What Is ASHRAE 129?

ASHRAE 129-1997 (RA 2002), titled “Measuring Air Change Rates in Buildings,” provides methods for measuring air change rates in buildings and building spaces, which are essential for understanding the ventilation effectiveness of these environments. ASHRAE 129 focuses on defining repeatable methods of measuring air change rates, applicable in various settings, such as commercial, residential, and industrial buildings. The methods encompassed in the standard include tracer gas dilution methods, continuous-injection tracer gas method, occupied building or occupied space method, concentration decay method, and constant concentration method. While this standard does not directly reference cartridge air filters, understanding the required air change rate to meet air quality targets impacts dust collection and air filtration system design, including filter selection and dust collector sizing.