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106-458: A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basement or The Basement may also refer to: Basement In British English , the word basement is usually used for underground floors of, for example, department stores. The word is usually used with buildings when the space below the ground floor is habitable and with (usually) its own access. The word cellar applies to

212-424: A concrete pump , or they will use concrete masonry units (block walls). Rock may also be used, but is less common. In monolithic architecture , large parts of the building are made of concrete; in insulating concrete form construction, the concrete walls may be hidden with an exterior finish or siding . Inside the structure, a single Lally column , steel basement jack, wooden column or support post may hold up

318-495: A french drain may need to be used to prevent water from entering the basement at the bottom of the wall. Walls below grade may need to be sealed with an impervious coating (such as tar ) to prevent water seepage. A polyethylene of about 6 mil ( visqueen ) serves as a water barrier underneath the basement. Some designs elect to simply leave a crawl space under the house, rather than a full basement due to structural challenges. Most other designs justify further excavations to create

424-443: A wind tunnel which has thousands of changes per hour. The highest air change rates are for crowded spaces, bars, night clubs, commercial kitchens at around 30 to 50 air changes per hour. Room pressure can be either positive or negative with respect to outside the room. Positive pressure occurs when there is more air being supplied than exhausted, and is common to reduce the infiltration of outside contaminants. Natural ventilation

530-404: A basement is considered necessary. Historically, basements have become much easier to build (in developed countries) since the industrialization of home building. Large powered excavation machines such as backhoes and front-end loaders have dramatically reduced the time and manpower needed to dig a basement as compared to digging by hand with a spade , although this method may still be used in

636-487: A building in a high dust environment, or a home with furry pets, will need to have the filters changed more often than buildings without these dirt loads. Failure to replace these filters as needed will contribute to a lower heat exchange rate, resulting in wasted energy, shortened equipment life, and higher energy bills; low air flow can result in iced-over evaporator coils, which can completely stop airflow. Additionally, very dirty or plugged filters can cause overheating during

742-736: A building that was not designed to receive it) because of the bulky air ducts required. (Minisplit ductless systems are used in these situations.) Outside of North America, packaged systems are only used in limited applications involving large indoor space such as stadiums, theatres or exhibition halls. An alternative to packaged systems is the use of separate indoor and outdoor coils in split systems . Split systems are preferred and widely used worldwide except in North America. In North America, split systems are most often seen in residential applications, but they are gaining popularity in small commercial buildings. Split systems are used where ductwork

848-481: A central location such as a furnace room in a home, or a mechanical room in a large building. The heat can be transferred by convection , conduction, or radiation . Space heaters are used to heat single rooms and only consist of a single unit. Heaters exist for various types of fuel, including solid fuels , liquids , and gases . Another type of heat source is electricity , normally heating ribbons composed of high resistance wire (see Nichrome ). This principle

954-549: A circulator, which is a pump, to move hot water through the distribution system (as opposed to older gravity-fed systems ). The heat can be transferred to the surrounding air using radiators , hot water coils (hydro-air), or other heat exchangers. The radiators may be mounted on walls or installed within the floor to produce floor heat. The use of water as the heat transfer medium is known as hydronics . The heated water can also supply an auxiliary heat exchanger to supply hot water for bathing and washing. Warm air systems distribute

1060-443: A closet. The main point of distinction between this type of basement and the two others lies in its being either entirely unmodified (unlike the finished basement) beyond the addition of furniture, recreational objects and appliances, and/or exercise equipment on the bare floor, or slightly modified through the installation (besides any or all of the aforementioned items) of loose carpet and perhaps simple light fixtures. In both cases,

1166-527: A facility to be heated and cooled by a single piece of equipment by the same means, and with the same hardware. Free cooling systems can have very high efficiencies, and are sometimes combined with seasonal thermal energy storage so that the cold of winter can be used for summer air conditioning. Common storage mediums are deep aquifers or a natural underground rock mass accessed via a cluster of small-diameter, heat-exchanger-equipped boreholes. Some systems with small storages are hybrids, using free cooling early in

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1272-529: A full-height basement, sufficient for another level of living space. Even so, basements in Canada and the northern United States were typically only 7 feet 10 inches (2.39 m) in height, rather than the standard full 8 feet (2.44 m) of the main floors. Older homes may have even lower basement heights as the basement walls were concrete block and thus, could be customized to any height. Modern builders offer higher basements as an option. The cost of

1378-410: A heat pump system in which a compressor is used to drive thermodynamic refrigeration cycle , or in a free cooling system that uses pumps to circulate a cool refrigerant (typically water or a glycol mix). It is imperative that the air conditioning horsepower is sufficient for the area being cooled. Underpowered air conditioning systems will lead to power wastage and inefficient usage. Adequate horsepower

1484-416: A heating cycle, which can result in damage to the system or even fire. Because an air conditioner moves heat between the indoor coil and the outdoor coil, both must be kept clean. This means that, in addition to replacing the air filter at the evaporator coil, it is also necessary to regularly clean the condenser coil. Failure to keep the condenser clean will eventually result in harm to the compressor because

1590-417: A home gym, a home theater , a basement bar, a sauna , craft room, play room, kitchenette, and one or more closets. Usually a part of the basement is unfurnished and is used for storage, a workshop, and/or a laundry room; when this is the case the water heater and furnace will also often be located there, although in some cases the entire basement is finished, and the water heater and furnace are boxed off into

1696-459: A huge difference for the environment and help expand the knowledge of using different methods. HVAC is based on inventions and discoveries made by Nikolay Lvov , Michael Faraday , Rolla C. Carpenter , Willis Carrier , Edwin Ruud , Reuben Trane , James Joule , William Rankine , Sadi Carnot , Alice Parker and many others. Multiple inventions within this time frame preceded the beginnings of

1802-433: A large number of projects in the 100–200 square meter bracket. There are a smaller number of projects in the 200–500 square meter bracket under construction. It is also not unusual to see multi-level retrofit basements. These are considerable works of civil engineering and require some skill and intuitive understanding as well as good engineering. Some of the more grandiose of these basement projects have been widely reported in

1908-475: A larger district heating (DH) or district cooling (DC) network, or a combined DHC network. In such cases, the operating and maintenance aspects are simplified and metering becomes necessary to bill for the energy that is consumed, and in some cases energy that is returned to the larger system. For example, at a given time one building may be utilizing chilled water for air conditioning and the warm water it returns may be used in another building for heating, or for

2014-632: A problem, though they may be used in larger structures. However, basements are considered standard on all but the smallest new buildings in many places with temperate continental climates such as the American Midwest and the Canadian Prairies where a concrete foundation below the frost line is needed in any case, to prevent a building from shifting during the freeze-thaw cycle . Basements are much easier to construct in areas with relatively soft soils and may be avoided in places where

2120-494: A room for the purpose of reducing the perceived temperature by increasing evaporation of perspiration on the skin of the occupants. Because hot air rises, ceiling fans may be used to keep a room warmer in the winter by circulating the warm stratified air from the ceiling to the floor. Natural ventilation is the ventilation of a building with outside air without using fans or other mechanical systems. It can be via operable windows, louvers, or trickle vents when spaces are small and

2226-467: A space in its own right, gradually took hold. Initially, it was typically a large, concrete-floored space, accessed by indoor stairs, with exposed columns and beams along the walls and ceilings, or sometimes, walls of poured concrete or concrete cinder block . An English basement , also known as a daylight basement or lower ground floor, is contained in a house where at least part of the floor goes above ground to provide reasonably-sized windows. Generally,

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2332-528: A stairwell leading above ground, or a door directly outside if a portion of the basement is completely at or above grade. Many walk-out basements are also daylight basements. The only exceptions are when the entire basement is nearly entirely underground, and a stairwell leads up nearly a floor's worth of vertical height to lead to the outdoors. Generally, basements with only an emergency exit well do not count as walk-out. Walk-out basements with at-grade doors on one side typically are more costly to construct since

2438-531: A subbasement is more difficult, costly, and time-consuming than building a basement as the lowest floor. Subbasements are even more susceptible to flooding and water damage than basements and are therefore rare, except in dry climates and at higher elevations. Some famous landmarks contain subbasements. The subbasement of the US Capitol Building is used as storage and that in the White House

2544-404: A work-out area. It is also common to have a secondary (or primary) home office in a partially finished basement, as well as a workbench and/or a space for laundry appliances. Toilets and showers sometimes exist in this variety of basement, as many North American basements are designed to allow for their installation. In London the construction of finished retrofit basements is big business with

2650-403: Is a key factor in reducing the spread of airborne illnesses such as tuberculosis, the common cold, influenza, meningitis or COVID-19. Opening doors and windows are good ways to maximize natural ventilation, which would make the risk of airborne contagion much lower than with costly and maintenance-requiring mechanical systems. Old-fashioned clinical areas with high ceilings and large windows provide

2756-410: Is air change rate or air changes per hour : the hourly rate of ventilation divided by the volume of the space. For example, six air changes per hour means an amount of new air, equal to the volume of the space, is added every ten minutes. For human comfort, a minimum of four air changes per hour is typical, though warehouses might have only two. Too high of an air change rate may be uncomfortable, akin to

2862-526: Is also used for baseboard heaters and portable heaters . Electrical heaters are often used as backup or supplemental heat for heat pump systems. The heat pump gained popularity in the 1950s in Japan and the United States. Heat pumps can extract heat from various sources , such as environmental air, exhaust air from a building, or from the ground. Heat pumps transfer heat from outside the structure into

2968-877: Is channeled through the space to enhance cooling and ventilation. Cross ventilation is most effective when there are clear, unobstructed paths for airflow within the building. In more complex schemes, warm air is allowed to rise and flow out high building openings to the outside ( stack effect ), causing cool outside air to be drawn into low building openings. Natural ventilation schemes can use very little energy, but care must be taken to ensure comfort. In warm or humid climates, maintaining thermal comfort solely via natural ventilation might not be possible. Air conditioning systems are used, either as backups or supplements. Air-side economizers also use outside air to condition spaces, but do so using fans, ducts, dampers, and control systems to introduce and distribute cool outdoor air when appropriate. An important component of natural ventilation

3074-481: Is inexpensive. Natural ventilation is not practical in much of the infrastructure because of climate. This means that the facilities need to have effective mechanical ventilation systems and or use Ceiling Level UV or FAR UV ventilation systems. Ventilation is measured in terms of Air Changes Per Hour (ACH). As of 2023, the CDC recommends that all spaces have a minimum of 5 ACH. For hospital rooms with airborne contagions

3180-499: Is known as room air distribution . In modern buildings, the design, installation, and control systems of these functions are integrated into one or more HVAC systems. For very small buildings, contractors normally estimate the capacity and type of system needed and then design the system, selecting the appropriate refrigerant and various components needed. For larger buildings, building service designers, mechanical engineers, or building services engineers analyze, design, and specify

3286-581: Is needed to improve the performance of ventilation in terms of ... In scenarios where outdoor pollution would deteriorate indoor air quality, other treatment devices such as filtration may also be necessary. Methods for ventilating a building may be divided into mechanical/forced and natural types. Mechanical, or forced, ventilation is provided by an air handler (AHU) and used to control indoor air quality. Excess humidity , odors, and contaminants can often be controlled via dilution or replacement with outside air. However, in humid climates more energy

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3392-450: Is not feasible or where the space conditioning efficiency is of prime concern. The benefits of ductless air conditioning systems include easy installation, no ductwork, greater zonal control, flexibility of control, and quiet operation. In space conditioning, the duct losses can account for 30% of energy consumption. The use of minisplits can result in energy savings in space conditioning as there are no losses associated with ducting. With

3498-436: Is required for any air conditioner installed. The refrigeration cycle uses four essential elements to cool, which are compressor, condenser, metering device, and evaporator. In variable climates, the system may include a reversing valve that switches from heating in winter to cooling in summer. By reversing the flow of refrigerant, the heat pump refrigeration cycle is changed from cooling to heating or vice versa. This allows

3604-458: Is required to remove excess moisture from ventilation air. Kitchens and bathrooms typically have mechanical exhausts to control odors and sometimes humidity. Factors in the design of such systems include the flow rate (which is a function of the fan speed and exhaust vent size) and noise level. Direct drive fans are available for many applications and can reduce maintenance needs. In summer, ceiling fans and table/floor fans circulate air within

3710-497: Is the process of changing or replacing air in any space to control the temperature or remove any combination of moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, or carbon dioxide, and to replenish oxygen. It plays a critical role in maintaining a healthy indoor environment by preventing the buildup of harmful pollutants and ensuring the circulation of fresh air. Different methods, such as natural ventilation through windows and mechanical ventilation systems , can be used depending on

3816-408: Is the process of exchanging or replacing air in any space to provide high indoor air quality which involves temperature control, oxygen replenishment, and removal of moisture, odors, smoke, heat, dust, airborne bacteria, carbon dioxide, and other gases. Ventilation removes unpleasant smells and excessive moisture, introduces outside air, keeps interior building air circulating, and prevents stagnation of

3922-399: Is typically gravel or crushed stone to facilitate draining. The floor is typically four inches (100 mm) thick and it rests on top of the foundation footings. The floor is typically sloped towards a drain point, in case of leaks . Modern construction for basement walls typically falls into one of two categories: they will be made of poured-in-place concrete using concrete forms with

4028-421: Is typically separated from the concrete by only a thin foam underlay. Radiant heating systems may be embedded within the concrete floor. Even if unfinished and unoccupied, basements are heated in order to ensure relative warmth of the floor above, and to prevent water supply pipes, drains, etc. from freezing and bursting in winter. It is recommended that the basement walls be insulated to the frost line. In Canada,

4134-546: Is used to store guest items. According to the international Oxford Dictionary of English , a finished fully underground cellar is a room below ground level in a house that is often used for the storage of wine or coal ; it may also refer to the stock of wine itself. A cellar is intended to remain at a constant cool (not freezing) temperature all year round and usually has either a small window/opening or some form of air ventilation (air/draught bricks, etc.) in order to help eliminate damp or stale air. Cellars are more common in

4240-428: Is usually desirable to finish a crawl space with a plastic vapour barrier that will not support mold growth or allow humidity from the earth into the crawl space. This helps insulate the crawl space and discourages the habitation of insects and vermin by breaking the ecological chain in which insects feed off the mould and vermin feed on the insects, as well as creating a physical inorganic barrier that deters entrance into

4346-486: The Gulf of Mexico , basements are usually not financially feasible unless the building is a large apartment or commercial structure. Excavation using a backhoe or excavator is commonly used to dig a basement. If shelf rock is discovered, the need for blasting may be cost prohibitive. Basement walls may need to have the surrounding earth backfilled around them to return the soil to grade. A water stop, some gravel and

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4452-568: The dew point , moisture in the air condenses on the evaporator coil tubes. This moisture is collected at the bottom of the evaporator in a pan and removed by piping to a central drain or onto the ground outside. A dehumidifier is an air-conditioner-like device that controls the humidity of a room or building. It is often employed in basements that have a higher relative humidity because of their lower temperature (and propensity for damp floors and walls). In food retailing establishments, large open chiller cabinets are highly effective at dehumidifying

4558-421: The CDC recommends a minimum of 12 ACH. The challenges in facility ventilation are public unawareness, ineffective government oversight, poor building codes that are based on comfort levels, poor system operations, poor maintenance, and lack of transparency. UVC or Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation is a function used in modern air conditioners which reduces airborne viruses , bacteria , and fungi , through

4664-462: The HVAC systems. Specialty mechanical contractors and suppliers then fabricate, install and commission the systems. Building permits and code-compliance inspections of the installations are normally required for all sizes of buildings Although HVAC is executed in individual buildings or other enclosed spaces (like NORAD's underground headquarters), the equipment involved is in some cases an extension of

4770-403: The U.S. and Canada. One usually finds within it a water heater, various pipes running along the ceiling and downwards to the floor, and sometimes a workbench, a freezer or refrigerator, or a laundry set (usually found in older homes). Boxes of various materials, and objects unneeded in the rest of the house, are also often stored there; in this regard, the unfinished basement takes the place both of

4876-525: The US, however, the appraisal for daylight basement space is half that of ground and above ground level square footage. Designs accommodated include split-foyer and split-level homes . Garages on both levels are sometimes possible. As with any multilevel home, there are savings on roofing and foundations. A walk-out basement is any basement that is partially underground but nonetheless allows egress directly outdoors and has floating walls. This can either be through

4982-573: The United Kingdom in older houses, with most terraced housing built during late 19th and early 20th centuries having cellars. These were important shelters from air raids during World War II . In parts of North America that are prone to tornadoes (e.g. Tornado Alley ), cellars still serve as shelter in the event of a direct hit on the house from a tornado or other storm damage caused by strong winds. Except for Britain, Australia and New Zealand, cellars are popular in most western countries. In

5088-553: The United Kingdom, almost all new homes built since the 1960s have no cellar or basement due to the extra cost of digging down further into the sub-soil and a requirement for much deeper foundations and waterproof tanking. The reverse has recently become common, where the impact of smaller home-footprints has led to roof-space being utilised for further living space and now many new homes are built with third-floor living accommodation. For this reason, especially where lofts have been converted into living space, people tend to use garages for

5194-540: The actual floor remaining below grade. In most parts of North America, it is legal to set up apartments and bedrooms in daylight basements, whether or not the entire basement is above grade. Daylight basements can be used for several purposes—as a garage , as maintenance rooms, or as living space. The buried portion is often used for storage, laundry room , hot water tanks, and HVAC . Daylight basement homes typically appraise higher than standard-basement homes, since they include more viable living spaces. In some parts of

5300-412: The additional depth of excavation is usually quite expensive. Thus, houses almost certainly never have multi-storey basements though 9 feet (2.74 m) basements heights are a frequent choice among new home buyers. For large office or apartment buildings in prime locations, the cost of land may justify multi-storey basement parking garages. The concrete floor in most basements is structurally not part of

5406-433: The air inside. Initially, heat pump HVAC systems were only used in moderate climates, but with improvements in low temperature operation and reduced loads due to more efficient homes, they are increasing in popularity in cooler climates. They can also operate in reverse to cool an interior. In the case of heated water or steam, piping is used to transport the heat to the rooms. Most modern hot water boiler heating systems have

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5512-484: The architecture permits. ASHRAE defined Natural ventilation as the flow of air through open windows, doors, grilles, and other planned building envelope penetrations , and as being driven by natural and/or artificially produced pressure differentials. Natural ventilation strategies also include cross ventilation , which relies on wind pressure differences on opposite sides of a building. By strategically placing openings, such as windows or vents, on opposing walls, air

5618-415: The area. Basement floor drains that connect to sanitary sewers need to be filled regularly to prevent the trap from drying out and sewer gas from escaping into the basement. The drain trap can be topped up automatically by the condensation from air conditioners or high-efficiency furnaces . A small tube from another downpipe is sometimes used to keep the trap from drying out. Health Canada advocates

5724-475: The basement must be graded such that water flows away from the basement wall. Downspouts from roof gutters should drain freely into the storm sewer or directed away from the house. Downspouts should not be connected to the foundation draintiles. If the draintiles become clogged by leaves or debris from the rain gutters, the roof water would cause basement flooding through the draintile. Damp-proofing or waterproofing materials are typically applied to outside of

5830-504: The basement wall. It is virtually impossible to make a concrete wall waterproof, over the long run, so drainage is the key. There are draining membranes that can be applied to the outside of the basement that create channels for water against the basement wall to flow to the foundation drains. Where drainage is inadequate, waterproofing may be needed. There are numerous ways to waterproof a basement, but most systems fall into one of three categories: The waterproofing system can be applied to

5936-483: The blood, forming carboxyhemoglobin, reducing the blood's ability to transport oxygen. The primary health concerns associated with carbon monoxide exposure are its cardiovascular and neurobehavioral effects. Carbon monoxide can cause atherosclerosis (the hardening of arteries) and can also trigger heart attacks. Neurologically, carbon monoxide exposure reduces hand to eye coordination, vigilance, and continuous performance. It can also affect time discrimination. Ventilation

6042-440: The building design and air quality needs. Ventilation often refers to the intentional delivery of the outside air to the building indoor space. It is one of the most important factors for maintaining acceptable indoor air quality in buildings. Although ventilation is an integral component of maintaining good indoor air quality, it may not be satisfactory alone. A clear understanding of both indoor and outdoor air quality parameters

6148-441: The case of a walk-out basement, a door) to include the basement square footage as living space. HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning ( HVAC ) is the use of various technologies to control the temperature , humidity , and purity of the air in an enclosed space. Its goal is to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality . HVAC system design is a subdiscipline of mechanical engineering , based on

6254-412: The ceiling of the basement (since there is not an empty floor below to run the ducts). Ducts extending from the ceiling down to the floor help heat the cold floors of the basement. Older or cheaper systems may simply have the heating vent in the ceiling of the basement. The finished floor is typically raised off the concrete basement floor. In countries such as Canada, laminate flooring is an exception: It

6360-457: The cellar and of the attic . Home workshops are often located in the basement, since sawdust, metal chips, and other mess or noise are less of a nuisance there. Sometimes, if the laundry is found in the basement, a laundry chute collects dirty laundry from the upper floors of the house. The basement can contain all of these objects and still be considered to be "unfinished", as they are either mostly or entirely functional in purpose. In this case

6466-520: The components of HVAC systems went hand-in-hand with the Industrial Revolution , and new methods of modernization, higher efficiency, and system control are constantly being introduced by companies and inventors worldwide. Heaters are appliances whose purpose is to generate heat (i.e. warmth) for the building. This can be done via central heating . Such a system contains a boiler , furnace , or heat pump to heat water, steam, or air in

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6572-413: The condenser coil is responsible for discharging both the indoor heat (as picked up by the evaporator) and the heat generated by the electric motor driving the compressor. HVAC is significantly responsible for promoting energy efficiency of buildings as the building sector consumes the largest percentage of global energy. Since the 1980s, manufacturers of HVAC equipment have been making an effort to make

6678-446: The control system will open (fully or partially) the outside air damper and close (fully or partially) the return air damper. This will cause fresh, outside air to be supplied to the system. When the outside air is cooler than the demanded cool air, this will allow the demand to be met without using the mechanical supply of cooling (typically chilled water or a direct expansion "DX" unit), thus saving energy. The control system can compare

6784-415: The cooling season, and later employing a heat pump to chill the circulation coming from the storage. The heat pump is added-in because the storage acts as a heat sink when the system is in cooling (as opposed to charging) mode, causing the temperature to gradually increase during the cooling season. Some systems include an "economizer mode", which is sometimes called a "free-cooling mode". When economizing,

6890-424: The crawl space is debatable. In areas with humid summers, during the summer months, the air vented into a crawl space will be humid, and as it enters the crawl space, which has been cooled naturally by the earth, the relative humidity of the air will rise. In those cases, crawl space vents can even increase the humidity level of a crawl space and lead to condensation on cool surfaces within, such as metal and wood. In

6996-422: The damp ground, water vapour (entering from crawl space vents), and moisture seeping through porous concrete can create a perfect environment for mold/mildew to form on any surface in the crawl space, especially cardboard boxes, wood floors and surfaces, drywall and some types of insulation. Health and safety issues must be considered when installing a crawl space. As air warms in a home, it rises and leaves through

7102-407: The developing world. For most of its early history, the basement took one of two forms. It could be little more than a cellar, or it could be a section of a building containing rooms and spaces similar to those of the rest of the structure, as in the case of basement flats and basement offices. However, beginning with the development of large, mid-priced suburban homes in the 1950s, the basement, as

7208-646: The emission of carbon monoxide , nitrogen oxides , formaldehyde , volatile organic compounds , and other combustion byproducts. Incomplete combustion occurs when there is insufficient oxygen; the inputs are fuels containing various contaminants and the outputs are harmful byproducts, most dangerously carbon monoxide, which is a tasteless and odorless gas with serious adverse health effects. Without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide can be lethal at concentrations of 1000 ppm (0.1%). However, at several hundred ppm, carbon monoxide exposure induces headaches, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin in

7314-610: The first comfort air conditioning system, which was designed in 1902 by Alfred Wolff (Cooper, 2003) for the New York Stock Exchange, while Willis Carrier equipped the Sacketts-Wilhems Printing Company with the process AC unit the same year. Coyne College was the first school to offer HVAC training in 1899. The first residential AC was installed by 1914, and by the 1950s there was "widespread adoption of residential AC". The invention of

7420-536: The floor above in a small basement. A series of these supports may be necessary for large basements; many basements have the support columns exposed. Since warm air rises, basements are typically cooler than the rest of the house. In summer, this makes basements damp, due to the higher relative humidity . Dehumidifiers are recommended. In winter, additional heating, such as a fireplace or baseboard heaters may be required. A well-defined central heating system may minimize this requirement. Heating ducts typically run in

7526-474: The floor's ceiling should be enough above ground to provide nearly full-size windows. Some daylight basements are located on slopes, such that one portion of the floor is at-grade with the land. A walk-out basement almost always results from this. Most daylight basements naturally result from raised bungalows and at-grade walk-out basements. However, there are instances where the terrain dips enough from one side to another to allow for 3/4 to full-size windows, with

7632-488: The foundation drains. If the water table outside the basement is above the height of the basement floor, then the foundation drains or the weeping tiles outside the footings may be insufficient to keep the basement dry. A sump pump may be required. It can be located anywhere and is simply in a well that is deeper than the basement floor. Even with functioning sump pumps or low water tables, basements may become wet after rainfall, due to improper drainage. The ground next to

7738-517: The foundation is still constructed to reach below the frost line. At-grade walk-out basements on the door-side are often used as livable space for the house, with the buried portion used for utilities and storage. A subbasement is a floor below the basement floor. In the homes where there is any type of basement mentioned above, such as a look-out basement, all of the volume of the subbasements from floor to ceiling are located well below ground. Therefore, subbasements have no windows nor an outside door. In

7844-415: The foundation must be below the frost line. Unless constructed in very cold climates, the frost line is not so deep as to justify an entire level below the ground, although it is usually deep enough that a basement is the assumed standard. In places with oddly stratified soil substrata or high water tables , such as most of Florida , Texas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , and areas within 50 miles (80 km) of

7950-413: The foundation; only the basement walls are. If there are posts supporting a main floor beam to form a post and beam system, these posts typically go right through the basement floor to a footing underneath the basement floor. It is the footing that supports the post and the footing is part of the house foundation. Load-bearing wood-stud walls rest directly on the concrete floor. Under the concrete floor

8056-522: The frost line. An underground crawl space (as the name implies) is a type of basement in which one cannot stand up—the height may be as little as one foot (30 cm), and the surface is often soil. Crawl spaces offer a convenient access to pipes, substructures and a variety of other areas that may be difficult or expensive to access otherwise. While a crawl space cannot be used as living space, it can be used as storage, often for infrequently used items. Care must be taken in doing so, however, as water from

8162-433: The greatest protection. Natural ventilation costs little and is maintenance free, and is particularly suited to limited-resource settings and tropical climates, where the burden of TB and institutional TB transmission is highest. In settings where respiratory isolation is difficult and climate permits, windows and doors should be opened to reduce the risk of airborne contagion. Natural ventilation requires little maintenance and

8268-417: The heated air through ductwork systems of supply and return air through metal or fiberglass ducts. Many systems use the same ducts to distribute air cooled by an evaporator coil for air conditioning. The air supply is normally filtered through air filters to remove dust and pollen particles. The use of furnaces, space heaters, and boilers as a method of indoor heating could result in incomplete combustion and

8374-420: The homes that have subbasements, all of the basement can be used as part of the main home where people relax and do recreational things, while all of the subbasement can be used for storage. Subbasements are much more common in larger structures, such as commercial buildings and larger apartment buildings, than they are in single family homes. It is common for skyscrapers to have multiple subbasements. Building

8480-425: The inside or the outside walls of a basement. When waterproofing existing basements it is much cheaper to waterproof the basement on the inside. Waterproofing on the outside requires the expense of excavation, but does offer a number of advantages for a homeowner over the long term. Among them are: The unfinished design, found principally in spaces larger than the traditional cellar, is common in residences throughout

8586-568: The interior air. Methods for ventilating a building are divided into mechanical/forced and natural types. The three major functions of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are interrelated, especially with the need to provide thermal comfort and acceptable indoor air quality within reasonable installation, operation, and maintenance costs. HVAC systems can be used in both domestic and commercial environments. HVAC systems can provide ventilation, and maintain pressure relationships between spaces. The means of air delivery and removal from spaces

8692-494: The internal air. Conversely, a humidifier increases the humidity of a building. The HVAC components that dehumidify the ventilation air deserve careful attention because outdoor air constitutes most of the annual humidity load for nearly all buildings. All modern air conditioning systems, even small window package units, are equipped with internal air filters. These are generally of a lightweight gauze-like material, and must be replaced or washed as conditions warrant. For example,

8798-400: The last decade. Dry rot and other conditions detrimental to buildings (particularly wood and timber structures) can develop in enclosed spaces. Providing adequate ventilation is thought to reduce the occurrence of these problems. Crawl space vents are openings in the wall which allow air movement. Such vents are usually fitted with metal grating , mesh , or louvers which can block

8904-404: The movement of rodents and vermin but generally not insects such as termites and carpenter ants. One common rule is to provide vents in cross sectional area equal to 1/150 of the floor area served. Modern crawl space thinking has reconsidered the usage of crawl space vents in the home. While crawl space vents do allow outside air to ventilate into the home, the ability of that air to dry out

9010-465: The national media, including the " Witanhurst " project in the Highgate area of London. and the huge iceberg-like homes which are beginning to be constructed in prime London areas such as Kensington and Chelsea. Hospitals often place their nuclear chemistry and radiation therapy and diagnostic resources in basements to utilize the shielding from the earth. In Canada , historically the basement area

9116-490: The objects found there—many of which could be found in a finished basement as well—might include the following: weight sets and other exercise equipment ; the boom boxes or entertainment systems used during exercise; musical instruments (which are not in storage, as they would technically be in an unfinished basement; an assembled drum set would be the most easily identified of these); football tables , chairs, couches and entertainment appliances of lesser quality than those in

9222-400: The opening of this vent. Typical fresh air intake is about 10% of the total supply air. Air conditioning and refrigeration are provided through the removal of heat. Heat can be removed through radiation , convection, or conduction . The heat transfer medium is a refrigeration system, such as water, air, ice, and chemicals are referred to as refrigerants . A refrigerant is employed either in

9328-572: The overall heating-portion of the DHC network (likely with energy added to boost the temperature). Basing HVAC on a larger network helps provide an economy of scale that is often not possible for individual buildings, for utilizing renewable energy sources such as solar heat, winter's cold, the cooling potential in some places of lakes or seawater for free cooling , and the enabling function of seasonal thermal energy storage . By utilizing natural sources that can be used for HVAC systems it can make

9434-869: The principles of thermodynamics , fluid mechanics , and heat transfer . " Refrigeration " is sometimes added to the field's abbreviation as HVAC&R or HVACR , or "ventilation" is dropped, as in HACR (as in the designation of HACR-rated circuit breakers ). HVAC is an important part of residential structures such as single family homes, apartment buildings, hotels, and senior living facilities; medium to large industrial and office buildings such as skyscrapers and hospitals; vehicles such as cars, trains, airplanes, ships and submarines; and in marine environments, where safe and healthy building conditions are regulated with respect to temperature and humidity, using fresh air from outdoors. Ventilating or ventilation (the "V" in HVAC)

9540-442: The rest of the house; refrigerators, stand-alone freezers, and microwaves (the first and the second being also sometimes used as supplementary storage units in an unfinished basement); and sports pennants and/or other types of posters which are attached to the walls. As the description suggests, this type of basement, which also might be called "half-finished", is likely used by teenagers and children. The entire family might utilize

9646-406: The rooms. Split systems are more efficient and the footprint is typically smaller than the package systems. On the other hand, package systems tend to have a slightly lower indoor noise level compared to split systems since the fan motor is located outside. Dehumidification (air drying) in an air conditioning system is provided by the evaporator. Since the evaporator operates at a temperature below

9752-418: The sanitary and storm sewers, where these pipes can be accessed. The storm sewer access is only needed where the weeping tiles drain into the storm sewers. Other than with walk-out or look-out basements, windows in basements require a well and are below grade. A clear window well cover may be required to keep the window wells from accumulating rain water. There should be drains in the window well, connected to

9858-500: The soil is too compact for easy excavation. Their use may be restricted in earthquake zones, because of the possibility of the upper floors collapsing into the basement; on the other hand, they may be required in tornado-prone areas as a shelter against violent winds. Adding a basement can also reduce heating and cooling costs as it is a form of earth sheltering , and a way to reduce a building's surface area-to-volume ratio . The housing density of an area may also influence whether or not

9964-400: The space has been designed, either during construction or at a later point by the owners, to function as a fully habitable addition to the house. Frequently most or all of the basement is used as a recreation room or living room, but it is not uncommon as well to find there (either instead of or alongside the living/recreation room) a guest bedroom or teenager's room, a bathroom, a home office,

10070-478: The space. Vapour barriers can end at the wall or be run up the wall and fastened to provide even more protection against moisture infiltration. Some pest control agencies recommend against covering the walls, as it complicates their job of inspection and spraying. Almost unheard of as late as the 1990s, vapour barriers are becoming increasingly popular in recent years. In fact, the more general area of conditioned vs. unconditioned crawl spaces has seen much research over

10176-438: The split system, the evaporator coil is connected to a remote condenser unit using refrigerant piping between an indoor and outdoor unit instead of ducting air directly from the outdoor unit. Indoor units with directional vents mount onto walls, suspended from ceilings, or fit into the ceiling. Other indoor units mount inside the ceiling cavity so that short lengths of duct handle air from the indoor unit to vents or diffusers around

10282-595: The storage of food freezers, tools, bicycles, garden and outdoor equipment. The majority of continental European houses have cellars, although a large proportion of people live in apartments or flats rather than houses. In North America, cellars usually are found in rural or older homes on the coasts and in the South. However, full basements are commonplace in new houses in the Canadian and American Midwest and other areas subject to tornado activity or requiring foundations below

10388-447: The system intended to maintain constant indoor air conditions. Outside, fresh air is generally drawn into the system by a vent into a mix air chamber for mixing with the space return air. Then the mixture air enters an indoor or outdoor heat exchanger section where the air is to be cooled down, then be guided to the space creating positive air pressure. The percentage of return air made up of fresh air can usually be manipulated by adjusting

10494-588: The temperature of the outside air vs. return air, or it can compare the enthalpy of the air, as is frequently done in climates where humidity is more of an issue. In both cases, the outside air must be less energetic than the return air for the system to enter the economizer mode. Central, "all-air" air-conditioning systems (or package systems) with a combined outdoor condenser/evaporator unit are often installed in North American residences, offices, and public buildings, but are difficult to retrofit (install in

10600-422: The upper regions of the house, much in the same way that air moves through a chimney. This phenomenon, called the "stack effect", causes the home to suck air up from the crawl space into the main area of the home. Mould spores, decomposition odours, and material from dust mites in the crawl space can come up with the air, aggravating asthma and other breathing problems, and creating a variety of health concerns. It

10706-525: The use of a built-in LED UV light that emits a gentle glow across the evaporator. As the cross-flow fan circulates the room air, any viruses are guided through the sterilization module’s irradiation range, rendering them instantly inactive. An air conditioning system, or a standalone air conditioner, provides cooling and/or humidity control for all or part of a building. Air conditioned buildings often have sealed windows, because open windows would work against

10812-428: The use of special radon gas traps for floor drains that lead to soil or to a sealed sump pump. In areas where storm and sanitary sewers are combined, and there is the risk of flooding and sewage backing up, backwater valves in all basement drains may be mandated by code and definitely are recommended even if not mandated. The main water cut-off valve is usually in the basement. Basements often have "clean outs" for

10918-518: The walls of a finished basement are typically insulated to the floor with vapor barriers to prevent moisture transmission. However, a finished basement should avoid wood or wood-laminate flooring, and metal framing and other moisture resistant products should be used. Finished basements can be costly to maintain due to deterioration of waterproofing materials or lateral earth movement etc. Below-ground structures will never be as dry as one above ground, and measures must be taken to circulate air and dehumidify

11024-610: The whole underground level or to any large underground room. A subcellar or subbasement is a level that lies below the basement or cellar. A basement can be used in almost exactly the same manner as an additional above-ground floor of a house or other building. However, the use of basements depends largely on factors specific to a particular geographical area such as climate, soil, seismic activity, building technology, and real estate economics. Basements in small buildings such as single-family detached houses are rare in wet climates such as Great Britain and Ireland where flooding can be

11130-502: The winter, crawl space vents should be shut off entirely, to keep out the cold winter air which can cool hot water pipes, furnaces, and water heaters stored within. During rainy weather, crawl space vents bring wet air into the crawl space, which will not dry the space effectively. Structurally, for houses, the basement walls typically form the foundation. In warmer climates, some houses do not have basements because they are not necessary (although many still prefer them). In colder climates,

11236-466: Was excluded from advertised square footage of a house as it was not part of the living space. For example, a "2,000-square-foot bungalow" would, in reality, have 4,000 square feet (370 m ) of floor space. More recently, finished space has become increasingly acceptable as a measure which includes the developed basement areas of a home. Due to fire code requirements, most jurisdictions require an emergency egress (through either egress-style windows, or, in

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