Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:33:24.121Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measurements of the ventilation of dwellings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

C. G. Warner
C. G. Warner
Affiliation:
Of the Industrial Health Research Board and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Measurements of the rate of ventilation were made on 312 occasions in thirty-one rooms in (a) a block of older flats, (b) a block of modern flats, (c) three villa residences, and (d) a modern university building.

The rate of air change was determined by liberating a quantity of coal gas into the room and measuring the rate of its subsequent disappearance by means of a katharometer.

The effects on natural ventilation of air gratings and flues were studied in unheated rooms in two blocks of flats. The effective orifices of the gratings were 10·5 sq. in. in the modern flats and 6 sq. in. in the older ones. With the air gratings or flues (if any) closed the rates of air change were 0·55 and 0·71 per hour respectively. With the air gratings open the air change was increased to 0·83 per hour in the modern flats and to 1·04 per hour in the older ones.

The flues in the modern flats in connexion with gas fires were 4 in. diameter pipes (cross-sectional area, 12·6 sq. in.); in the older flats the ordinary fire-places were connected to standard flues and the area of the register openings was 53 sq. in. When the flues were sealed, the air changes per hour in the modern and older flats were 0·84 and 0·72 respectively and when the flues were opened these rates of ventilation were increased to 1·17 and 2·06 air changes per hour. In nine rooms in three other houses the average ventilation rates with the flues closed and open were respectively 0·82 and 1·76 air changes per hour.

The ordinary chimney flue, even without a fire at its base, was an efficient ventilator, but the flue of smaller dimensions was far less effective.

With windows open almost any required amount of ventilation could be obtained, and the observations showed that even when windows are opened only slightly the ventilation is distinctly increased. Thus, in flueless rooms of the modern flats, with doors and windows closed, but with the air grating open, the ventilation amounted to 0·83 air changes per hour, but with one casement only open to a width of 3/8 in. it was increased to 1·79 air changes.

The effects of various factors on the rate of air change are discussed and illustrated. Of these, outside wind speed appears to have most influence. The evidence regarding the effect on ventilation of the difference in temperature between the room air and the outside air is very conflicting. In the present observations, when outside wind speed is taken into account, no definite effect of temperature difference on air change is seen. But the experiments were made in unheated rooms and the temperature difference rarely exceeded 10° F., and in the majority of cases was much less.

The various recommended standards of air supply are discussed. Although certain bye-laws require a fresh-air supply of 1000 cu. ft. per person per hour, it is probable that where there is no overcrowding, as in the normally occupied dwelling-room, a ventilation rate of not less than 600 cu. ft. per person per hour should be sufficient to prevent body odours from becoming apparent.

The results of this inquiry show that in closed, flueless rooms, the air supply is likely to be much below 600 cu. ft. per hour per occupant.

On account of the low ventilation rates observed in flueless rooms it is desirable that the question of the use of flueless gas heaters in such rooms be reconsidered.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , March 1940 , pp. 125 - 153
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1940

References

REFERENCES

Daynes, H. A. (1920). (Introductory note by Shakespear, G. A.) The theory of the katharometer. Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 97, 273.Google Scholar
De Chaumont, F. S. B. F. (1875). Lectures on State Medicine. London: Smith, Elder and Co.Google Scholar
D.S.I.R. (1938). The ventilation of flueless rooms: Note from the Building Research Station. J. Instn Heat. Vent. Engrs, Lond., 6, 428.Google Scholar
Emswiler, J. E. & Randall, W. C. (1928). The weather-tightness of rolled section steel windows. J. Amer. Soc. Heat. Vent. Engrs, 34, 477.Google Scholar
Flügge, R. (1922). Untersuchungen über Lüftungseinrichtungen in Kleinhäusen. Z. Hyg. InfektKr. 96, 426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haldane, J. S. (1899). Report of the Departmental Committee appointed to enquire into the Manufacture and Use of Water Gas and other Gases containing a large proportion of Carbonic Oxide, Appendix i. H.M.S.O., C. 9164.Google Scholar
Houghten, F. C. & Ingels, M. (1927). Infiltration through plastered and unplastered brick walls. J. Amer. Soc. Heat. Vent. Engrs, 33, 249.Google Scholar
Houghten, F. C., Gutberlet, C. & Herbert, C. A. (1930). Air leakage through various forms of building construction. Heat. Pip. Air Condit. 2, 1044.Google Scholar
Ilzhöfer, H. (1930). Untersuchungen über natürliche und künstliche Lüftung von Wohnräumen. Arch. Hyg. 105, 322.Google Scholar
Kisskalt, K. (1913). Gesundheits-Ing. 36, 853.Google Scholar
Larson, G. L., Braatz, C. & Nelson, D. W. (1929). Air infiltration through various types of brick wall construction. J. Amer. Soc. Heat. Vent. Engrs, 35, 125.Google Scholar
Marley, W. G. (1935). The measurement of the rate of air change. J. Instn Heat. Vent. Engrs, Lond., 2, 499.Google Scholar
Masterman, C. A., Dunning, E. W. B. & Densham, A. B. (1935). Report on air vitiation and gas appliances. Instn Gas Engrs, Publ. No. 116, 10 1935.Google Scholar
Pettenkofer, Max von (1858). Ueber den Luftwechsel in Wohngebäuden. Munich.Google Scholar
Roscoe, H. E. (1857). Report to the General Board of Health by the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Warming and Ventilation of Dwellings. Appendix, p. 127.Google Scholar
Royal College of Physicians of London (1936). Domestic Heating by Gas considered from the point of view of Health and Comfort.London: Harrison and Sons, Ltd.Google Scholar
Rusk, D. O., Cherry, V. H. & Boelter, L. (1932). Air infiltration through steel-framed windows. Heat. Pip. Air Condit. 4, 696.Google Scholar
Süpfle, K. (1936). Die Grösse der natürlichen Ventilation in Wohnräumen und die Lehre vom Luftkubus. Arch. Hyg. 117, 187.Google Scholar
Wellner, P. (1932). Untersuchungen Über die Grösse des natürlichen Luftwechsels in Wohnungen älterer und neuerer Bauweise. Von der Sachsischen Technischen Hochschule zu Dresden zur Erlangung der Wurde eines Doktor-Ingenieurs genehmigte. Dissertation vorgelegt von Dipl-Ing. Paul Wellner aus Plaue bei Floha i. Sa.Google Scholar
Wolpert, H. (1899). Ueber die Grösse des Selbstlüftungs-Coëfficienten kleiner Wohnräume. Arch. Hyg. 36, 220.Google Scholar
Wolpert, H. (1905). Über den Einfluss der landhausmässigen Bebauung auf die natürliche Ventilation der Wohnräume. Arch. Hyg. 52, 46.Google Scholar
Yaglou, C. P., Riley, E. C. & Coggins, D. I. (1936). Ventilation requirements. Heat. Pip. Air Condit. 9, 447.Google Scholar