Insulation and Ventilation Systems Set

Which statement about heat is FALSE? a. Heat is the amount of thermal energy in a body. b. Heat is measured in degrees Fahrenheit. c. Sensible heat is one type of heat. d. Heat always moves from an area of high energy to an area of low energy.

b. Heat is measured in Btus or joules; temperature is measured in degrees Fahrenheit.

Condensation in buildings can cause all the following EXCEPT a. increased air leakage b. expanding and shrinking wood. c. rusting steel. d. reduced Channel resistance of insulation.

a. Condensation cannot cause increased air leakage.

All crawl spaces should be vented. a. True b. False

b. Heated crawl spaces need not be vented. Unheated crawl spaces should be vented to remove warm, moist air in cold climates.

Adding fiberglass batt insulation to the exterior surface of uninsulated wood-frame walls is a problem because this may create a. convective loops within the stud cavity. b. a vapor barrier in the wrong place. c. an air barrier in the wrong place. d. a double vapor barrier.

a. Convective loops in the stud cavity may develop if insulation is added only to the exterior surface of wood frame walls.

Attic duct problems include all the following EXCEPT a. oversized ducts. b. disconnected ducts. c. missing or loose insulation. d. missing or damaged air/vapor barriers.

a. Duct problems do not include ducts being oversized.

Heat recovery ventilators are usually located in conditioned spaces. a. True b. False

a. Heat recovery ventilators (f-IRVs) are balanced ventilation systems that improve energy efficiency. Putting them in unconditioned spaces such as garages or attics is considered poor practice because this reduces the energy efficiency.

All of the following are common approaches to insulating flat and cathedral roofs EXCEPT a. provide no insulation and vent the roof space. b. treatment as an attic. c. completely fill the roof space with insulation. d. provide insulation above the roof sheathing.

a. It's not common to vent the roof space if there is no insulation provided.

These are all common forms of insulation EXCEPT a. liquid b. batt c. loose-fill d. foamed-in-place

a. Liquid is not a common form of insulation.

It is considered good practice to place a vapor barrier on an earthen crawl space floor. a. True b. False

a. Placing a vapor barrier on an earthen crawlspace floor keeps moisture in the ground, rather than diffusing it into the air and adding to the moisture levels in the crawl space and house.

Which of the following statements about humidity are TRUE? a. Relative humidity indicates the amount of moisture in the air relative to the amount it could potentially hold. b. Relative humidity indicates the amount of humidity inside the house relative to the humidity outside. c. Warm air can hold a lot less moisture than cold air. d. Relative humidity over three grams per cubic liter is excessive.

a. Relative humidity indicates the amount of moisture in the air relative to the amount that it can potentially hold.

The appropriate number of air-changes-per-hour in an average house is roughly a. 0.3 air-changes-per-hour. b. 0.5 air-changes-per-hour. c. 1.5 air-changes-per-hour. d. 3.0 air-changes-per-hour.

a. The appropriate number of air changes in an average house is roughly 0.3 air-changes per-hour.

The vapor barrier should be on the warm side of the wall assembly. a. True b. False

a. The vapor barrier should be on the warm side of the wall to prevent moisture from moving into the cooler space where it may condense and cause damage.

Which statement about venting roofs is FALSE? a. Venting roofs helps indoor air quality. b. Venting roofs helps cool homes in summer. c. Venting roofs help prevent ice dams. d. Venting roofs lowers the attic temperature.

a. Venting roofs has no effect on indoor air quality.

Venting the house living space during the winter in climates where heating is required does all the following EXCEPT a. adding moisture to the house. b. reducing odors c. bringing fresh air into the home. d. reducing carbon monoxide.

a. Venting the house living space does not add moisture to the house. It helps to reduce the moisture level.

Which of the following is NOT a venting concern with flat roofs? a. Vents on all four exposures of the fascia b. Vent areas totaling less than 1/150 of the roof area c. Obstructed vents d. Vents on only one side of the roof

a. Vents on all four exposures of the fascia are good rather than a problem.

Which statement about vapor barriers is FALSE? a. A vapor barrier is a vapor diffusion retarder. b. A vapor barrier has a perm rating of more than one. c. A vapor hairier does not have to be continuous to be effective. d. We do not want vapor barriers on both the inside and outside of the wall.

b. A vapor barrier has a perm rating of less than one.

An air barrier performs a different function depending on whether the climate is warm or cool. a. True b. False

b. Air barriers have the same purpose regardless of climate. They are designed to stop air movement through the building walls and roof.

All of the following are moisture sources EXCEPT a. people washing themselves. b. drying clothes in a vented clothes dryer. c. people breathing. d. drying firewood inside a house.

b. Drying clothes in a clothes dryer actually removes moisture from the house, assuming the clothes dryer is vented outside.

All of the following reduce house moisture EXCEPT a. disconnecting or removing humidifiers. b. Operating the furnace blower on low speed. c. covering sump pits. d. venting the clothes dryer to the outside.

b. Earth floors in crawl spaces may add considerable moisture to the crawl space and to the home itself.

Earthen floors in crawl spaces a. should always be vented. b. may add considerable moisture to the home. c. should be covered with house wrap. d. should be treated to prevent animal and pest infestations.

b. Earth floors in crawl spaces may add considerable moisture to the crawl space and to the home itself.

Which statement about thermal insulators is FALSE? a. Thermal resistance is the inverse of thermal conductivity. b. Good insulators have low R-values. c. Good insulators have very low thermal conductivity. d. Good insulators are typically low-density.

b. Good insulators have high R-values.

All of the following suggest skylight condensation EXCEPT a. uniform water accumulation around the perimeter of the light well. b. the problem occurs only on the north side of the light well. c. the problem occurs only during cold weather. d. the problem does not get worse during or after rains.

b. If the problem occurs only on the north side of the light well, this does not suggest condensation as the problem.

Basement wall insulation is necessary. a. True b. False

b. Insulating the basement will help to reduce heating costs and may improve comfort, but it is not a requirement.

Which statement about chimneys and insulation is TRUE? a. Masonry chimneys can be in contact with any type of insulation. b. Masonry chimneys should be in contact with non combustible insulation only. c. Metal chimneys can be in contact with combustible insulation. d. Metal vents can be in contact with non combustible insulation.

b. Masonry chimneys may be surrounded by non combustible insulation, but not by combustible insulation.

Common attic access-hatch problems include all the following EXCEPT a. a lack of insulation. b. an oversized access hatches. c. a lack of weather-stripping. d. missing access hatches.

b. Oversized access hatches are not a problem.

Power roof vents should be operated continuously for best results. a. True b. False

b. Power roof vents tend to depressurize the attic in winter, promoting entry of warm, moist air.

Secondary attics a. are often too small to vent. b. are common in l V2-story houses. c. can only be accessed through ceilings. d. are often too small to insulate.

b. Secondary attics are common in one-and-a half-story houses.

Soffit vents typically make up about 25 percent of roof ventilation. a. True b. False

b. Soffit vents typically make up at least50 percent of the roof ventilation. Ridge, roof, or gable vents make up the balance.

The attic access hatch does NOT need to be insulated. a. True b. False

b. The attic access hatch should be insulated, ideally to the sa1ne level as the rest of the attic.

The best way to check that an exhaust fan is moving air adequately is to make sure that air is being pulled into the fan, using your hand or a piece of tissue to check for airflow. a. True b. False

b. The best way to check exhaust fan airflow is at the exhaust point, but this is often difficult to access.at the exhaust point, but this is often difficult to access.

Which insulation is controversial with respect to health issues? a. Polyurethane b. urea formaldehyde c. Phenolic board d. Vermiculite

b. Urea formaldehyde is a controversial insulation material.

Air barriers a. are only important in wann climates. b. help control heat and moisture flow. c. help control heat flow only. d. help control moisture flow only.

c. Air barriers help to control heat flow only.

All of the following are common attic venting problems EXCEPT a. missing vents. b. vents located only at the ridge. c. continuous soffit vents with only spot roof vents. d. undersized sheathing openings.

c. Continuous soffit vents and spot roof vents are acceptable.

All of the following are common exhaust fan problems EXCEPT a. inoperativeness. b. inadequate air movement. c. timer control. d. missing fan cover.

c. Controlling an exhaust fan with a timer is nota problem.

Degree-days are a. days when the temperature is above 0°F. b. the day's average temperature plus 65°F. c. the day's average temperature subtracted from 65°F. d. the number of days in a year when the heating system is not required.

c. Degree days are calculated by subtracting the average temperature for the day from 65°F.

Common attic insulation problems include all of the following EXCEPT a. gaps or voids. b. compression. c. excess depth. d. n1issing insulation at dropped ceilings.

c. Excess insulation depth is not a problem.

Which of the following is a problem with an HRV? a. Wann-side ducts not insulated b. No flap on exterior inlet c. Inlet and exhaust separated by; 12 inches d. Balancing dampers provided on warm-side ducts

c. Inlet and exhaust points for HRVs should be separated by several feet, rather than 12 inches.

All of the following are types of attic vents EXCEPT a. soffit vents. b. ridge vents. c. louver vents. d. roof vents.

c. Louver vents are not a specific description of a type of roof vent or attic vent.

All of The following suggest possible rot in flat or cathedral roofs EXCEPT a. sagging or spongy roof surfaces. b. sagging plaster or drywall ceilings. c. mold or mildew on an interior wall surface. d. vents recently added to the roof.

c. Mold and mildew on interior surfaces do not necessarily suggest rot in the roof space. These suggest high levels of moisture in the home and on cold surfaces.

Which of the following is NOT a common residential insulation material? a. Cellulose fiber b. Mineral wool c. Polyvinyl chloride d. Polystyrene

c. Polyvinyl chloride is not a common insulation material.

Which statement about power vents is true? a. They should operate in the winter. b. They should be thermostatically controlled to operate below 65°F. c. They can depressurize the attic. d. They cannot be controlled with a manual switch.

c. Power vents can depressurize the attic.

Which statement about relative humidity is TRUE? a. Relative humidity is always greater than absolute humidity. b. Relative humidity is always less than absolute humidity. c. Relative humidity drops as air temperature rises. d. Air at 80 percent relative humidity is considered saturated.

c. Relative humidity drops as temperature rises, assuming there are no other factors at play.

The average efficiency of an HRV is a. 10 percent b. 50 percent c. 70 percent d. 90 percent

c. The average efficiency of an HRV is70 percent.

Which statement about flow measuring stations on HRVs is FALSE? a. There should be two flow-measuring stations. b. They should be at least 12 inches away from the balancing dampers. c. They should be on the insulated ductwork. d. They should be connected to gauges to balance the system.

c. The flow measuring stations on HRVs should be on the warm side ducts not the insulated ducts.

Pick the FALSE statement about air leakage in houses. Air leakage a. allows heat to escape from the house. b. is necessary to provide fresh air. c. depends on the wind. d. out of a house always exceeds air leakage into a house.

d, The air leakage out of a house cannot _exceed the air leakage into the house, otherwise the house would collapse.

Which of the following is NOT a house ventilation method? a. Exhaust-only b. Supply-only c. Balanced ventilation system d. Direct-vent furnace

d. A direct-vent furnace is not a house ventilation method

All the following are mechanisms of heat transfer EXCEPT a. conduction. b. radiation. c. convection. d. absorption.

d. Absorption is not a heat transfer mechanism.

Which of the following is NOT a defrost system for heat recovery ventilators? a. Recirculating the exhaust through the fresh air side b. Running house air through the fresh air side c. Shutting off the fresh air fan d. Directing furnace air to the HRV

d. Having the furnace air directed to the HRV is not a defrosting method.

Rot may occur in wood-frame walls as a result of warm, moist air from the house condensing in the walls. This rot is likely to be most severe a. on north walls. b. on walls facing prevailing winds. c. on walls with lots of windows. d. at the bottom of walls.

d. Rot is most likely to be severe at the bottom of the walls because condensation tends to run down and get hung up on the bottom plates.