www.PDHcenter.com PDH Course M143 www.PDHonline.

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materials, paints / furniture etc are diluted, and that air changes occur with sufficient frequency to

minimize the chance for high concentration of airborne pollutants within the building.

Pressurizing Limits
Positive pressure must be maintained to ensure airflows from the cleanest space to the less clean

space. The idea is to inhibit the infiltration of unfiltered air. The cleanest room is kept at the

highest pressure, with pressure levels decreasing as cleanliness levels decrease. A differential

pressure of 0.03 to 0.05 inches water gage (wg) is recommended between spaces.

Static or active pressure control methods are used depending on the tolerances. Typical

tolerance is ±0.01 inches wg. Some semiconductor clean rooms require a precision of ±0.0025

inches wg. In high precision rooms the control system must be responsive enough to maintain the

differential pressure when doors are opened.

Makeup Air and Building Pressurization

Typically many of the critical clean zones have their own dedicated air conditioning systems.

While this is good design strategy, many of the installations rely purely on re-circulation system

without paying much attention to pressurization. Without pressurization, gaseous contaminants

can seep into these sensitive rooms through cracks in wall and ceiling joints, cable and utility

penetrations, and spaces above drop ceilings and below raised floors.

Positive pressurization is the basis of assuring that uncontrolled and untreated air does not

infiltrate the protected area. The ambient air used to provide the positive pressurization must be

treated to ensure environment free of both the gases and particulates. The recommended

minimum amount of positive pressurization gradient is 0.03” to 0.05” (~0.75 to 1.25mm) water

column for clean room applications. This would normally equate to 3- 8% of gross room volume.

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