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FAN DOOR TESTING ON CRAWL SPACE BUILDINGS
Citation:
Brennan, T., B. Pyle, AND M. Osborne. FAN DOOR TESTING ON CRAWL SPACE BUILDINGS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-88/236 (NTIS PB89124440), 1988.
Description:
The paper discusses: (1) fan door testing of crawl spaces in nine buildings in Tennessee, and (2) using two fan doors to estimate the leakage area of the floor between the crawl space and the living space. The testing gives some insight into the tightness of crawlspaces and the leakage area through the floor between them. It has been observed that: (1) even with vents closed, the crawl spaces tested are leakier than the houses they support; (2) the leakage area between crawl spaces and living spaces is a large fraction of the overall building leakage; and (3) HVAC ductwork increases the leakage area between the two spaces dramatically (four of the nine test houses had ductwork). Currently, these crawl spaces are being modified to reduce indoor radon concentrations by sealing the crawl space as tightly as possible, and by sealing only the floor between the crawl space and the living space.