productive environments. Now the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have recognized ASHRAE ventilation guidance as a means for creating healthy homes.

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.”

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 heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems work together to effectively ventilate homes and minimize sources of indoor pollution.

The standard applies to spaces intended for human occupancy within single-family houses and multi-family 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.

Publication date: 07/06/2009