TLP: What happens when you compress a gas? Answer, the gas increases in temp from its initial temp in accordance with the gas law (PV=nRT). However, this is totally irrelevant to building construction as we never compress or expand air to the point that you could measure a change in temp. If we did, you couldn't live in the building...

Ventilation rate? For a well-constructed and well-sealed building, you will likely be using a HRV/ERV to accomplish your ventilation. There are labels on these devices that specify the rated flow rate and there are hand-held devices to measure the actual flow rate. Yes, being a member of ASHRAE, we recommend following ASRAE ventilation guidance/requirements.

Infiltration is more problematic, but becomes less so for well-constructed and well-sealed buildings. Infiltration is both hard to estimate and hard to measure…and can often have a significant impact on building heat gain/loss (BTU/H). Blower door testing will determine infiltration leakage area/rates, however, this only provides data to assist you in determining the actual infiltration the building will experience. Actual infiltration is a function of leakage area and the inside/outside pressure differential. This pressure differential is largely a function of the building height, orientation, and actual winds.

The good news is that you don’t need to know the precise infiltration rate, especially since it will vary every day depending on the actual wind. It is more important to minimize the infiltration rate and you need to have a controller and cooling/heating approach that can more than address it.

Anytime you put forced air by a blower into a container (home) and do not exhaust the same volume you increase pressure and compression, it finds an equilibrium. I don't want to debate a bunch of useless theory that has already been done by Max Sherman and Joseph Lstiburek, applicable formula's, make it more complicated than need be. These guys make recommendations but never sign your drawing or share in the liability. If you hire advice, seek an attorney get the advice to take some legal liability. It's good to have a good enough understanding, then there comes a time you put that aside and look for results. ASHRA and now BSC-01(below) don't offer results, they offer a design guide. I'd recommend BSC-01. Each home will have a unique set of requirements based on construction and occupants. Best approach is to minimize harmful odor building materials, and there are interior wall material options that absorb them better than others, along with alternative combustion appliance options that will reduce the rate.

When you are shopping for mechanical systems I recommend looking beyond efficiency and CFM. Look for third part life cycle testing. You don't want to be replacing them often. My goal is build homes that sustain centuries, millenniums, not a few decades so, I am looking for ways to improve life cycles by eliminating or reducing mechanical systems. The more they cycle the less life they have so, it is important to design right.

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/special/content/ventilation-new-low-rise-residential-buildings/BSCStandard012013VentilationforNewLowRiseResidentialBuildings_v2.pdf

Best approach is to minimize harmful odor building materials

You're saying the best approach to residential ventilation is to minimize harmful odor building materials and use odor absorbing walls?

Posted By ICFHybrid on 15 Mar 2014 01:12 PM

Best approach is to minimize harmful odor building materials

You're saying the best approach to residential ventilation is to minimize harmful odor building materials and use odor absorbing walls?

I'm not saying that, it is coming from homeowners I have read that have built Rammed Earth, home with no harmful chemicals, just natural products. I have a book coming on that and starting to look at it now. I NEVER listen to people other than the ones that have data on a build or at least live in a design I am interested in. So I seen enough stating this as well as the walls monitoring moisture levels to a point they do not need mechanical humidity control. I been ponder ways to design natural ventilation too. This whole earth building process is getting resurrected from what I gather. Now they are adding foam center, SIRE vs CIC. I'll look at other natural core materials vs foam. I don't know how well concrete regulates moisture in a home, I'd like to hear from CIC home owners on that one. I like the aesthetics of the Rammed by far, pure art and beautiful architecture IMO, passive by monolithic design default. I'm sure I will end up with some hybrid something TDB. I also like the idea of manufacture my own products on site that comes with RE, and consolidated many trades with one wall. It will boil down to recurring construction cost and ROI in the end. Looks like R&D cost will be down or should I say in my test data collection plan, since there are no good empirical models or data out there other than looking at builds.

This whole earth building process is getting resurrected from what I gather.

Maybe you didn't know that earthen building materials can give off higher levels of radiation. I'm not really aware of any new consolidated efforts to build using earth.

Posted By ICFHybrid on 15 Mar 2014 01:41 PM

This whole earth building process is getting resurrected from what I gather.

Maybe you didn't know that earthen building materials can give off higher levels of radiation. I'm not really aware of any new consolidated efforts to build using earth.

That depends on the chemistry design. I got a bill of materials going just for the earth composition of 20 and I am just getting started. I will more than like add a chemist to my team if I go this route. Good I hope I am the first to think outside the box and make a fortune :)

Posted By ICFHybrid on 15 Mar 2014 11:08 AM

You will be happy to know that the RenewAire does not, in fact, require any sort of "heater"; mine worked fine to -20°F. And, if installed according to the manufacturers' instructions, does not need to be balanced from the unit to the exterior terminals. Magic I guess...

Well, actually, physics being what they are, going outside the operating parameters of any unit might require some optional work. The published specs for your unit are that no heater is required down to -10F and 40% interior humidity. Maybe you were lucky at -20F. Most companies offer optional heating units both for input air, to prevent freeze-up in certain climates and for "tempering" the outgoing air.

We chose our UltimateAir model based on efficiency, which is well over 90% compared to 63% for yours. Since we rarely go down below 12F, here, it was a good fit. There was also the question of capacity. We needed up to 190 cfm while your specific model can do only 90 cfm and we wanted a low draw unit because the ventilator is run on power from the solar panels.

This is good advice. We endurance thermo/pressure-cycle mechanical devices to failure, push the recommended OEM limits decreases the fatigue life.

Posted By TLP on 15 Mar 2014 01:05 PM
Anytime you put forced air by a blower into a container (home) and do not exhaust the same volume you increase pressure and compression, it finds an equilibrium. I don't want to debate a bunch of useless theory...

Correct and exactly in accordance with the gas law as I mentioned previously. If you work the numbers you will confirm the temp change from using any forced mechanical ventilation in any building is less than 0.01F. So the theory isn't useless, but your question was somewhat silly...however, you seemed to demand an answer. The manuals that ASHRAE publishes provide a wealth of engineering info that can be applied to HVAC.

Correct ICF, no one in their right mind would build earthern PS buildings these days. The PS pioneers did those experiments and the failures are well documented. There is little need these days to go that unconventional with all the associated resale issues to have a Net Zero/Positive building. PS design has now evolved well beyond the crude fenestration area and thermal mass area rules of thumb that these pioneers developed back in the day (although there are still some PS design "experts" that still use those obsolete rules of thumb even today).

ICFH you read of on GBA so many that think they are beating the OEM with operating limits beyond the recommended. You my friend have some good in-site, intuition, that knows better....just as you do with pressure differentials. Thanks for sharing actual's on your build that is more valuable than a ton of writing's and advice from PHDS or 'consultants' with no real skin in game outside thiier worthless reputation, that have never done it and won't sign drawing's share in the legal liability when things go wrong.

Posted By sailawayrb on 15 Mar 2014 03:38 PM
Correct ICF, no one in their right mind would build earthern PS buildings these days. The PS pioneers did those experiments and the failures are well documented. There is little need these days to go that unconventional with all the associated resale issues to have a Net Zero/Positive building. PS design has now evolved well beyond the crude fenestration area and thermal mass area rules of thumb that these pioneers developed back in the day (although there are still some PS design "experts" that still use those obsolete rules of thumb even today).

Again, where is your data? You got a lot of words no data? Obviously no understanding of Earth building? What was your 2013 year earning's compared to SIREWALL with a in house team of Engineers and chemist? I have asked you MANY questions, non answer? Go back answer all mine and ICFs with actual USA data? I want to see an input/output schematic of your "smart controller" it's CO2 sensor, CFD, ACH or whatever you are monitoring? I want to see some feild data, bench test, material allowables, I want to see it per climate zone, and per the standard you are using for air exchange rates? No more word I want numbers, tables, graphs? I got a master Engineering degree 1984 don't matter anymore, and am a 30 year multi-discipline Engineer (mechanical systems, structures) with REAL experience. Sailor you got me beat you have one hell of a resume I guess?.... now a Chemist on top of everything else you have people trying to believe with your polished writing skills and vocabulary but not data to prove it?

Yes TLP, I have very little doubt that we have you beat with regard to both engineering credentials and engineering expertise. If you want data, collect it yourself. We are a design/build company and not a data provider. If you want to learn the basics of HR or PS design, you might want to read our DIY software directions and exercise our suite of DIY HR and PS design software on our website.

Posted By sailawayrb on 15 Mar 2014 03:38 PM
Correct ICF, no one in their right mind would build earthern PS buildings these days. The PS pioneers did those experiments and the failures are well documented. There is little need these days to go that unconventional with all the associated resale issues to have a Net Zero/Positive building. PS design has now evolved well beyond the crude fenestration area and thermal mass area rules of thumb that these pioneers developed back in the day (although there are still some PS design "experts" that still use those obsolete rules of thumb even today).

I brought the gas law equation into the discussion before you ever did, and it is not the only one that applies so stop the hype.

Posted By TLP on 15 Mar 2014 05:17 PM

Posted By sailawayrb on 15 Mar 2014 03:38 PM
Correct ICF, no one in their right mind would build earthern PS buildings these days. The PS pioneers did those experiments and the failures are well documented. There is little need these days to go that unconventional with all the associated resale issues to have a Net Zero/Positive building. PS design has now evolved well beyond the crude fenestration area and thermal mass area rules of thumb that these pioneers developed back in the day (although there are still some PS design "experts" that still use those obsolete rules of thumb even today).

I brought the gas law equation into the discussion before you ever did, and it is not the only one that applies so stop the hype.

I let it go I understand a company that is trying to promote themselves, I got one too : It's all good you are a smart young( I presume) fellow and a good contributor I have learn a lot from you thank you! We allshare a common goal, knowledge is power:)

This whole earth building process is getting resurrected from what I gather.

Good I hope I am the first to think outside the box and make a fortune

I'm curious as to why you say it is getting resurrected.

I did not know this site allows companies to display verbiage proprietary info sales hype for promotional purposes, good to know when I get real data I will promote my company here....then we be looking at a bunch of not-tech sales BS that may or may not apply to your specific location and design criteria..perhaps a good tech writer who knows the least feed by Engineers in most cases that really know what is going on and talk to nothing but data:) I have tech data right now going into maintenance schedules( like you car). I am sending to tech pubs to put into words and diagrams, I have seen it all, and know! I am not impressed by big works and fancy paragraphs.

Don't get upset. No site wants mindless spam. If you promote your own products, fine, but you run the risk of having someone (rightfully) expose their flaws. At which point, you have to accept it. Most members here are too smart to fall prey to the mindless denial game. At some point it's "support your product claims or shut up".
You can even promote radiant bubble wrap for slab insulation if you want, but you're just going to look the fool.

I'm not upset only that I wish there were more data and less writing displayed or pointing to good data.

Last site i was on JLC look at a thread called "thermal mass" the mod got involved since no one would look at the BSC, ORNL, data, just posted BS! I'm serious trying to come up with a production design, not a single home. I'm sorry I got better things to do than read words and local opinion. BTW: I create treads on here, JCL, and CT, RE, most responses were from JCL as bad as they were, no clue most casses.

If I ever do decide to promote my company here there will be little words, lots of national prototype graphs, tables, design criteria...I'll leave it up to you to figure out how i got there probably after alot of $ you won't risk, and that knowledge you will see won't come cheap. I have nothing to hide espcially a lack of testing and knowledge a so called national "expert" should have :)