Ventilation rates for babies and children

[r.bartlett]

We are quoting out on a childrens nursery which is for babies and small children.

If the proposed area is for 10 babies -what is the recommended L/s vent rate ??

[chilliwilly]

Always gone by the every 20mins/3 times an hour rule for commercial jobs.

[frank]

Building Regs state 10l/s per person - fresh air input.

It doesn't differentiate between adults and babies so I would go with 10l/s/person.

Unless someone can prove that babies are not "persons" :D

[Magoo]

I agree with Frank. 10 L/s per person.

[mad fridgie]

Believe it or not for children it is recommended 12L/S (at school), may be the little blighters actually burn more energy.
Delivery rooms 20L/S
Care of IRHACE handbook

[Magoo]

Good post MF.
possibly the pee factors at schools, from memory the delivery suites need controlled RH and higher dry bulb so that the little blighters don't dry out, and moisty lady bits and peices. The four times I was there it was friggen hot.

[DTLarca]

We are quoting out on a childrens nursery which is for babies and small children.

If the proposed area is for 10 babies -what is the recommended L/s vent rate ??


From WP Jones - 5th Edition "There is no strict definition of indoor air quality (IAQ) and no instruments measure it. ANSVASHRAE Standard 62-1989 states: 'For comfort, indoor air quality may be said to be acceptable if not more than 50% of the occupants can detect any odour and not more than 20% experience discomfort, and not more than 10% suffer from mucosal imtation, and not more than 5% experience annoyance, for less than 2% of the time."


In general, for persons at rest or doing very light work, the ventilation rate to displace CO2 production is around 1litre per second per person.


Ventilation is more important for odour control and moisture control. Dew points kept above 2°C and RH kept below 70% to prevent fungi growth. If I remember correctly only 20% of people detect unwanted odours at 7.5l/s ventilation but this is for normal office environments and not where kids are doing their kiddy business.


The odour treatment ventilation rate will thus easily take care of the CO2 production rates - 1 to 2 l/s per person will easily manage this. Provided the ambient CO2 levels are standard.


So your main concerns are odours and humidity control. I don't think the 10l/s per person will be enough for baby business regards odours. 12l/s as already suggested may very well be more like it


If your ventilation rates do need to be that high you may find a humidifier necessary for winters. But for summer humidity control it would simply be a matter of comparing outdoor to indoor kg/kg moisture content to moisture production to decide the required ventilation rate - and where moisture production is high you might find the moisture control ventilation rate is even higher than the odour conrol ventilation rate.

[r.bartlett]

We have contacted the local BC inspector who has to pass the fit-out so I will let him confirm what he wants for BC approval

I have given the client a budget cost which considering they are presently in an old unvented barn with storage heaters has caused some slight consternation I can tell you :o

It's most likely a deal breaker mind as they are very short of available funds and haven't allowed anything like what this is going to cost..:mad:

[dannycool]

CIBSE Environmental Design Guide A states 10L/S per person for teaching spaces.

[NoNickName]

That's the ventilation rate, plus you need to add a 2 to 4 vol/hour of fresh air change.