Indoor air quality. IAQ work looks at carbon dioxide as a stand-in for ventilation, fine particles, volatile organic compounds, combustion gases, mold, radon and humidity. The three tools are source control, ventilation and filtration or air cleaning. Complaints of stuffiness, odors or headaches usually trace to too little outdoor air, poor filtration, or moisture problems in ducts and drain pans.
IAQ survey shows CO2 at 1,800 in the afternoon, they've got the outside air dampers locked shut to save energy.
Also heard as
- indoor air quality
Related terms
Ventilation rate
The amount of outdoor air deliberately brought into a space to dilute indoor contaminants, usually in cfm per person and per square foot.
MERV
Minimum efficiency reporting value: a 1 to 16 rating of how well an air filter captures particles of different sizes.
DCV
Demand-controlled ventilation: adjusting outdoor air in real time to match how many people are actually in a space.
Relative humidity
The moisture in air as a percentage of what would saturate it at the same temperature, the number a humidistat shows.