BPI Building Analyst Field exam 2024-2025
ASK PROCTOR FOR PERSONAL CO MONITOR - ANSWER-- MONITOR personal
breathing zone
Attached garage - ANSWER-While home is pressurized at -50 pa, and standing in the
garage, test with smoke for possible connections to the house
- During the winter time, people tend to warm up their cars in the garage
(doesn't matter if garage door is open or not) wind can push CO directly into the house if
not properly air sealed!!
** #1 HIGH PRIORITY for AIR SEALING
Causes for appliances to back draft? - ANSWER-- excessive negative pressure in the
CAZ
- poor flue design
- no flue liner in masonry chimneys
- blockage in the flue
- orphaned water heater
- minimal rise of the flue
** Add more to this list as I think of them
CAZ testing - ANSWER-1) RECORD indoor ambient CO level (highest detected)
2) RECORD outdoor temperature
3) Set-up to monitor personal breathing zone BEFORE entering CAZ
4) Set-up manometer to RECORD baseline pressure - green hose out to porch w/slider
window open using the metal piece for inside of the green hose and place under back
door (closest to kitchen)
- interior doors open
- exhaust appliances and furnace off
MAKE sure to RECORD the baseline pressure before moving to next step (Baseline
only)
5) CLEAN dryer lint trap (maximizes air flow thru dryer vent)
- turn on to air (fluff) - no heat
- turn on all other exhaust appliances - for this house BATHROOM exhaust only
MAKE sure to RECORD exhaust only pressure
(exhaust only)
6) Make CAZ more negative
- turn on furnace (at thermostat)
- close each door, one by one to determine if the door should remain closed or open
(use smoker to see if the smoke goes to toes - keep closed or if the smoke goes back in
- open it back up) **Do not need to smoke on first door I close because there is no
pressure difference yet
**NOTE - DOOR CLOSURE TEST - if the pressure across the door is close to equal
(smoke rises straight up) close the door to make the volume of the house smaller
**NOTE - with two-pipe condensing furnaces the burner does not need to operate if
desired
ASK PROCTOR FOR PERSONAL CO MONITOR - ANSWER-- MONITOR personal
breathing zone
Attached garage - ANSWER-While home is pressurized at -50 pa, and standing in the
garage, test with smoke for possible connections to the house
- During the winter time, people tend to warm up their cars in the garage
(doesn't matter if garage door is open or not) wind can push CO directly into the house if
not properly air sealed!!
** #1 HIGH PRIORITY for AIR SEALING
Causes for appliances to back draft? - ANSWER-- excessive negative pressure in the
CAZ
- poor flue design
- no flue liner in masonry chimneys
- blockage in the flue
- orphaned water heater
- minimal rise of the flue
** Add more to this list as I think of them
CAZ testing - ANSWER-1) RECORD indoor ambient CO level (highest detected)
2) RECORD outdoor temperature
3) Set-up to monitor personal breathing zone BEFORE entering CAZ
4) Set-up manometer to RECORD baseline pressure - green hose out to porch w/slider
window open using the metal piece for inside of the green hose and place under back
door (closest to kitchen)
- interior doors open
- exhaust appliances and furnace off
MAKE sure to RECORD the baseline pressure before moving to next step (Baseline
only)
5) CLEAN dryer lint trap (maximizes air flow thru dryer vent)
- turn on to air (fluff) - no heat
- turn on all other exhaust appliances - for this house BATHROOM exhaust only
MAKE sure to RECORD exhaust only pressure
(exhaust only)
6) Make CAZ more negative
- turn on furnace (at thermostat)
- close each door, one by one to determine if the door should remain closed or open
(use smoker to see if the smoke goes to toes - keep closed or if the smoke goes back in
- open it back up) **Do not need to smoke on first door I close because there is no
pressure difference yet
**NOTE - DOOR CLOSURE TEST - if the pressure across the door is close to equal
(smoke rises straight up) close the door to make the volume of the house smaller
**NOTE - with two-pipe condensing furnaces the burner does not need to operate if
desired
