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Duct Leakage Impacts on Airtightness, Infiltration, and Peak Electrical Demand in Florida Homes
Abstract
Testing for duct leakage was done in 155 homes. Tracer
gas tests found that infiltration rates were three times greater
when the air handler was operating than when it was off.
Infiltration averaged 0.85 air changes per hour (ach) with the
air handler (AH) operating continuously and 0.29 ach with
the AH off. Return leaks were found to average 10.3% of
AH total flow. House airtightness, in 90 of these homes,
determined by blower door testing, averaged 12.58 air
changes per hour at 50 Pascals (ACHSO). When the duct
registers were sealed, ACHSO decreased to 11.04, indicating
that 12.2% of the house leaks were in the duct system.
Duct leaks have a dramatic impact upon peak electrical
demand. Based on theoretical analysis, a fifteen percent
return leak from the attic can increase cooling electrical
demand by 100%. Duct repairs in a typical. electrically
heated Florida home reduce winter peak demand by about
1.6 kW per house at about one-sixth the cost of building new
electrical generation capacity.
Citation
Cummings, J. B.; Tooley, J. J.; Moyer, N. (1990). Duct Leakage Impacts on Airtightness, Infiltration, and Peak Electrical Demand in Florida Homes. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu); Texas A&M University (http://www.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /6609.