Ventilating multiunit residential buildings

Ventilation strategies for multiunit residential buildings are described according to the results of a survey in 260 randomly selected buildings in Canada. Most buildings use corridor pressurization systems with an either central or apartment-based air exhaust. Some outdoor air is delivered to individual apartments, but in some cases, corridor air systems act as a ventilation system for individual apartments. Occupants complaints have been recorded, the main one being odor transfer between apartments. Measurements of indoor air quality were performed in 18 buildings and CO2 was found to routinely exceed 1000 ppm. An evaluation of corridor air systems concluded that they cannot be used as apartments ventilation systems.