CO and The Garage Connection
Stephen Klossner
ACT
[email protected]
651.261-9721
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Attached Garages - IAQ issues
CO
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–
Benzene
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2
Car exhaust
Combustion appliances
Gasoline storage
Car start/stops
Small engines
Other stuff ???
CO Response
May to April
4000
3500
3000
2500
94/95
95/96
96/97
2000
1500
1000
500
3
0
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
J
F
M
A
CO Response By Month
January to January
4000
3500
3000
2500
1995
1996
1997
2000
1500
1000
500
0
4
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
More Detail:
Response Data
5
Response By Month And Heating Season
Responses Where No CO Was Found
CO Response
May 94 to April 95 Percentages
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
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No CO Source Found
CO Response
May 96 to April 97
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
May Jun
Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar
No CO Source Found
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Designing A Study
What Did We Want To Learn?
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Were these calls false alarms?
What were the sources of CO?
Why couldn’t we find it?
Developing A Protocol
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Carbon Monoxide Investigation Protocol
Carbon Monoxide Investigations
House Testing to be included;
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Calibrated blower door test
Series leakage, house to garage
Pressure measurements in mechanical room
Vent pressure measurements under ambient and
induced pressures
Depressurization from exhaust appliances
Depressurization from fireplaces
Pressures caused by air handling equipment
Carbon Monoxide Investigations
Carbon monoxide was tested in the following
appliances;
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–
–
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Furnaces and boilers (under draft and backdraft)
Water heaters (under draft and backdraft)
Gas dryers
Gas ovens
Space heaters
Attached garages (if cold vehicle was present)
Carbon Monoxide Investigations
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50 Homes included in this study
Homes included in study had 2, or more,
carbon monoxide responses from Utility
Homes were a cross section of ages
Homes were tested in heating season only
Carbon monoxide was measured at start of
testing
The Top Three
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Automobile Exhaust Infiltration
Gas Ovens
Backdrafting
Carbon Monoxide Investigations
Potential source of detector alarm.
# 1 is garage (74%)
# 2 is cooking (28%)
# 3 is backdrafting (18%)
# 4 is other sources (6%)
# 5 is furnaces producing
high levels of CO (6%)
80% 74%
70%
60%
50%
40%
28%
30%
18%
20%
10%
10%
6%
0%
Garage
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Backdraf
ting
Furnace
The Garage Connection
Primary Source In 74% Of The Homes
Large Leakage Rates Documented
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Garage to house leakage ranged from 124cfm to
over 2000cfm
Up to 80% of total air leakage into the house
(average of 24%)
Measured Leakage from Attached
Garages
90.00%
75.00%
60.00%
45.00%
30.00%
15.00%
0.00%
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Attached Garage
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Attached Garage
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The Garage Connection
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Remediation Is A Challenge
Sealing the garage wall effectively is
difficult
May cause problems in the house due
to loss of make-up air????
Ventilation of the garage may work, if
done properly
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May cause backdrafting of combustion
equipment if done improperly!!
Backdrafting
Identified As A Potential Source In 18% Of
The Homes
Induced Mechanically In The Study
Can Occur Due To A Variety Of Interactions
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Exhaust equipment
Lack of make-up air
Any Combustion Appliance Should Be
Inspected Annually
Carbon Monoxide
during backdrafting (PPM)
8000
7300
7000
6395
6000
5000
3800 4100 4100
4000
3000
2480
2000
1000
0
1675
350
1
2
3
4
Drafting
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4600
5
6
7
Backdrafting
8
9
Carbon Monoxide Investigations
Data Logging of Homes
Homes were data logged for:
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Carbon monoxide (2 locations)
Carbon dioxide
Temperature
Sound
Appliance operation (up to 4 appliances)
Pressures (2 locations)
A Typical CO Event
CO Garage & House No Fan
160
140
P P M & P ressu re
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
-20 1
53
105 157 209 261 313 365 417 469 521 573 625 677 729 781 833 885 937 989
Time
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Pa.
CO-H
CO-G
A Typical CO Event
“With Exhaust fan”
CO Garage & House - With 120 CFM Exhaust in Garage
250
P P M & P re s s u re
200
150
100
50
0
-50
1 6 11 16 21 26 31 36 41 46 51 56 61 66 71 76 81 86 91 96 101 106 111 116 121 126 131 136 141 146 151 156 161 166 171 176 181
Time
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Pa.
CO-H
CO-G
Closer Look at Pressures
CO Garage & House - No Ehaust
5
P re s s u re O n ly
3
1
-1 1 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 139 145 151 157 163 169 175 181
-3
-5
Time
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Pa.
Closer Look at Pressures
CO Garage & House - With 120 CFM Exhaust in Garage
5
P re s s u re O n ly
3
1
-1 1
7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 139 145 151 157 163 169 175 181
-3
-5
Time
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Pa.
Misc. Issues
Remedial efforts
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CO during backdrafting
Proper adjustment & maintenance
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Building & mechanical code implications
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ALL COMBUSTION EQUIPMENT
make-up air
garage wall
air handling design
Central Vacuums
Townhomes/Twin home
What we do to a house helps/hurts
Changes to the house influence the garage
connection
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Tightening the house
Adding continuous exhaust ventilation
Sealing versus pressure reductions
Who should test
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What to test
Process and levels of concern
Conclusions
CO diagnostics are highly complex
Detectors seem to be reacting to CO
Other studies indicate 80% of calls
undiagnosed
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Are garages the missing 80%?
There is a lot left to learn on these issues!
Questions?
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Thanks!