Air circulation in homes during an emergency
This issue came up again last night at the CERT training so I thought it might be a good idea to repost this information regarding our our "smart ventilation controllers' and how to to turn them OFF in the event of an emergency. This was originally posted on June 27, 2011 - ed.
Last week at the C.E.R.T. meeting, the Deputy Fire Chief was explaining that this area is at low risk for flooding but our highest risk is hazardous materials spills. Living between I-5 and highway 99 and the railroad tracks means we might be asked to 'shelter in place" in the event of emergency. Shelter in place means to stay indoors and close all windows and doors to avoid exposure to the offending material.
We started to think about our house with the "smart ventilation controller" that brings in fresh air to circulate throughout the house - normally a good thing. If we wanted to shelter in place, it should it be turned off but how? There may have been different models used in different homes , but this is what I found for our unit:
The instructions clearly state "IMPORTANT! The AirCycler® was installed in your home as a ventilation controller, Do Not Disable it." But I did find this on their website:
POWERING OFF Warning: It is not recommended to turn the AirCycler® off if the unit is used as a ventilation controller. The AirCycler® can be turned off during extended vacation periods or when the windows are open. It is very important to turn the AirCycler® back on.
1. In normal Operating Mode. Press and hold the Mode Key for six seconds to turn the AirCycler® off. All thermostat functions will continue to operate normally.
2. To turn the AirCycler® back on, press the Mode Key.
The only problem is one still needs to get up to the unit in the attic. I did confirm this information with in a phone call to the manufacturer.
Factory default settings (FR) settings are: FR-V settings:FAN OFF 20 minutes FAN OFF 20 minutes FAN ON 10 minutes FAN ON 10 minutes VENT ON 10 minutes VENT OFF 20 minutes
Configure FAN ON time
1. Press the Mode Key once to enter the Menu Mode. FAN ON will flash on the display.
2. Use the Increase or Decrease Keys to change the FAN ON time from 1 - 199 minutes or to select unlimited ON time (UN). UN allows the fan to operate continuously.
The following information is a list of frequently asked questions from AirCycler® (the manufacturer of our unit).
1. Why do I have the AirCyclerC in my new home?
The AirCycler® was installed in your home as a ventilation controller to draw outside air into your home to improve your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). DO NOT DISABLE IT. The outside air dilutes pollutants found in your home.
2. In my previous home, I did not have a ventilation controller. Why do I need one now?
In the past, homes depended on natural leaks for ventilation. However, today homes are built tight to conserve energy, and the amount of ventilation is reduced. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor air pollutants to harmful levels. Controlled ventilation improves the home’s indoor air quality without comprising the home's efficiency.
3. What type of pollutants can be found in the home?
Common pollutants found in homes are:
- Combustion contaminants: carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, environmental tobacco smoke
- Biological pollutants: animal dander, molds, dust mites, bacteria
- Volatile organic compounds: formaldehyde, fragrance products, pesticides, solvents, cleaning agents
- Heavy metals: airborne lead, mercury vapor
- Radon
4. How does the AirCycler® work?
The AirCycler works with your home’s central air system to draw and distribute outside air throughout your home. An outside air duct was installed in your home to provide a fresh air source. The furnace fan is then used to draw and distribute the outside air throughout your home. To ensure steady and adequate ventilation, the AirCycler will activate the furnace fan based on programmed times. The AirCycler will only activate the furnace when it detects the system has been inactive for a set period of time.
5. What is the energy cost to run the AirCycler®?
For a typical 1,500 square foot home, the energy cost for the AirCycler® is between $1 to $5 monthly, depending on your climate and electric costs.
6. I have changed my AirCycler settings and do not know my original settings. What should I set it to?
Each AirCycler application has different settings because every home is built differently and requires different amounts of ventilation. The factory default settings are 10 minutes ON, 20 minutes OFF, 10 minutes vent ON, and 20 minutes vent OFF. (The vent application does not apply to the model FR.) These settings are the most common settings. However, we recommend that you contact your builder for the appropriate settings.
7. I am going on vacation or my house is vacant and I would like to turn the AirCycler off.
The AirCycler is designed to remember programmed settings even after power outages. To ensure that the AirCycler will stay off, set your AirCycler to unlimited fan off: "UN."
8. Can you send me a new instruction sheet?
You can download our instruction sheet or you can email us your contact information at info@aircycler.com and we will mail you an instruction sheet.
To learn more how the AirCycler can improve your current home's air, see how the AirCycler works.
9. Blank Display on the AirCycler®
Solution Check:
1. The furnace has power
2. The thermostat is operational
3. The furnace will call for heat from the thermostat
4. The fan operates with a fan only signal from the thermostat
5. Confirm the furnace is providing 24 VAC to the AirCycler®
6. Verify wiring conforms to wiring diagram
7. Make sure top is firmly seated in the base
10. AirCycler FR-V turns furnace fan on and off, but the motorized damper does not cycle.
Solution Check:
1. Verify that the AirCycler® is providing a 24 VAC signal to the motorized damper
2. Verify that 24 VAC motorized damper is operational by powering directly with a
24 VAC signal
3. Verify continuity in the wiring between the damper and the AirCycler®
11. A/C turns on during fan cycling calls
Solution Check:
1. Verify wiring conforms to wiring diagram
2. Verify the G wire is properly connected
3. The G wire needs to be interrupted by the AirCycler®.
Do not run the G wire parallel.
12. The buttons don't respond:
Sometimes the button contacts on the printed circuit board get dirty.
Here's an instruction sheet to show how to clean them.
7 Responses »
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Very good information....my questions:
1. Location on unit - is it easy to see?
2. Do I need to turn my A/C or furnace off too?
3. Will OneCall be notifying us that the 8' ladder and the AirCycler man is on his way........Please, no more 6
a.m. calls!
4. The G wire.......now that's a problem!
All sounds very confusing to me, but I hate the damned thing. In the winter, it blows cold air just as I'm getting comfortable.
As for the 6:06 a.m. calls, I was in the shower getting ready for work when my house and cell phones rang simultaneously. When I later took my dog for a walk in the park, I saw several others I don't normally see that early in the morning out walking. Let me tell you, they were not happy at all about the One Call wake-up call this morning. Personally, I'm thinking of removing my name from it. I receive those calls at the most inopportune times. I definitely would not opt for it if I had to pay for it!!
Same here besides scaring the hell out of me........BTW, you are paying for it thru the HOA. Why did we need a call about sealing the concrete anyway, just put some cones up and a sign....I think most of us understand those!
I hope that the 6:00 am call was a mistake (since my last name is Allen I get my call minutes before you guys
) I am thinking they meant to put 9:00 but didn't check Pacific time and to Eastern time. Because they had said unless it was an emergency they would not call before 9:00 am or after 9:00 pm.
And as for opting out because of the few errors, well, you may be sorry if you opt out and we have an emergency. The rest of us will have evacuated and you will be here in the neighborhood all alone!
I sure hope we don't ever have to turn off the Aircycler, not only won't I remember all those instructions, I can't get up in the attic. Maybe they should have thought about a "panic button" for when you have an emergency. One within in reach of us old people...us short old people!
Question for all the EXPERTS out there..........couldn't you just turn off the power to the A/C if such an alert was issued?
I echo all comments and info above. And Thanks so much to Glenbrooke News for giving us this info. Glenbrooke News is important to me as I learn something new each I connect.
Email I received in answer for shutting off the AirCycler for those UNABLE to access their attic space in an emergency. However, it does not address what to do in case you are running your AC and shutting the fan/blower off. I believe this is something that we should ask DelWebb to address and publish in our next newsletter so every homeowner is fully aware of what to do. Many do not have any instructions on operation of the furnace or AirCycler and this could become an issue should we have an emergency. We had to pull it up on the net and make a copy of the instructions for the AirCycler and passed them on to another neighbor who couldn't find his. Still have nothing on the furnace. Another trip to the attic to get name & #'s off the furnace and hopefully can get instructions on the internet. Perhaps this is something our Communications Committe could handle....YES? NO? EMAIL follows........
"Real easy. Once you turn off the furnace by turning its power off, you also shut off the AirCycler.
So, I would recommend shutting of your furnace by turning off its circuit breaker at your breaker panel or many furnaces have a easily accessible switch that will kill power to it.
I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for your email.
Jason
AirCycler Customer Care"