Ventilation installation practices are usually based on ASHRAE 62.2 in the U.S., the only question being which version of this standard is used by the relevant program. ASHRAE 62.2 is a minimum standard, not a best-practice standard. As a fifteen-year member of the ASHRAE 62.2 committee, I am often asked about the best ways of exceeding the 62.2 standard for good indoor air quality.

A significant research report published in April of this year by the National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) found that subsidized multifamily housing with ASHRAE 62.2-compliant ventilation had better indoor air quality than housing without 62.2-compliant ventilation. This important research states: “Levels of four of the five indoor contaminants improved substantially with [continuous] mechanical ventilation."