Noise from ventilation systems in dwellings - Regulations and field test procedures in selected countries in Europe

In most countries in Europe, regulatory noise limits apply for service equipment in housing. During the last few decades, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) has become increasingly prevalent in new and retrofitted housing in Europe. The MVHR systems supply fresh air to obtain good indoor air quality, with minimal heat losses. However, the systems may operate continuously 24 hours/day and transmit noise into and between rooms by many possible paths. In practice, many people get annoyed or disturbed by the noise, especially during nighttime or when having quiet activities. Some countries have lower service equipment noise limits for continuous sources than for non-continuous sources, and lower limits also apply for the upper quality classes in acoustic classification schemes. Thus, both design and measurements become challenging. The aim of this paper is to investigate the noise limit values and descriptors applied to ventilation systems in housing in selected countries in Europe and compare limit values, field test and rating procedures as well as operating conditions and enforcement related to the limit values. Indications of typical design methods will also be included.