systemvision€¦ · guaranteeing their heating and cooling bills, and ensuring that the homes meet...

2015 Contractor’s Guide

COPYRIGHT ©2016 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED VERSION 2016.2.1

SystemVision

COPYRIGHT ©2016 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • VERSION 2016.2.1 • PAGE 2

HISTORYINTRODUCTION

Since 2001, SystemVision has been certifying new homes in North Carolina, guaranteeing their heating and cooling bills, and ensuring that the homes meet a high standard for comfort, durability, health, safety, energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. As of July 2015, SystemVision has guaranteed over 4,300 homes!

North Carolina Housing Finance AgencyThanks to the NC Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA), Advanced Energy’s partner in SystemVision, through which funding is available to select non-profit organizations to help defray the costs often associated with building high-performance homes.

These nonprofits must become a Self Help or Community Home Loan Pool Member with NCHFA. For more information on how to become a member and reserve funds, contact Josh Burton, Sonia Joyner, or Donna Coleman at NCHFA at (919)877-5700.

About Advanced EnergyAdvanced Energy, a non-profit out of Raleigh, is committed to ensuring that every home in the nation is healthy, safe, durable, comfortable, energy efficient and environmentally responsible. Our staff of building science experts provides training and consultation services to a variety of clients in the building industry.

SystemVision Home StatusBuilders and raters can view the status of their homes at www.hometracking.org.

SystemVision GuaranteeAdvanced Energy guarantees the heating and cooling energy consumption, and the comfort of the original homeowner for two years. The heating and cooling usage is calculated after a full year of occupancy by estimating the base load usage (e.g., TVs, appliances, water heating, lights, etc.) and subtracting the base load from the total energy used. If the home uses more energy for heating and cooling than the guarantee, Advanced Energy will reimburse the homeowner and initiate a diagnostic process to address the cause.

The SystemVision guarantee gives the homeowner certain responsibilities. These responsibilities are laid out on the guarantee information sheet (see Resources), as well www.systemvision.org. Questions regarding the guarantee can be submitted to [email protected].

Heating & Cooling

394467

121 121

303

Base Load

358

213 167 0

470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 470 445 470 470

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

kWh

Total Annual Heating & Cooling Electricity Usage= 3842 kWhTotal Annual Heating= 2691 kWhTotal Annual Cooling= 1151 kWh

1030

858

SystemVision Guarantee Example


INTRODUCTIONPROCESS

Pre-Construction1. NCHFA Loan Pool Application and Three-Party Contract

2. NCHFA Funding Reservation Request

3. Minimum of 3 weeks before starting to build, submit new floor plans, PRIF (see Resources) and HVAC load calc to [email protected]

4. Complete New Builder Orientation before first home

Construction5. Begin Home

6. Framing Check• Submit completed Framing Checklist to rater and request inspection, if needed

7. Insulation Check• Submit completed Insulation Checklist to rater and request inspection

8. Final Check• Submit completed Final Checklist to rater and request inspection

• Submit AHRI Certificate and load calc to rater

9a. If someone other than Advanced Energy is your rater:

• Send completed checklists and inspection requests to the appropriate email

• Follow agreed upon process for scheduling

9b. If Advanced Energy is your rater:

• Send completed checklists and inspection requests to [email protected]

• Contact Advanced Energy at least three business days before intended inspection date

• Advanced Energy will contact you within 24 hours

Post-Construction10. Sign up homeowner with ResiSpeak (see Resources)

11. Advanced Energy issues SystemVision Guarantee• Emailed to loan pool member

12. Homeowner education on SystemVision guarantee

13. Advanced Energy issues invoice• Emailed to loan pool member

• $1,050 per house for up to three inspections

• Re-inspections charged at $50 for fourth inspection, $150 per hour for additional re-inspections, not to exceed $300

14. NCHFA Releases Funds to loan pool member

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Cross-Out


INTRODUCTIONPROGRAM STANDARDS

1. Air Tightness

1.1. Tightness shall be less than or equal to 0.20 CFM50 per square foot of conditioned envelope area.

2. Moisture Management

2.1. Finished grade shall be sloped away from foundation walls or slab.

2.2. Slabs: Vapor retarder with 100% coverage, and overlapped seams, shall be installed under the slab.

2.3. Crawl Spaces: Shall be closed and have the following components:

2.3.1. A sump pump or drain to daylight with a backflow preventer shall be located at the low point of the crawlspace.

2.3.2. All air leakage paths from the home to the crawlspace, and from the crawlspace to outside shall be air sealed.

2.3.3. Vapor Barrier

2.3.3.1. Walls - vapor barrier shall be sealed, mechanically fastened, and run up walls to within 3” of mudsill.

2.3.3.2. Floors - vapor barrier shall be sealed at all seams, penetrations and to wall vapor barrier.

2.3.4. Drying Mechanism - A stand-alone dehumidifier or supply register with backflow preventer that provides 1 CFM/30SF of floor area.

2.3.5. Crawl spaces during construction shall have at least one of the following: (1) crawl space vents or (2) a vapor retarder covering the ground.

3. Framing and Insulation

3.1. Roof framing shall allow for 10" of vertical space from exterior of top-plate to roof sheathing.

3.2. Insulation shall be installed to manufacturer’s specifications, with no gaps, voids, compression or wind intrusion. Insulation and the air barrier shall be installed in physical contact with each other.

3.3. Attic accesses shall be insulated to a minimum of R-30. This will require an insulated, air sealed and weather stripped box to be constructed for attic pull-down stairs.

3.4. Insulation levels shall, at minimum, equal those in the following table or meet the 2015 IECC Total UA alternative.

4. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Ventilation

4.1. Equipment Minimums

4.1.1. Furnaces/AC - 90% efficient, 14 SEER

4.1.2. Heat Pumps - 14 SEER, 8.2 hspf

4.2. All duct connections shall be sealed with a UL listed “bucket” mastic product.

4.3. Duct leakage, measured in cubic feet per minute at 25 Pascals, shall not exceed 3% of the conditioned square footage.

4.4. Mechanical systems shall be sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closest available size) of the whole home ACCA Manual J total load. ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculations, including all inputs, shall be submitted for each plan to verify sizing. Physical copy of the load calculation with the AHRI certificate shall be attached to AHU unit or submitted to the rater prior to the final inspection.

4.5. Heat pumps shall have an outdoor thermostat installed to prevent supplementary heater operation when the heat pump is capable of meeting the load. The lockout shall be set to 35°F.

CLIMATE ZONE

SLAB WALLS CEILING FLOORSCRAWLSPACE

WALLS

Zone 3 NA R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-38 R-19 R-5 cont.

Zone 4 R-10 R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-49 R-19 R-10 cont.

Zone 5 R-10 R-21 or R-15 + 5 cont. R-49 R-30 R-15 cont.


INTRODUCTIONPROGRAM STANDARDS

4.6. The measured airflow for each room shall be within ± 20% or 25 CFM of the ACCA Manual J calculation. This will require supply dampers to be installed for bedrooms and bathrooms.

4.7. Total system airflow shall be set between 300-400 CFM per ton in cooling, or set to total system airflow as specified by the manufacturer.

4.8. Whole House Ventilation: There shall be a filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system that is capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 that complies with one of the following options:

Option 1: Identify Supply Ventilation - Air handler cannot have a PSC motor. System shall be designed to operate intermittently and automatically based on a timer (e.g., air cycler) and to restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at a minimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours.

Option 2: Balanced Ventilation

4.9. Spot Ventilation: All ventilation ducts shall terminate beyond the exterior skin of the building.

4.9.1. All bathrooms shall have a fan vented to the outside that exhausts 50 CFM intermittently (requires a min. fan rating of 70 CFM).

4.9.2. All kitchens shall have a fan vented to the outside that exhausts 100 CFM (requires a min. fan rating of 120 CFM).

4.10. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, shall be insulated.

5. Pressure Balancing

5.1. All rooms within the conditioned space, except baths and laundry, shall not exceed ± 3 Pascals pressure differential with respect to the main body when interior doors are closed and the air handler is operating. Returns, transfer grilles or jump ducts shall be used to balance each room in addition to door undercuts.

6. Plumbing

6.1. Electric water heaters shall have an energy factor (EF) of at least 0.94. Gas water heaters shall have an EF of at least 0.61.

6.2. From the water heater, the first three feet of hot and cold pipes shall be insulated to ≥ R-4.

6.3. Toilets shall be 1.3 GPF or less (including dual-flush models). Showerheads shall be 2.25 GPM or less. Kitchen faucets shall be 2.2 GPM or less. Bath faucets shall be 1.5 GPM or less.

7. Appliances & Lighting

7.1. Dishwashers and refrigerators, if provided by the builder, shall be ENERGY STAR® rated.

7.2. Home shall not have any incandescent lights.

8. Combustion Safety

8.1. Any combustion appliance inside the conditioned space, other than gas ranges and wood fireplaces, shall be direct vent or power-vented. Vent-free gas logs are not allowed.

8.2. One hard-wired carbon monoxide (CO) detector shall be installed per 1,000 sq. feet of living space in homes that have any combustion appliance within the conditioned space, or which have an attached garage (minimum one per floor).


YES NO N/A Q/A

FOUNDATION

1.A vapor retarder with 100% coverage and overlapped seams is installed under all slabs.

2.Slabs built in Climate Zones 4 and 5 are insulated to at least R-10. (vertical slab edge insulation)

3.Crawl spaces are graded to a low point and have a sump pump or drain to daylight roughed in.

4.

Crawl spaces have at least one of the following during the framing inspection:• Crawl space vents that will be sealed when construction is complete.• A vapor retarder covering the ground.

FRAMING

5.Roof framing allows for 10" of vertical space from the exterior edge of the top plate to roof sheathing.

6.Attic platforms are raised to a height that allows for the installation of the same insulation R-value used elsewhere in the attic.

7. If continuous rigid insulation is not used, all exterior wall studs are 2×6.

8. Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are roughed in.

AIR SEALING

9.Sill seal and/or caulk has been used to air seal bottom plates of exterior to the subfloor.

10.

All penetrations and cracks in the building shell are air sealed with foam, mastic or caulk. This includes, but is not limited to: holes for MEP, bands between floors, beam pockets, bottom plate to sheathing, top plate to sheathing.

SLA

BC

RA

WL

FRAMING CHECKLIST

Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

Framer Company: Phone:

HVAC Contractor: Phone:

House Address:

City/State/Zip: Plan Name:

Framing Checklist Requesting Field Inspection by Rater? Yes: No:


FRAMING CHECKLIST

YES NO N/A Q/A

11.Rigid air barrier is installed and air sealed at all chases, behind all tubs and showers, and on the attic side of all knee walls.

OTHER

12. All recessed lights are insulation contact (IC) rated and airtight.

13.All bath fans are rated to exhaust at least 70 CFM and point in the direction of the termination location.

14.Request AHRI Certificate and ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculation and confirm mechanical systems will be sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closest available size) of whole home total load.

Comments and Corrective Work Order Items:

BUILDER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


INSULATION CHECKLIST

Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:

Insulation contractor: Phone:

YES NO N/A Q/A

1.

Insulation levels meet or exceed those in the following table:

CLIMATE ZONE

WALLS CEILING FLOORSCRAWLSPACE

WALLS

Zone 3 R-19 or R-15 + 3 cont. R-38 R-19 R-5 cont.



or have documentation that envelope meets 2015 IECC total UA Alternative.

2.Insulation is installed to manufacturer’s specifications, with no gaps, voids, compression, misalignment, or wind intrusion.

3.All insulated walls (including knee walls, walls behind tubs, walls under stairs, and framed walls in crawl spaces) are framed with six rigid, air-tight sides.

4.Wind baffles are installed along the perimeter of attic insulation, including vaulted and cathedral ceilings, and allow at least 8 in. of insulation to be installed over top plate.

5.Sill seal is installed on the vertical face of all interior and exterior wall top plates. Exception: builder may use caulk, foam, or mastic to seal top plates to drywall from the attic side after drywall is installed.

6.Windows and doors have backer-rod, caulk, or foam between the frame and rough opening.

7.UL listed bucket mastic has been used to seal all connections (flex, collars, plenums, boots, and boxes) in the duct system (total duct leakage must be less then 3%).

8. Metal seams have been sealed with bucket mastic.

9.Rigid metal splicing collars have been used at all flex duct splices and have been sealed with bucket mastic.

10. Fresh air ventilation is filtered. The filter will be easily accessible.

11. Dampers have been installed in all supply ducts and bedroom return ducts.


INSULATION CHECKLIST

YES NO N/A Q/A

12. Ventilation ducts do not have turns or bends greater than 90°.

13. Ventilation ducts terminate beyond the exterior skin of the home.

14. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, are insulated.

15.Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are installed for pressure balancing in all bedrooms.



Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


Insulation is installed to meet SystemVision R-value Requirementsa.

a. R-Values are minimums.

b. “R-13+R-5” means R-13 cavity insulation plus R-5 insulated sheathing. If structural sheathing covers 25 percent or less of the exterior, insulated sheathing is not required where structural sheathing is used. If structural sheathing covers more than 25 percent of the exterior, structural sheathing shall be supplemented with insulation sheathing of at least R-2.

c. Sufficient insulation to fill the cavity, R-19 minimum.

INFORMATION SHEET: NC CLIMATE ZONESINSULATION

Raleigh

DurhamGreensboro

Asheboro

Winston-Salem

Statesville Asheville

Charlotte

Wilmington

GreenvilleWilson

New Bern

CLIMATE ZONE CEILING FRAME WALL FLOORCRAWL SPACE

WALLSLAB

Zone 3 R-38 R-19 or R-15+3 R-19 R-5 N/A

Zone 4 R-49 R-19 or R-15+3 R-19 R-10 R-10

Zone 5 R-49 R-21 or R-15+5b R-30c R-15 R-10


INCORRECT

INCORRECT

INCORRECT CORRECT

Insulation is installed to fill the cavity between conditioned and unconditioned space without gaps, voids, misalignments or compression.

TECH TIPSINSULATION

CORRECT

CORRECT


INFORMATION SHEETS: WIND BAFFLE INSTALLTIONINSULATION

1" min.

8" minimumof insulation

1" min.

Air sealing at seams & joints, typical

INCORRECT CORRECT


FINAL CHECKLIST

Builder/Developer:

Site Super: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:

YES NO N/A Q/A

1.All penetrations in ceiling drywall (for lighting, ceiling fans, bath fans, etc.) are sealed with caulk or foam.

2.Attic hatches are weather stripped and have at least R-30 insulation attached. This will require an insulated, air sealed and weather stripped box to be constructed for attic pull-down stairs.

3.Electric water heaters have an energy factor (EF) of at least 0.94. Gas water heaters have an EF of at least 0.61.

4.The first three feet of hot and cold pipes from the water heater are insulated to at least R-4.

5.

Plumbing fixtures do not exceed the maximum flow rates listed in the following table:

FIXTURE TOILETS (dual-flush

models)

SHOWER-HEADS

KITCHEN FAUCETS

BATHROOM FAUCETS

Flow Rate 1.3 GPF(1.1 & 1.6 GPF)

2.25 GPM 2.2 GPM 1.5 GPM

6.Dishwashers and refrigerators, if provided by the builder, are ENERGY STAR® rated.

7. No incandescent lights have been installed in the home.

8. All kitchens have a fan vented to the outside and exhaust 100 CFM.

9. All baths have fans vented to outside and exhaust 50 CFM.


FINAL CHECKLIST

YES NO N/A Q/A

10.

Crawl space foundation• A sump pump or drain to daylight with a backflow preventer is located

at the low point of the crawl space.• All penetrations in crawl space walls are sealed with caulk or foam.• Vapor barrier is sealed, mechanically fastened to walls (not taped), and

extends up all walls and piers to within 3" of the mudsill or floor joist.• Vapor barrier completely covers the ground and is sealed to the wall

vapor barrier and also at all seams and penetrations.• There is either a standalone dehumidifier or a supply register with a

backflow preventer that provides at least 1 CFM per 30 ft2 of floor area• The crawl space access door is weather stripped and insulated to the

same value as the crawl space wall.

11.AHRI and load calculation are submitted to rater or are attached to air handing unit.

12.HVAC checklist has been reviewed with HVAC contractor or completed by HVAC contractor.

13.

Combustion devices or an attached garage:• All combustion devices inside the conditioned space, other than gas

ranges and wood fireplaces, are direct vent or power-vented.• One hard-wired carbon monoxide (CO) detector is installed per 1,000 ft2

of living space, with a minimum of one per floor.

14.Caulk or mastic has been used to seal all supply boots, return boxes, and bath fans to their rough openings.

15.Heat pumps have an outdoor thermostat installed that prevents auxiliary heater operation when temperature is above 35°F.

CR

AW

LG

AS


FINAL CHECKLIST

Airtightness and Pressurization Ventilation Flows

House Airtightness: CFM50 Kitchen: CFM

Duct Airtightness: CFM25 Bath 1: CFM

Pressure Balanced: Bath 2: CFM

Window Structure: Bath 3: CFM

U-Value: Outside Air Flow: CFM

SHGC Vaule:

Mechanicals and AppliancesAHU/Indoor Coil Water Heater

Make: Make:

AHU Model #: Model:

Location:

Efficiency: EF

AC/Outdoor Coil Ductwork

Make: Location:

Model: R-Value:

Outdoor thermostat setting (this applies to heat pump systems only)

This house has no incandescent light bulbs.

If provided by the builder, the dishwasher and refrigerator are ENERGY STAR® appliances.


FINAL CHECKLIST



Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


CRAWL SPACEFINAL

Supply Air at 1 CFM/30 SF or Dehumidifer

All Penetrations in Wall Air Sealed

Floor liner overlapswall liner and is sealed

3" TermiteInspection Gap

Sump or Drainto Daylight

HVAC Unit

SealedWall/Floor Liner

Weather-Stripped Door

All Penetrations in Floor Air Sealed

COMPONENT DESCRIPTION/PURPOSE

Floor LinerThe floor liner is a sealed vapor retarder that covers 100% of the crawl space floor. The floor liner retards moisture from the crawl space floor from entering the crawl space.The floor liner overlaps wall liner and is sealed.

Wall LinerThe wall liner runs from under the floor liner up the masonry walls to 3" below the mudsill where it is mechanically fastened and sealed to the wall. The wall liner retards moisture from the masonry walls from entering the crawl space.

Sump Pump/Drain to Daylight

The sump pump/drain is located at the low point of the crawl space. The purpose of the sump pump/drain is to:

1. help rid water from under the floor liner 2. remove water that may accidentally accumulate on top of the floor liner from bulk water issues.

Supply Air/DehumidifierThe drying mechanism maintains an appropriate level of humidity (typically below 70% RH) in the crawl space to prevent moisture related problems.

Air/Pest Sealing

All holes in the crawl space walls, band joists, and floor system above the crawl space are sealed with an appropriate sealant. Sealing is done to isolate the crawl space from the outside and conditioned space. In addition to isolating the space the sealing also can effectively limit the intrusion of pests into crawl space.

Insulation

The insulation for the closed crawl space can be located on the crawl space walls or in the floor system above the crawl space. When the crawl space walls are insulated there must be 3" of exposed masonry below the mudsill and the band joists of the crawl space must be insulated. The insulation helps complete the thermal envelope of the home and retard heat transfer into or out of the structure.


HVAC: DESIGN CHECKLIST

HVAC Contactor:

HVAC Contact: Phone:

House Address:


Rater: Phone:

YES NO N/A Q/A

DESIGN

1.HVAC equipment meets or exceeds the following minimum efficiencies:• Heat pumps: 14 SEER, 8.2 HSPF.• Furnaces with A/C: 90% efficient, 14 SEER.

2.An ACCA Manual J room-by-room load calculation, including all inputs, is submitted to Advanced Energy [email protected] prior to installation.

3.Mechanical systems are sized to within 6,000 Btuh (or closest available size) of the whole home ACCA Manual J total load. Note: If multiple systems are to be installed, minisplits will be necessary.

4.

A filtered whole-house mechanical fresh air ventilation system capable of meeting the current version of ASHRAE 62.2 is installed that complies with one of the following options:• OPTION 1: Supply Ventilation - Air handler cannot have a PSC motor.

System shall be designed to operate intermittently and automatically based on a timer (e.g., air cycler) and to restrict outdoor air intake when not in use (e.g., motorized damper). Ventilation at a minimum shall occur 10% of every 24 hours.

• OPTION 2: Balanced Ventilation

HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


HVAC: ROUGH-IN CHECKLIST

HVAC Contactor:


House Address:


Rater: Phone:

YES NO N/A Q/A

ROUGH-IN

1.UL listed bucket mastic has been used to seal all connections (flex, collars, plenums, boots, and boxes) in the duct system (total duct leakage must be less then 3%).

2. Metal seams have been sealed with bucket mastic.

3.Rigid metal splicing collars have been used at all flex duct splices and have been sealed with bucket mastic.

4. Fresh air ventilation is filtered. The filter will be easily accessible.

5. Dampers have been installed in all supply ducts and bedroom return ducts.

6. Ventilation ducts do not have turns or bends greater than 90°.

7. Ventilation ducts terminate beyond the exterior skin of the home.

8. All ventilation ducts, excluding kitchen exhaust ducts, are insulated.

9.Transfer grills, jumper ducts, or individual room returns are installed for pressure balancing in all bedrooms.

HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


HVAC: FINAL CHECKLIST

HVAC Contactor:


House Address:


Rater: Phone:

YES NO N/A Q/A

FINAL

1.Caulk or mastic has been used to seal all supply boots, return boxes, and bath fans to their rough openings.

2.Heat pumps have an outdoor thermostat installed that prevents auxiliary heater operation when temperature is above 35°F.

3.Total system airflow is set between 300-400 CFM per ton of cooling capacity, or set to total system airflow as specified by the manufacturer.

4.Airflow for each room is within 20% or 25 CFM of the ACCA Manual J calculation.

5.Physical copy of the room-by-room ACCA Manual J and matching AHRI certificate is attached to AHU or submitted to builder before the final inspection.

HVAC CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:

RATER CERTIFICATION

Name:

Company:

Signature:

Date:


Equipment Sizing and Selection

• Heat pumps and air conditioners, if used, must be sized according to ACCA Manual J and be installed within a ½ ton of that size.

A room-by-room Manual J load calculation must be completed for each floor plan (not for each house). Please indicate on the Plan Review Input Form (PRIF) who will be responsible for the load calculation - either the HVAC contractor or Advanced Energy. HVAC contractors should refer to the Load Calculation Input Form in this section and the appendices for a list of required reports and inputs. If you elect Advanced Energy to complete this load

calculation, the fee is $0.15 per square foot.

• Heat pumps and air conditioners shall have a minimum seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating of 14 and a heating season performance factor (HSPF) of at least 8.2.

• Furnaces shall be 90% efficient and their cooling systems shall have a minimum SEER rating of 13.

Air Distribution

• All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

• Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3% of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested).

• Tested airflow must be within ± 20% or 25 CFM of the designed airflow in each room. The HVAC contractor is responsible for balancing the system at start-up.

Mechanical Equipment Installation

• Heat pumps must include an outdoor thermostat connected to lock out the heat strips above 35°F.

• Inert gas (nitrogen) shall be used during any brazing and soldering of refrigerant lines.

• Condensation drain shall be installed to meet local codes and manufacturer’s specifications.

• Airflow volume across the indoor coil and heat exchanger shall meet manufacturer’s specifications of 300-400 CFM.

• Indoor and outdoor units must be matched according to the AHRI Directory or the manufacturer’s listing.

• Correct charge must be installed per manufacturer’s specifications.

STANDARDS + SPECIFICATIONS:HVAC

Bucket Mastic must be used to seal ducts

Load Calculations Template If you would like a WrightSoft SystemVision template for your climate zone, please email [email protected] to request one.


Ventilation and Moisture Management

• Bathroom: Each bathroom must have an exhaust fan that exhausts a minimum of 50 CFM directly to the outside. This is the measured flow as installed, not the rated flow.

• Kitchen: Each kitchen must have a range hood or exhaust fan that exhausts a minimum of 100 CFM directly to outside. This is the measured flow as installed, not the rated flow.

• The kitchen exhaust must be hard ducted to the outside with a back-draft damper installed. Recirculating range hoods are not acceptable. Typically the 120 CFM models will be adequate to provide 100 CFM of flow. The quieter the hood, the better; homeowners will often not use them if they are too noisy.

• Outside Air: There must be a mechanical fresh air ventilation system that Is capable of meeting ASHRAE 62.2:

Supply ventilation or balanced ventilation are the only allowable mechanical fresh air systems.

Ventilation systems must operate a minimum of 10% of every 24 hours.

• If supply ventilation is used the system must have a mechanical damper, a filter that is accessible, and an aircycler.

• Outside air intakes must be installed at least 18 in. above finished grade or 12 in. above the roof deck. They must also be at least 10 ft. from plumbing vents, chimneys, combustion appliance vents, dryer vent terminations and exhaust fan terminations.

• All ventilation ducts in unconditioned spaces must be insulated.

Closed Crawl Spaces

• Closed crawl spaces shall have a strategy for humidity control. One approved method is to deliver supply air (1 CFM per 30 sq. ft. of crawl space floor area). The HVAC contractor should coordinate with the builder about the drying strategy.

• When supply air is used as a drying strategy, the supply duct shall have both a backflow damper and a manual damper.

The backflow damper is installed to prevent entry of crawl space air into the supply system when the system is not operating. The manual damper is installed to adjust the

amount of airflow into the crawl space.

Pressure Balancing and Return Air Paths

• No pressure with a magnitude greater than 3.0 Pascals with reference to the main body may exist in any bedroom.

• Some form of pressure relief in addition to ¾ in. door undercuts is required between each bedroom and the main body of the house. Examples of pressure relief strategies include dedicated returns, jump-over ducts and transfer grilles.

Combustion Safety

• Any gas appliance, other than gas ranges, located inside of the conditioned space must be direct or power-vented.

• One hard-wired carbon monoxide (CO) detector shall be installed per 1,000 sq. ft. of living space (minimum 1 per floor) in houses that have any combustion appliance within the conditioned space or an attached garage.

The following are strongly recommended:

• Ducts should not touch any exterior walls.

• All flexible ductwork should not be compressed more than the thickness of the insulation.

• All flexible ductwork should be supported at least every 4 ft. and have no bends greater than 90 degrees.

STANDARDS + SPECIFICATIONS:HVAC

Tools for ASHRAE 62.2

• RiteVent App (Free on Apple Store)

• RED Tool www.residentialenergydynamics.com/redcalcfree/tools/ASHRAE6222013


CRITICAL DETAIL: BATH EXHAUST FANHVAC

Orient the fan outlet so the duct will have the shortest and straightest route to the outside of the building.

Bath fans must have backdraft damper to keep outside air from entering the bathroom. Remove shipping tape from the damper and ensure it swings freely.

Caulk all of the holes between the drywall and the fan housing unit as well as all holes in the housing unit.

Ensure that your bath fan will pull a minimum of 50 CFM once it is installed. Install a fan rated for 70 CFM.

Bath Exhaust Fan: Introduction

Each bathroom that has an exhaust fan must exhaust a minimum of 20 CFM continuously or 50 CFM intermittently directly to the outside.

ORIENTATION

DAMPER

SEALING

RATING


TRANSFER GRILLE

TRANSFER GRILLE

JUMPER DUCT

JUMPER DUCT

Small pressure differentials between the interior and exterior of a house, or between spaces within the house, can have a significant impact on human health and safety and on the durability of the building.

For all rooms within the conditioned space – except baths and laundry – include properly sized returns, transfer grilles, or jump ducts.

Check the chart below for the size transfer grille needed, depending on the air supplied to the room or suite in question. If there is more than one supply in the room or suite in question, remember to add all of the supply flows and size the transfer grille on that total. Always go up a size in transfer grille if you find that the chart leaves you between regular sizes.

Sizing chart for transfer grilles:

Room/Suite supply air flow (CFM)

Net free area

required (in2)

Area required

after door undercut

(in2)

Transfer grille height required for listed width in

inches

Jump Duct Diameter Required

(in)10" 12" 14"

50 27 3 0.4 0.3 0.3 6

75 40.5 16.5 2.2 1.9 1.6 6

100 54 30 4 3.4 2.6 8

125 67.4 43.4 5.8 4.9 4.2 8

150 80.9 56.9 7.6 6.4 5.5 12

175 94.4 70.4 9.4 7.9 6.7 12

200 107.9 83.8 11.2 9.4 8 12

Assuming ¾" door undercut and net free area as 0.75 of total grille area.

CRITICAL DETAIL: PRESSURE BALANCINGHVAC

COPYRIGHT ©2016 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • CONTRACTOR’S GUIDE VERSION 2016.2.1 • PAGE 25

INSULATE BOOT SEAL SEAMS

MASTIC BOOT

SEAL TO SUBFLOOR SEAL TO DRYWALL

INSTALL ZIP TIE MASTIC CONNECTION

INSTALL LINER

CRITICAL DETAIL: PRESSURE BALANCINGHVAC

CRITICAL DETAIL: BOOT DUCT SEALINGHVAC

Duct Sealing Requirements:All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3 percent of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested).

COPYRIGHT ©2016 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • VERSION 2016.2.1 • PAGE 26COPYRIGHT ©2016 ADVANCED ENERGY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • CONTRACTOR’S GUIDE VERSION 2016.2.1 • PAGE 26

INSULATE COLLAR SEAL SEAMS

MASTIC PLENUM MASTIC COLLAR

MASTIC PLENUM TO AHU

INSTALL ZIP TIE MASTIC CONNECTION

USE BUCKET MASTIC

Duct Sealing Requirements:All joints in the air distribution system shall be sealed with bucket duct mastic and fiberglass mesh.

Total duct leakage measured in CFM at 25 Pascals (with reference to the outside) shall be less than 3 percent of the conditioned floor area (i.e., if the house has 1,000 sq. ft. of conditioned space, there shall be no more than 30 CFM of duct leakage when tested).

CRITICAL DETAIL: PLENUM DUCT SEALINGHVAC


CRITICAL DETAIL: PLENUM DUCT SEALINGHVAC NOTES

THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PREPARED BY ADVANCED ENERGY, A NONPROFIT CORPORATION.

NEITHER ADVANCED ENERGY, ITS MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, THE ACKNOWLEDGED INDIVIDUALS, NOR ANY PERSON

ACTING ON BEHALF OF THEM: (A) MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF

ANY INFORMATION, APPARATUS, METHOD, OR PROCESS DISCLOSED IN THIS PUBLICATION THAT SUCH USE MAY

NOT INFRINGE PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS; OR (B) ASSUMES ANY LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF, OR FOR

DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF, ANY INFORMATION, APPARATUS, METHOD,

OR PROCESS DISCLOSED IN THIS PUBLICATION; OR (C) HAS ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES THAT RESULT FROM

ANY NEGLIGENT ACT OR OMISSION INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION OF THE MATERIAL. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE IS SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED.

Advanced Energy

www.advancedenergy.org909 Capability Drive, Ste. 2100Raleigh, NC 27606919-857-9000

You can find resources to support your work in the SystemVision New Construction Program www.systemvision.org

Some of the support materials on our site include:• Program Standards• SystemVision Process• New Builder Orientation Checklist• Plan and Load Review Input Form (PRIF)• How-To Guide for Scheduling Inspections• Framing, Insulation, and Final Checklists• Homeowner Guarantee• ResiSpeak Instructions (SV energy bill data collection tool)• High-Bill Inquiry Instructions• Training Videos• Technical Tip Information Sheets• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)• Marketing Materials

If you would like to make a request for additional online resources, email the SystemVision team at [email protected]

RESOURCES

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