New California Title 24 (CALGreen) Standards Effective as of January 1, 2011
In addition to the current standards Section 4.506 now states:
Bathroom exhaust fans. Mechanical exhaust fans which exhaust directly from bathrooms shall comply with the following:
- Fans shall be ENERGY STAR compliant and be ducted to terminate outside the building.
- Unless functioning as a component of a whole house ventilation system, fans must be controlled by a humidistat which shall be readily accessible.
Humidistat controls shall be capable of adjustment between a relative humidity range of 50 to 80 percent.
Note: For the purposes of this section, a bathroom is a room which contains a bathtub, shower or tub/shower combination.
What is Air King doing to meet the new standards?
This is the great part, all of Air King's ENERGY STAR qualified exhaust fans already meet this standard as long as they are used with a model DH55 humidistat control switch. The DH55 allows the controls to be readily accessible and capable of humidity adjustment from 20% to 80%.
Why doesn't Air King place the humidistat in the unit like other products on the market?
While there are exhaust fans on the market that have a built-in humidistat in them, Air King feels that a wall mounted dehumidistat control such as the model DH55 is a better option. There are a few reasons:
The California Green Building Code requires the humidistat to be "easily accessible". A wall mounted control can be accessed at any time. The control can be set for a higher or lower humidity level just by adjusting the knob. With the humidistat in the fan, it can be difficult to access and adjust the setting. Getting a ladder into the shower, removing the grill and making adjustments to the module with a screw driver seems to stretch the definition of "easily accessible" beyond reasonable interpretation.
A wall mounted control can be adjusted to a specific humidity level. The DH55 allows you to set the humidity level between 20% to 80%. Humidistats built into fans are typically "preset" and not able to be adjusted to a specific known set point. They are factory set and can only be adjusted to bring the fan on sooner, or later.
Generally wall switches are more durable. It is proven reliable technology. In the event of a problem it is well understood by homeowners, handymen, and service technicians alike and is very easily replaced in a few minutes.
Built-in humidistats are designed by the manufacturer using proprietary technologies that can fail over time and will need to be replaced by someone familiar with the product and ordering parts exclusively from the manufacturer.
What is California Title 24?
"The Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and
Nonresidential Buildings were established in 1978 in
response to a legislative mandate to reduce California's
energy consumption. The standards are updated
periodically to allow consideration and possible
incorporation of new energy efficiency technologies
and methods."2 As it pertains to ventilation, it provides
minimum standards for the performance of the products
that may be used, especially when a light combination
unit is to be a part of the installation.
What are the basics?
The California Title 24 standard is a residential energy efficiency standard. It has become know as the California Code of Regulations, Title 24, also referred to as the California Building Standards Code, California Green Building Standards Code, or the CALGreen Code. To comply, better performing
exhaust fans and energy efficient lighting must be used. All exhaust fans must utilize a 4" or larger duct,
and specific ventilation requirements from ASHRAE 62.2. When using an exhaust fan with light, it
must be high efficacy lighting with an energy input limit of 40 watts or less.
Solutions to meet your Style and Budget
Air King has one of the most extensive offerings of California Title 24
Compliant ventilation products on the market today with solutions
to meet almost any ventilation need your home might have. Air King's
Title 24 solutions are simple, economical and designed to improve
indoor air quality by providing efficient and quiet operation, making
them the SMART CHOICE.
Click here to see Air King's selections of Title 24 Compliant exhaust fans.
2 Source: www.energy.ca.gov/title24/ |
