ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014)

(Reaffirmation of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010)

Method of Test for

Determining the
Airtightness of
HVAC Equipment

Approved by the ASHRAE Standards Committee on January 18, 2014; by the ASHRAE Board of Directors on January 22, 2014;
and by the American National Standards Institute on January 23, 2014.

ASHRAE Standards are scheduled to be updated on a five-year cycle; the date following the standard number is the year of
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© 2014 ASHRAE ISSN 1041-2336

 ASHRAE Standard Project Committee 193
Cognizant TCs: TC 4.3, Ventilation Requirements and Infiltration, and
TC 6.3, Central Forced Air Heating and Cooling Systems
SPLS Liaison: K. William Dean
Michael R. Lubliner, Chair* Paul M. Haydock* Elbert G. Phillips*
Iain S. Walker, Vice-Chair* Kevin E. Keller* Brian L. Reynolds
James Lee Austermiller* Lalit Kumar* Armin Rudd*
Roy R. Crawford* Collin L. Olson* Steven Schneider*
James B. Cummings* Hans Paller Steven Andrew Tice
Glenn Friedman* George A. Yaeger*

*Denotes members of voting status when the document was approved for publication

ASHRAE STANDARDS COMMITTEE 2013–2014

William F. Walter, Chair David R. Conover Malcolm D. Knight
Richard L. Hall, Vice-Chair John F. Dunlap Rick A. Larson
Karim Amrane James W. Earley, Jr. Mark P. Modera
Joseph R. Anderson Steven J. Emmerich Cyrus H. Nasseri
James Dale Aswegan Julie M. Ferguson Janice C. Peterson
Charles S. Barnaby Krishnan Gowri Heather L. Platt
Steven F. Bruning Cecily M. Grzywacz Douglas T. Reindl
John A. Clark Rita M. Harrold Julia A. Keen, BOD ExO
Waller S. Clements Adam W. Hinge Thomas E. Werkema, Jr., CO
Debra H. Kennoy

Stephanie C. Reiniche, Manager of Standards

SPECIAL NOTE
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Consensus is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), of which ASHRAE is a member and which has approved this
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a. interpretation of the contents of this Standard,
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that the product has been approved by ASHRAE.
 CONTENTS

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014)

Method of Test for Determining the Airtightness of HVAC Equipment
SECTION PAGE
Foreword ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1 Purpose .......................................................................................................................................................... 2
2 Scope ............................................................................................................................................................. 2
3 Definitions....................................................................................................................................................... 2
4 Nomenclature ................................................................................................................................................. 2
5 Test Apparatus and Specifications ................................................................................................................. 3
6 Test Procedure ............................................................................................................................................... 3
7 Data to be Recorded ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Informative Annex A—Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 5

NOTE

Approved addenda, errata, or interpretations for this standard can be downloaded free of charge from the ASHRAE
Web site at www.ashrae.org/technology.

© 2014 ASHRAE
1791 Tullie Circle NE · Atlanta, GA 30329 · www.ashrae.org · All rights reserved.
ASHRAE is a registered trademark of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.
ANSI is a registered trademark of the American National Standards Institute.
(This foreword is not part of this standard. It is merely
informative and does not contain requirements necessary
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
standard and may contain material that has not been
subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
FOREWORD
One of the most important predictors of a building’s
energy efficiency is its HVAC system. There are a number
of ways to measure the performance of HVAC systems—
energy efficiency ratings being one of the most common—
but the airtightness of the equipment is obviously an
important factor as well. Air that is not delivered to areas
as specified in the building design is air that is not being
used efficiently. With this in mind, ASHRAE Standard 193
was created to test the airtightness of HVAC equipment.
Targeted at systems that move less than 3000 cfm
(1400 L/s), Standard 193 will provide results that may be
used by cognizant authorities who wish to regulate the air
leakage of HVAC equipment and by contractors and
installers that wish to specify and install equipment with
known leakage characteristics.
The approach taken in this method of test is to deter-
mine the air leakage rate of HVAC equipment at a fixed
reference pressure difference. In this way Standard 193 is
similar to other rating standards that perform evaluations
at a single condition for comparison purposes rather than
attempting to estimate performance for an individual
installation. Because this test method can be applied to a
wide range of equipment, it is beyond the scope of this
standard to fully specify detailed test arrangements.
Currently the need for minimizing air leakage in
HVAC systems is reflected in various ASHRAE standards.
ASHRAE Standard 62.2 limits allowable air leakage
between garages and houses due to leaks in forced-air
HVAC systems. ASHRAE Standard 152 includes HVAC
system air leakage in estimates of distribution system effi-
ciency for residential buildings. But while these standards
aim to reduce the overall air leakage found in HVAC sys-
tems, neither provides a way to determine the effectiveness
of specific components in an HVAC system in preventing
air leakage. Although ASHRAE Standard 130 includes a
test method for measuring air leakage of air terminal
units, it does not specify a fixed test pressure suitable for
airtightness ratings.
This is a reaffirmation of Standard 193-2010. This
standard was prepared under the auspices of ASHRAE. It
may be used, in whole or in part, by an association or gov-
ernment agency with due credit to ASHRAE. Adherence is
strictly on a voluntary basis and merely in the interests of
obtaining uniform guidelines throughout the industry. This
version of the reaffirmation has minor editorial changes.
2 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014)
1. PURPOSE
This standard prescribes a method of test to determine the
airtightness of forced-air HVAC equipment prior to field
installation.
2. SCOPE
2.1 This standard applies to the following:
a. Equipment intended for installation in ducted systems,
including furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, coil
boxes, filter boxes, and associated components.
b. Equipment that moves less than 3000 cfm (1400 L/s) of
air.
2.2 This standard does not apply to ducts, plenums, or other
field-constructed components.
3. DEFINITIONS
Where the following terms occur in this standard, the defi-
nitions provided in this section apply.
air-handling unit (AHU): any device that includes a fan or
blower for moving air through ductwork. Examples include
furnaces, fan-coil units, energy or heat recovery units, and
exhaust fans.
cased coil: a heating or cooling coil that is mounted in a cabi-
net and contains no fan or blower.
duct-mounted air cleaner: a media air filter or other air-
cleaning device that is mounted in a cabinet and has no fan or
blower.
standard conditions: for the purposes of this standard, stan-
dard conditions are defined as follows: 68°F (20°C) for
temperature, 0.07517 lb/ft 3 (1.2041 kg/m3) for air density, and
29.92 in. Hg (101.325 kPa) for barometric pressure.
variable-air-volume (VAV) box: a terminal air control device
that regulates the amount of air entering a space; usually
contains a damper but no fan or blower.
4. NOMENCLATURE
Pbaro = barometric pressure, in. Hg (kPa)
Qleak = air leakage of equipment under test adjusted to
standard conditions and corrected for
background leakage, cfm (L/s)
Qbg = background air leakage rate of the test
apparatus, cfm (L/s)
Qbg,std = background air leakage rate of the test apparatus
adjusted to standard conditions, cfm (L/s)
Qmeas = measured air leakage rate, cfm (L/s)
Qmeas,std = measured air leakage of equipment under test
adjusted to standard conditions, cfm (L/s)
Tmeas = temperature of air flowing through the air
flowmeter, °F (°C)
5. TEST APPARATUS AND SPECIFICATIONS
This method of test requires the depressurization and/or
pressurization of HVAC equipment to a specified test pres-
sure. The airflow rate required to maintain the applied pres-
sures is the air leakage rate of the equipment under test,
Qleak . Schematics of typical test apparatuses are shown in
Figures 1 and 2.
5.1 Test Apparatus
The test apparatus shall consist of the following compo-
nents:
a. An air-moving blower or equivalent device capable of
controlling airflow for pressurizing or depressurizing the
equipment under test to a pressure difference of 0.5 in.
H2O (125 Pa).
b. An airflow measuring device capable of measuring volu-
metric airflow at the required test pressure difference with
the accuracy stated in Section 5.2.1.
c. A pressure-measuring device capable of measuring the
required pressure difference with the accuracy stated in
Section 5.2.2.
d. Temperature measurement devices capable of measuring
air temperature with the accuracy stated in Section 5.2.3.
e. A pressure-measuring device to measure barometric pres-
sure with the accuracy stated in Section 5.2.4.
5.2 Test Apparatus Specifications
The test apparatus shall meet the following specifications.
5.2.1 Airflows shall be measured with an accuracy equal
to or better than 2 cfm (1 L/s) or 5% of measured flow, which-
ever is larger, and with a precision equal to or better than 1 cfm
(0.5 L/s).
5.2.2 Pressures shall be measured with an accuracy equal
to or better than 0.004 in. H2O (1.0 Pa) and a precision equal
to or better than 0.002 in. H2O (0.5 Pa).
5.2.3 Temperature measurements shall be made using
devices with an accuracy equal to or better than ±2°F (1°C) and
with a precision equal to or better than ±1°F (0.5°C).
5.2.4 Barometric pressures shall be measured with an
accuracy equal to or better than 0.15 in. Hg (0.5 kPa).
6. TEST PROCEDURE
This test procedure shall be used to determine the amount
of airflow, Qleak, for the equipment under test. Qleak shall be
a positive value representing the magnitude of the measured
airflow.
The background leakage described in Section 6.1 shall be
measured for all test procedures. Table 1 shall then be used to
select an additional equipment-specific test method to be
performed. The barometric pressure, Pbaro, and the tempera-
ture, Tmeas, of the air flowing through the measurement device
shall be determined for each airflow measurement.
6.1 Background Air-Leakage Rate of the Test Apparatus
6.1.1 An air impermeable blanking cap shall be used to
cover the opening of the test apparatus to which the equip-
ment under test is connected.
ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014)
6.1.2 The air-moving device shall be turned on and used to
create a pressure difference of 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa) between
the inside and outside of the equipment under test, with the
inside of the equipment depressurized relative to ambient con-
ditions.
6.1.3 Measure the volumetric airflow, (Qbg–).
6.1.4 Convert the background leakage flows to standard
conditions, Qbg–,std, using Equation 2 or 3, as applicable.
6.1.5 If positive pressure tests are to be performed, repeat
the background leakage test in pressurization mode to deter-
mine Qbg+,std.
6.2 Air-Leakage Test Methods
6.2.1 Depressurization Test
6.2.1.1 The equipment shall be connected to the air-
moving device. An impermeable blanking cap shall be
applied to the open end or ends of the equipment under test, if
applicable. This connection shall be made with the same air-
sealing technique as used for the background air leakage mea-
surements of Section 6.1.
6.2.1.2 The air-moving device shall be turned on and
used to create a pressure difference of 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa)
between the inside and outside of the equipment under test,
with the inside of the equipment depressurized relative to
ambient conditions. The pressure measurement location shall
be selected to avoid, as much as possible, air velocities that
could influence the measurement.
6.2.1.3 Determine the volumetric airflow through the
measurement device (Qmeas) required to maintain this pres-
sure difference. The airflow shall be converted to standard
conditions, Qmeas,std, using Equation 2 or 3, as applicable.
6.2.1.4 The background air leakage rate shall be sub-
tracted from the measured air leakage rate to determine the air
leakage rate of the equipment under test using Equation 1:
Q leak = Q meas std – Q bg std (1)
6.2.2 Pressurization Test
6.2.2.1 The equipment shall be connected to the air-
moving device. An impermeable blanking cap shall be
applied to the open end or ends of the equipment under test, if
applicable. This connection shall be made with the same air
sealing technique as used for the background air leakage mea-
surements of Section 6.1.
6.2.2.2 The air-moving device shall be turned on and
used to create a pressure difference of 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa)
between the inside and outside of the equipment under test,
with the inside of the equipment pressurized relative to ambi-
ent conditions. The pressure measurement location shall be
selected to avoid, as much as possible, air velocities that could
influence the measurement.
6.2.2.3 Determine the volumetric airflow through the
measurement device (Qmeas) required to maintain this pres-
sure difference. The airflow shall be converted to standard
conditions, Qmeas,std, using Equation 2 or 3, as applicable.
6.2.2.4 The background air leakage rate shall be sub-
tracted from the measured air leakage rate to determine the air
leakage rate of the equipment under test using Equation 1.
3
Figure 1 Schematic of test apparatus and equipment under test for pressurization or depressurization testing.

Figure 2 Schematic of test apparatus and equipment under test for split-test procedure.

4 ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014)

 6.2.3 Split Test to standard conditions (Qmeas–,std) using Equation 2 or 3, as
6.2.3.1 The equipment shall be split between its posi- applicable.
tive and negative pressure zones by sealing between the two 6.2.3.4 The background air leakage rate shall be sub-
pressure zones. This split can be made either with the blower tracted from the measured air leakage rate to determine the air
in place or with the blower removed. If the blower is retained, leakage rate of the equipment using Equations 4 and 5.
then the inlets or outlets of the blower shall be covered such
that they do not move or leak air during the test. If the blower Q leak + = Q meas+ std – Q bg+ std (4)
is removed, an airtight cover shall be placed over the opening
between the negative and positive pressure sections of the Q leak – = Q meas– std – Q bg– std (5)
equipment under test. The cover shall be placed over the
6.2.3.5 The sum of the positive and negative pressure
opening through which the blower discharges into the positive
zone tests shall be reported as the air leakage of the equip-
pressure section of the equipment. Any other openings
ment:
between the positive and negative pressure zones shall also be
sealed. Q leak = Q leak + + Q leak – (6)
6.2.3.2 Positive Pressure Zone Measurements
The air-moving device shall be connected to the side of
7. DATA TO BE RECORDED
the equipment that is under positive pressure during normal
operation, i.e., on the discharge side of the air-handling unit The test report shall contain the following information:
(AHU). The air-moving device shall be turned on and used to
create a pressure difference of 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa) between a. Date of test
the inside and outside of the equipment under test, with the b. Name of test organization
inside of the equipment pressurized relative to ambient condi- c. Description of equipment under test, including the manu-
tions. The airflow through the measurement device required to facturer, make, model number, serial number, and the
maintain this pressure difference (Qmeas+) shall be measured. type of device (e.g., furnace, VAV box)
If there is more than one positive pressure zone, repeat this d. Whether manufacturer-supplied grommets were used to
section of test for each zone and Qmeas+ shall be the sum total seal penetrations
from all positive pressure zones. The airflow shall be e. Method used to seal condensate drains
converted to standard conditions, Qmeas+,std, using Equation 2 f. Air leakage test result, Qleak (see Section 6.2.3.5.)
or 3, as applicable:
(This annex is not part of this standard. It is merely
P baro 528
Q leak  std = Q leak ------------- ----------------------------------
- (I-P) (2) informative and does not contain requirements necessary
29.92  T meas + 460 
for conformance to the standard. It has not been
processed according to the ANSI requirements for a
P baro 293 standard and may contain material that has not been
Q leak  std = Q leak ------------------
- ----------------------------------- (SI) (3)
101.325  T meas + 273  subject to public review or a consensus process.
Unresolved objectors on informative material are not
6.2.3.3 Negative Pressure Zone Measurements
offered the right to appeal at ASHRAE or ANSI.)
The air-moving device shall be connected to the side of
the equipment that is under negative pressure during normal INFORMATIVE ANNEX A
operation, i.e., on the inlet side of the blower in the equipment BIBLIOGRAPHY
under test. The air-moving device shall be turned on and used
to create a pressure difference of 0.5 in. H2O (125 Pa) between ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2007, Ventilation and
the inside and outside of the equipment under test, with the Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential
inside of the equipment depressurized relative to ambient Buildings.
conditions. The airflow through the measurement device ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 130-2008, Methods of Testing Air
required to maintain this pressure difference (Qmeas–) shall be Terminal Units.
measured. If there is more than one negative pressure zone, ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 152-2004, Method of Test for
repeat this section of test for each zone and Qmeas– shall be the Determining the Design and Seasonal Efficiencies of
sum total from all negative pressure zones. Convert the airflow Residential Thermal Distribution Systems.

ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 193-2010 (RA 2014) 5

 POLICY STATEMENT DEFINING ASHRAE’S CONCERN
FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ITS ACTIVITIES

ASHRAE is concerned with the impact of its members’ activities on both the indoor and outdoor environment. ASHRAE’s
members will strive to minimize any possible deleterious effect on the indoor and outdoor environment of the systems and
components in their responsibility while maximizing the beneficial effects these systems provide, consistent with accepted
standards and the practical state of the art.
ASHRAE’s short-range goal is to ensure that the systems and components within its scope do not impact the indoor and
outdoor environment to a greater extent than specified by the standards and guidelines as established by itself and other
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As an ongoing goal, ASHRAE will, through its Standards Committee and extensive technical committee structure,
continue to generate up-to-date standards and guidelines where appropriate and adopt, recommend, and promote those new
and revised standards developed by other responsible organizations.
Through its Handbook, appropriate chapters will contain up-to-date standards and design considerations as the material is
systematically revised.
ASHRAE will take the lead with respect to dissemination of environmental information of its primary interest and will seek
out and disseminate information from other responsible organizations that is pertinent, as guides to updating standards and
guidelines.
The effects of the design and selection of equipment and systems will be considered within the scope of the system’s
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ASHRAE’s primary concern for environmental impact will be at the site where equipment within ASHRAE’s scope
operates. However, energy source selection and the possible environmental impact due to the energy source and energy
transportation will be considered where possible. Recommendations concerning energy source selection should be made by
its members.
 ASHRAE · 1791 Tullie Circle NE · Atlanta, GA 30329 · www.ashrae.org

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Product code: 86516 7/14

Errata noted in the list dated 3/18/14 have been corrected.