HVI seeks to provide timely and relevant information regarding residential mechanical ventilation. Industry articles, presentations and additional materials can be found below.
HVI Consumer Publications:
HVI's Fresh Ideas — The Guide to Home Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality
A useful guide that can be used as a resource for learning more about the wide range of ventilation products produced by HVI members and how you can apply these products to improve comfort and health in your living environment. Follow the links below for the complete 2009 full-color guide, available in .pdf form and the html version of the articles contained in the 2006 guide.
Fresh Ideas — The Guide to Home Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality
Articles from 2006 Fresh Ideas Home Ventilation & Indoor Air Quality GuideThis consumer-focused HVI inline fan brochure explains the definition and purpose of inline fans, how they can make homes more comfortable and their numerous benefits while stressing the importance of HVI Certification.
HVI Bathroom Exhaust Fan Brochure
This consumer-focused brochure includes information on why bathroom fans are necessary in all homes, what function bathroom exhaust fans serve, what to look for when purchasing a bathroom exhaust fan and much more.
HVI Heat and Energy Recovery Ventilators (HRV/ERVs) Brochure
This convenient HVI HRV/ERV brochure contains information on why HRV/ERVs are beneficial, provides an easy-to-understand definition of HRV/ERVs, helps consumers understand which ventilator is right for them and much more.
This handy HVI range hood brochure provides an overview of the function, form, and performance of kitchen range hoods — including ventilation rates based on range hood length — while highlighting the value of selecting HVI-Certified products.
As an introductory snapshot of the HVI Certification Program, this brochure outlines the value of HVI's rigorous testing, proven performance, certification, and verification. Extensive testing experience makes HVI-Certified the label that contractors and builders depend on to ensure customer satisfaction.
Bathroom Ventilation Guidelines
Guidelines for ventilating both large and smaller bathrooms using intermittent or continuous ventilation. Examples include square footage and recommended airflow.
Bathroom Ventilation GuidelinesEvery home needs ventilation to protect people from unhealthy indoor pollutants and to protect the building from excess moisture and heat. Learn more about the wide range of ventilation products produced by HVI members and how to apply them to create more comfortable and healthier living environments.
Benefits of VentilatingVentilation Articles and Position Papers:
Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) and Healthy House Institute (HHI) Articles
Each month, the Healthy House Institute (HHI) partners with the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) to produce ventilation-related articles. Click on the link below to view each of the articles.
Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) and Healthy House Institute (HHI) ArticlesProven Airtightness Essential for Energy Efficient Homes
The last three decades of home building research and development have demonstrated that airtightness is critical to improving the energy performance and durability of all homes, both new and existing. Home buyers are increasingly aware of the need to conserve energy to reduce operating costs and the impact on the environment, escalating the demand for better built homes. In addition to home buyers, government entities such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are taking steps to encourage home builders to build tighter homes.
Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Position Paper
Mechanical ventilation plays a critical role in maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in homes. In this article, the Home Ventilating Institute, the authority on residential ventilation systems, offers guidelines on how to select the right ventilation system for your home, how much air it should move and why, types of ventilation systems, and where to get more information on ventilation standards.
Mold, Moisture, and Houses — Ventilation is an Effective Weapon
This guideline document provides an overview of residential mold prevention for the average consumer — the resident of today's North American housing. It provides a basic scientific explanation of mold fundamentals, findings related to problems blamed on mold, and an introduction to psychrometrics — the science of air containing moisture. That scientific base is then applied as a general guideline for making the practical decisions associated with residential design, construction, ventilation and operation for effective mold control.
QuickGuide to Indoor Air Quality
Healthy House Institute (HHI)
Air — though invisible, it is the most basic, life-sustaining feature of your home. Preventive measures, ventilation, and daily habits play a role in protecting your home's precious supply.
Indoor Air Quality and Mold Prevention of the Building Envelope
Roger Morse and Don Acker
Microbiological organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, are important components of our ecosystem. These microorganisms break down dead material into its constituent components and as such are important participants in earth's continuing life cycle. However, if these microorganisms proliferate in buildings, they can adversely impact indoor air quality (IAQ), create hazardous health conditions for the occupants and contribute to the deterioration of building components.
Suellen W. Pirage, PhD
Over the past decade, there has been extreme media attention to issues about mold and allegedly adverse effects. Unfortunately, misinformation about mold and health effects abounds and often the public is led to believe that exposure to mold is a dangerous event. This paper presents common points of misinformation about mold and health. Scientific documentation to refute the misinformation is presented.
Natural Versus Mechanical Ventilation
Gord Cooke
The reality is that the natural infiltration of air is not a reliable source of adequate amounts of air to maintain good air quality. This article explores the reasons for this and then outlines the benefits of controlled mechanical ventilation. Article written by Gord Cooke; reprinted from HPAC Jan/Feb 2005 with permission.
Homes built in recent years are often larger and more airtight than in the past in order to keep conditioned air from escaping. These larger homes often have larger bathrooms with whirlpool baths, steam showers and other amenities to provide added comforts. As a result, many homeowners and builders have recognized the need for quiet ventilating fans. Homeowners want to enjoy a quiet, relaxing whirlpool bath without being disturbed by a loud ventilating fan. They choose a quiet model in order to fully enjoy their home investment.
Ventilation Controls for Life-Styles, presented by the HVI Sales & Marketing Committee
In recent years, as new homes have become more airtight, the awareness of the need for residential mechanical ventilation has been growing more than ever. Proper ventilation is essential to removing excessive moisture, which promotes mold and mildew build-up and can deteriorate the building's structure. Ventilation is also important to help reduce the build-up of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that affect indoor air quality (IAQ) and may cause health problems for occupants.
Ventilation Seminars
Tex McLeod, The McLeod Associates; Presented at Comfortech 2008
This session demonstrated how the current green building trend requires contractors to understand how a house works as a system to ensure that ventilation and IAQ needs are met.
Building Codes, Ventilation Rates & Certified Ventilation Performance
Don Stevens, Panasonic Home and Environment Co.; Presented at Comfortech 2007
To meet your customer's IAQ needs you must understand the rules, the rates and equipment performance. But trying to meet the needs of the building inspector, national building codes, energy codes, ASHRAE, state and local requirements can be confusing. This session explained the details and provided attendees with the tools needed to make ventilation work for them. In addition attendees learned about the value of ventilation products that have been certified for airflow, sound and energy performance ensuring that they meet the code and the customers needs every time.
Green Buildings: Without Ventilation, They're Just Moldy!
Paul Raymer, Heyoka Solutions & Doug Steege, RenewAire LLC; Presented at Comfortech 2007
Green is the new buzz word for energy efficient, sustainable, healthy building with an eye to the long term environmental effects. The public excitement over global warming and green building can be a marketing advantage, while well-designed, properly installed, properly commissioned heating, cooling and ventilation systems will bring you more business and reduce your callbacks. If you ignore ventilation services, you're leaving a profit center on the table and you're not doing your customers any favors. This session focused on green building opportunities and programs, now and into the future.
Indoor Air Quality Solutions — Knowledge Makes the Difference
John Ouellette, M.D.; Presented at Comfortech 2008
Everyone's talking about it and everyone seems to be offering a solution. But, what do you, as the contractor, need to know to provide the products and systems that ensure IAQ? Find out from the experts what you really need to know to identify IAQ problems and provide solutions that work. All homes, new, old and green have IAQ issues and require good ventilation practice — learn how to expand your business and your customers' satisfaction with this presentation.
Ventilation: The Best Solution to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Tex McLeod, The McLeod Associates; Presented at Comfortech 2007
In the HVAC business today your customers are asking for solutions to indoor air quality problems. But how often do you offer ventilation as the best choice to meet their needs? If you typically offer only filtration and ultraviolet lights you may not be solving their problems, leaving customers dissatisfied and money on the table. In this session you will learn about the key role that proper ventilation plays in controlling IAQ. Increase customer satisfaction and your business opportunities — learn how to put the 'V' back in HVAC!
Understanding Ventilation in Green Building Programs
Don Stevens, Panasonic Home and Environment Co. and Paul Raymer, Heyoka Solutions; Presented at Comfortech 2008
In this presentation, the ventilation requirements of green building programs such as Energy Star, LEED for Homes and the NAHB Green Building program are clarified. Understanding these requirements has become critical as the number of homes built to green building standards expands rapidly in all regions.
Looking for more information? Visit the Links of Interest page for additional industry resources.
