Jeff O Toole – Passive House Consultant
Achieving Air Tightness Successfully
Presentation Overview
• What is Air Tightness • What’s all the fuss about • Natural Ventilation • Get it right from the start • During the construction
phase • Testing • Air Tightness Test Results
What is Air Tightness
• Leak Proofing
• Eliminate Draughts
• Eliminate Uncontrolled Air Leakage
• Eliminate Uncontrolled Heat Loss
What’s All The Fuss About
Calm Day Windy Day
Natural Ventilation
• Natural Ventilation is ventilation by chance
• Over Ventilation on Windy cold days
• Under Ventilation on Warm humid Days
Get It Right From The Start
• Clearly define the weak areas in the air tight envelope
• Design them out where possible
• Specify the correct materials for the unavoidable areas Air barrier line
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7 8 9
10 11 10 2
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414
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Air leakage path
5
The Construction Phase
• Sub-Contractor Awareness
• Agreed Sequence of Work
• Agreed Routes for Services
• Air Tightness Test before closing walls
• Final Air test once everything is complete
2. Sub- Contractor Awareness
3.Test for Air Tightness
Communication & Coordination
1. Sequence of Work
Air Tightness Testing
• Passive House Standard 0.6 Air Changes per Hour (ACH)@50 Pascal
• Building Regulation 7m3/hr/m2 )@50 Pascal
Air tightness Test Results
Passive House 0.6 ACH
• Ventilation Heat Loss
• 1721 kWh/year
Building Regulations 7 ACH
• Ventilation Heat Loss
• 10449 kWh/year
Questions?
www.passivehousesolutions.ie