Estimation of air exchange rates in Kuwaiti residential buildings.

Air exchange rates of ten residential buildings were measured according to ASTM-E741-83 using SF6 as a decaying tracer. Air exchange rates were also predicted based on the characteristics of the HVAC system, openings (such as windows), leakage areas, pertaining average wind speed, average indoor/outdoor temperature difference and wind and stack coefficients. It was found that measured air exchange rates were higher by 34% than those predicted if the literature coefficients were used. Therefore, a modified procedure has been proposed to accurately predict the air exchange rate of tightly controlled residential buildings of this region.