Measurement of actual performances of ventilation systems in buildings.

Airtightness deficiencies of building envelopes and weaknesses in the ventilation systems can disrupt the operation of heating and ventilation systems. This can lead to an insufficient level of air quality and higher energy consumptions. In order to assess the performances of buildings and ventilation systems, CSTB has designed and developed different experimental devices for field testing. In a first step, an equipment was produced to measure the envelope air leakage. This apparatus is mainly used for research purposes. In order to allow low-cost controls in dwellings, two simplified methods have been developed using either the ventilation system itself or a light and compact device. To measure both air leakage and pressure loss in ventilation ducts, two devices have been produced : the first one applies to single-family dwellings with mechanical ventilation, the second one to multi-family dwellings with passive stack ventilation.