File:Air handling unit.

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Summary
Description Air handling unit (AHU)
Date
Source Own work
Author P199

Typical AHU components:

1 - Supply duct
2 - Fan compartment
3 - Flexible connection
4 - Heating and/or cooling coil
5 - Filter compartment
6 - Return and fresh air duct

IAQ Building Education and Assessment

Model (I-BEAM)
Visual Reference Modules
Animation Series 1 - Controlling Ventilation Air Flows

1. Desired Ventilation Flows

2. Overcrowded Offices
3. Air Handling Unit Contaminated
4. Outdoor Air Damper Opening Reduced
5. Exhaust Not Operating Properly
6. Supply Air to Office Shut Off or Pinched Down
7. Economizer Operating
8. Contaminated Outdoor Air

Mouse over the animated pictures below to see messages which are referenced in more detail
below.
Pressure relationships between rooms is designated at the bottom of each room (with a plus for
positive and minus for negative pressure).
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1. Desired Ventilation Flows

1. [SUPPLY AIR] Ventilation air is constantly being supplied to all occupied spaces
through the supply air stream. Notice that the supply air is made up of some clean outdoor
air and some recirculated air. Recirculated air often makes up the major portion of the
supply air stream.
2. [RETURN AIR] Air inside the offices is accumulating pollutants from occupants and
their activities and from the building fabric or other indoor sources. Contaminated office
air is leaving the offices through the return air vent. Some portion of this contaminated
return air exits the building through the “relief air vent”. The remainder is being
“recirculated” and “diluted by the outdoor air” entering the air handler from outside.
3. [OUTDOOR AIR] Outdoor air is being drawn into the supply air stream to “dilute indoor
pollutants”. The pollution from indoor sources to which occupants are exposed is directly
proportional to the strength of the indoor sources, and inversely proportional to the
amount outdoor air in the supply air stream. Since occupants and their activities are often
the major source of pollution, ventilation standards for indoor air quality provide for a
minimum quantity of outdoor air “per person”. This is designed to insure that as pollution
sources from occupants increase, outdoor air increases proportionally to insure adequate
dilution.
4. [RELIEF VENT] Building atmospheric pressure relative to the atmospheric pressure
outside is the force that is always equalizing the flow into the building with the flow out
of the building. The relief vent provides a convenient way for flows to equalize.
5. [EXHAUST VENTILATION] The laboratory contaminants are exhausted directly to the
outside. Since the laboratory is a significant potential source of toxic pollutants, none of
the laboratory air is recirculated. Ideally, an exhaust hood directly above and close to the
laboratory chemicals should be used to trap the pollutants into the exhaust stream and
prevent any pollutants from contaminating the breathing zone of the laboratory staff.
 6. [INDOOR RELATIVE PRESSURE] Pressure relationships between rooms is
designated at the bottom of each room. The pressure relationships indoors are being
controlled mechanically through supply, return, and exhaust air flows. Since the office is
being maintained at a higher pressure relative to the laboratory, air that may sometimes
flow through wall cavities or doorways flows “FROM” the offices “TO” the laboratory
but not vice versa.
7. [BUILDING PRESSURIZATION–EXFILTRATION] Air always flows from areas of
high atmospheric pressure to areas of low atmospheric pressure. If more air is entering
than is leaving the building, the atmospheric pressure inside increases relative to the
outside, and thus increases the flow of air exiting the building until the incoming and
outgoing flows are equal. The converse is also true. Notice how, except for the laboratory,
this building is slightly pressurized to insure that the direction of air flow is from the
inside to the outside to prevent outdoor pollutants from infiltrating into the building.
Where outdoor humidity is a problem, this might not be a good strategy.
8. [LABORATORY DEPRESSURIZATION–INFILTRATION] The exhaust in the
laboratory is depressurizing the laboratory relative to the outside and relative to the office
areas. That is why air is flowing into the laboratory. Depressurization is insuring that
pollutants from the laboratory do not migrate into the office environments.

Top of page
2. Overcrowded Offices

1. [OCCUPANCY] As more people are crowded into offices, indoor pollution increases
unless outdoor air ventilation is also increased. Notice how pollution levels inside the
crowded offices have increased because of overcrowding without adequate ventilation.
The risk of disease transmission among occupants also increases because they are close
 together. Overcrowded office space is not good for occupant health.
2. [OUTDOOR AIR] In order to maintain good indoor air quality, the outdoor air volume
must be increased when occupancies increase in order to provide adequate dilution of
indoor contaminants. But increasing the outdoor air in hot weather could strain the
cooling capacity of the HVAC system, and in cold weather, may call forth additional
demand for preheating incoming air to avoid coil freezing. Overcrowded office space is
not good for energy efficient building operations.
3. [AIR HANDLING UNIT CAPACITY] More people means additional outdoor air and
higher internal heat gains. This could strain the cooling capacity of the HVAC system.
Further, more outdoor air in cold weather could result in coil freezing. Building managers
should keep a close eye on the actual occupancy of the building relative to the existing
outdoor air settings and the HVAC system’s cooling capacity and preheat needs.
Overcrowding is not a good idea for HVAC equipment.

Top of page
3. Air Handling Unit Contaminated

1. [AN AIR HANDLING UNIT (AHU)] The AHU can release dirt, mold, or chemical
contaminants into the supply air stream. Dirty filters, filter changes when the fan is
operating, dirty coils or drip pans, excess moisture anywhere leading to mold,
deteriorating duct insulation, trash or housekeeping/maintenance products in the
mechanical room/mixing chamber—these are COMMON EXAMPLES of pollution
sources in the AHU. Does this describe your buildings? Good maintenance and
cleanliness not only keep the system running well, they also insure that the AHU does not
become a source of indoor air pollution. Who suffers from contamination in the AHU?
 2. OCCUPIED SPACES: Notice how the contamination in the AHU spreads to every
occupied space serviced by the AHU through the supply air stream. If you have health
complaints that are widespread – consider whether the AHU or air ducts are contaminated
by improper building maintenance or from other causes.

Top of page
4. Outdoor Air Damper Opening Reduced

1. [OUTDOOR AIR] The outdoor air flow was reduced, ostensibly to save energy. As a
result, pollutants have built up in the offices. Do you think that this is the only effect?
What do you think has happened to the exhaust system?
2. [EXHAUST] Because total air flow out of the building can not exceed air flowing into
the building, the air that the exhaust fans are now capable of drawing out of the laboratory
is also reduced because the outdoor air dampers are closed. What will happen to the
laboratory chemicals?
3. [PRESSURE] Since the pressure differential between the offices and the laboratory are
reduced, laboratory chemicals may now migrate throughout the building.
4. [OCCUPIED SPACES] The reduction in outdoor air had multiple effects: It reduced the
dilution of contaminants in the offices; reduced exhaust and thereby increased pollution in
areas of high pollution loads such as laboratories, toilets, and copy rooms; and reduced
pressure differentials between the offices and laboratory, thereby allowing laboratory
pollutants to migrate into the office areas. Reducing outdoor air BELOW APPLICABLE
STANDARDS is a BAD IDEA.
5. [INFILTRATION] Because outdoor air flow is reduced, the building is no longer
slightly pressurized as intended, and is now depressurized. This causes air to infiltrate
 from the outside into the office area.

Top of page
5. Exhaust Not Operating Properly

1. [EXHAUST] Exhaust air flow NEEDS TO BE CHECKED PERIODICALLY. Many

factors can account for inadequate exhaust flow. Exhaust fans may not be operating
properly or the building may become depressurized because of inadequate outdoor air or
for other reasons. Notice how contaminants have accumulated in the laboratory when the
exhaust does not operate properly.What happens to laboratory pressure?
2. [PRESSURE] When the exhaust air flow was eliminated, the laboratory became
positively pressurized from the supply air. Now chemical contaminants are more likely to
spill out into the offices.
3. [OUTDOOR AIR] Because less air is being drawn out of the building through the
exhaust, the building has a higher atmospheric pressure so that LESS OUTDOOR AIR
ENTERS the building. What does this do to the office contaminants?
4. [OFFICE SPACE] Reducing exhaust air flow has had multiple effects in the office area.
Laboratory contaminants spill into the office environment from the laboratory through
unintended pathways, and outdoor air which once diluted office contaminants is now
reduced. Office pollutants in the office area increase and are joined by laboratory
chemicals. Exhaust fans and air flow should be checked periodically to make sure they are
functioning properly.

Top of page
6. Supply Air to Office Shut Off or Pinched Down
 1. [SUPPLY AIR] Supply air to a given space may shut down for different reasons--a
mechanical failure, an ill conceived renovation (e.g. a renovation splits an existing room
but does not provide for supply and return to each room), or because of VAV pinch down.
In a VAV system, the supply air may be reduced because of thermal neutrality (i.e. the
room does not require conditioning), but the VAV box should be set with a MINIMUM
STOP high enough to provide ADEQUATE OUTDOOR AIR even when demand for
conditioning is low. Notice that contaminants in the space with diminished supply are not
diluted but rather build up. Occupants with inadequate supply air may suffer both excess
pollution exposure and thermal discomfort.

Top of page
7. Economizer Operating
 1. [OUTDOOR AIR] The weather is cool outside. So the economizer is bringing in large
quantities of outdoor air to provide “free cooling”. Humidity is also being carefully
controlled. How does increased outdoor air effect pollution levels in the building?
2. [OCCUPIED SPACE] The increased outdoor air flow from the economizer provides
greater dilution of indoor generated contaminants in occupied spaces. However, indoor
concentrations of outdoor contaminants has slightly increased. As suggested in the
picture, except in cases where the outdoor air is highly contaminated, the net effect of
increasing outdoor air flow is usually to lower indoor air pollution.

Top of page
8. Contaminated Outdoor Air
1. [OUTDOOR AIR] The outdoor air is contaminated from nearby pollution sources
outside. This is why the LOCATION OF THE OUTDOOR AIR INTAKE relative to local
outdoor pollution sources is very important. Alternatively, the ambient air may be heavily
contaminated during an air pollution episode. How does the outdoor pollution affect the
occupied spaces inside?
2. [OCCUPIED SPACES] Outdoor pollution enters the building through the outdoor air
supply and is carried through the supply air ducts to the occupied spaces. It is not diluting
indoor sources but is adding to them. Overall pollution levels inside the building are
ELEVATED FROM BOTH THE INDOOR AND THE OUTDOOR POLLUTION
SOURCES.