Glossary

A

AAMA

American Architectural Manufacturers Association, www.aamanet.org

AARST

American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, www.aarst.org

AB

Air barrier

ACCA

Air Conditioning Contractors of America, www.acca.org

ACM

Asbestos-containing material

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act

ADC

Air Diffusion Council, www.flexibleduct.org

AFUE

Annual fuel utilization efficiency

AGA

American Gas Association, www.aga.org

AHJ

Authority having jurisdiction

AHRI

Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, www.ahrinet.org

Air barrier

The separation between the interior and exterior environments of a building that slows air flow to the point that no smoke movement is visible at 50 pascals of pressure difference across the boundary

AL

Action level

ANSI

American National Standards Institute, www.ansi.org

ASHRAE

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, www.ashrae.org

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials, www.astm.org

B

Backdraft damper

A damper that allows air to flow in only one direction

Beaded collar

A round fitting with a ridge or lip part way down its length that prevents a flexible duct mechanically attached with a tie band from sliding off

Bonus room

A livable room that is often over a garage or in an attic area; the room commonly contains slanted ceilings and knee walls

BPI

Building Performance Institute, www.bpi.org

BTU

British thermal unit

C

Can light

A light fixture (or can) that is recessed into the ceiling

Cathedral ceiling

A condition in which the ceiling slopes and normally has the same slope as the roof

Cathedralized attic

An attic that contains insulation located at the roof deck rather than the attic floor, bringing the attic space into the thermal boundary of the house

CAZ

Combustion appliance zone

CFL

Compact fluorescent lamp

CFM

Cubic feet per minute

CGSB

Canadian General Standard Board

Closed crawl space

A foundation without wall vents that uses air-sealed walls, ground and foundation moisture control, and mechanical drying methods to control crawl space moisture.

CO

Carbon monoxide

Conditioned basement

A below- or partially below-grade livable space with concrete or finished floor that is intentionally heated or cooled

Conditioned crawl space

A foundation without wall vents that encloses an intentionally heated and/or cooled space

CPSC

Consumer Product Safety Commission

CSA

Canadian Standards Association

D

DACUM

Developing a curriculum

Dense pack

The process of installing loose-fill insulation to a density that stops airflow @ 50 pascals of air pressure

DHW

Domestic hot water

Dielectric union

A plumbing connection that separates two different materials and prevents them from chemically reacting

Draft regulator

A device that functions to maintain a desired draft in the appliance by automatically reducing the draft to the desired value. Source: National Fire Protection Association 54, 2012

Dual-Cooling Up-Duct

Piece of duct located between the living space and attic to allow air flow in pressurized homes having evaporative coolers

d

dBA

A-weighted decibels

E

Efflorescence

Deposits of mineral salts, that may appear crystaline, left attached to masonry materials after moisture has evaporated off of the surface

Egress window

A window that meets building code requirements for size, location, and opperabiltiy which can be used to bodily escape through in an emergency

EIFS

Exterior insulation and finish systems

EIMA

EIFS Industry Members Association

Energy factor

Measure of overall efficiency for a variety of appliances. For water heaters, the energy factor is based on three factors: 1) the recovery efficiency, or how efficiently the heat from the energy source is transferred to the water; 2) stand-by losses, or the percentage of heat lost per hour from the stored water compared to the content of the water: and 3) cycling losses. For dishwashers, the energy factor is defined as the number of cycles per kWh of input power. For clothes washers, the energy factor is defined as the cubic foot capacity per kWh of input power per cycle. For clothes dryers, the energy factor is defined as the number of pounds of clothes dried per kWh of power consumed.

Envelope

The separation between the interior and exterior environments of a building that includes a combination of air and thermal barrier

EPA

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov

ERV

Energy recovery ventilator

ESP

External static pressure

Exfiltration

The uncontrolled passage of inside air out of a building through unintended leaks in the building envelope

Exterior storm window

An additional window assembly installed on the exterior of the main window

F

Finished attic

An attic space that has been converted into an additional living space of the house

G

GFCI

Ground-fault circuit interrupter

GPM

Gallons per minute

H

Hi-limit switch

A protective electronic switch which turns off an appliance if the operating temperature reaches the setpoint to prevent damage or fire

HRV

Heat recovery ventilator

HVAC

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

HVI

Home Ventilation Institute

Hydrophobic

Lacking affinity for water; tending to repel and not absorb water; tending not to dissolve in, mix with, or be wetted by water

I

I-P

Inch-pound

IAQ

Indoor air quality

IBC

International Building Code

IBR

Institute of Boiler and Radiator Manufacturers

IC

Insulation contact

ICC

International Code Council

IECC

International Energy Conservation Code

IFGC

International Fuel Gas Code

Ignition barrier

Any layer of material that protects another from catching fire due to heat or spark

IMC

International Mechanical Code

Infiltration

The uncontrolled passage of outside air into a building through unintended leaks in the building envelope

Interior storm window

An additional window assembly installed on the interior of the main window

IPM

Integrated Pest Management

IRC

International Residential Code

IWC

Inches of water column

J

JTA

Job task analysis

K

Knee wall

Any wall between the conditioned space and the attic

KSA

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

L

LED

Light-emitting diode

M

MERV

Minimum efficiency reporting value

Modulating systems

Heating systems with the ability to adjust the heating capacity and output based on the heating demand

N

NAHB

National Association of Home Builders, www.nahb.com

NAIMA

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association, www.naima.org

NATE

North American Technician Excellence, www.natex.org

NEBB

National Environmental Balancing Bureau, www.nebb.org

NEC

National Electrical Code

NFPA

National Fire Protection Association, www.nfpa.org

NIOSH

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, www.cdc.gov/niosh

O

Orphaned equipment

Condition that exists when only one combustion appliance is left vented into a common chimney when the other appliance(s) are removed from the vent system. What remains is a larger exhaust flue or chimney than is necessary for the remaining smaller appliance which may lead to venting problems for the single appliance

Orphaned water heater

Condition that exists when only a water heaters is left vented into a common chimney when the other appliance(s) are removed from the vent system. What remains is a larger exhaust flue or chimney than is necessary for the remaining smaller appliance which may lead to venting problems for the single appliance

OSHA

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, www.osha.gov

P

PEL

Permissable Exposure Limit

Perm rating

The measurement of a material's ability to allow the transfer of water vapor through the material

PPE

Personal Protective Equipment

Programmable thermostat

A thermostat designed to adjust the temperature according to a series of programmed settings that take effect at different times of the day

Psi

Pounds per square inch

Psig

Pound per square inch gauge

R

Reverse or upslope lapping technique

Upper course laps under a lower course to keep the moisture under the barrier

Rigid material

Drywall, oriented strand board, duct board, cardboard, or any other stiff product that may support the applied load while serving as a durable air barrier

RPA

Radiant Professional Alliance

RRP

Renovation, repair, and painting

S

SDS

Safety Data Sheet

Sealant foam

One- or two-component polyurethane foam typically applied as a bead and used to control air leakage as part of an air barrier system within the building envelope

Service switch

An electrical switch that controls the complete flow of electricity to a mechanical device

SHGC

Solar heat gain coefficient

SI

Systeme International

SMACNA

Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association, www.smacna.org

SPF

Spray polyurethane foam

SPFA

Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance

SSE

Steady state efficiency

Standby loss

1) Heat loss through the outer shell of a water heater. 2) Energy that is used even when a device is turned off

Storm door

An additional door assembly that is installed on the exterior of the main door

Strip heat

A function of a heat pump that uses energy-intensive resistance heat strips to warm conditioned space when the heat pump is unable to satisfy the heating demand; also provides emergency heat backup for heat pumps

Support material

Typically, wooden strips or boards that provide support over large holes for less rigid air barrier materials

T

T&TA

Training and Technical Assistance

TABB

Testing and Balancing Bureau, www.tabbcertified.org

TDC

Transverse duct connector

TDF

Transverse duct flange

Thermal boundary

The separation between the interior and exterior environments of a building that slows heat flow

Thermal resistance

The measurement of how effectively an object or material resists heat flow. R-value is a measurement of thermal resistance

Tie band

A strap, often made of nylon, that mechanically squeezes a flexible duct to a fitting. Must have a minimum performance temperature rating of 165 degrees F (per UL 181A-type test) and a minimum tensile strength rating of 50 pounds

U

UL

Underwriters Laboratories

Unconditioned basement

A below- or partially below-grade livable space with concrete or finished floor without intentional heating or cooling

UV

Ultraviolet

V

Vapor retarder

A material that slows the passage of water vapor

Vapor retarder - Class I

A material that retards the passage of water vapor with a perm rating of less than 0.1

Vapor retarder - Class II

A material that retards the passage of water vapor with a perm rating of greater than 0.1 but less than 1.0

Vapor retarder - Class III

A material that retards the passage of water vapor with a perm rating of greater than 1 but less than 10

Vaulted ceiling

A condition where a non-horizontal ceiling has a different slope than the roof

Vented crawl space

A foundation that uses wall vents as a primary means to control moisture

VOC

Volatile organic compound

W

WAP

DOE Weatherization Assistance Program

WDMA

Window and Door Manufacturers Association, www.wdma.com

Wg

Water gauge

Wind intrusion

A condition where air from outside of a structure can pass through insulation and reduce its performance

Wood/materials shrinkage

A loss of dimension and weight as a result of drying the structure and operating the building at lower relative humidity

Go to top