Minimum room size to require ventilation?

[HVACQuestions]

I thought that somewhere in IMC there was a minimum room square footage to require the room to be ventilated, is that in the most recent code somewhere? idea is that a small closet does not require ventilaiton, but a larger storage room does. just wondering what that cutoff sf is?

 

[HVACQuestions]

actually this might be in IBC, which defines the square footage per person to determine whether or not it's an occupiable space...

 

[ICE]

California Residential Code:

R303.1 Habitable rooms. Habitable rooms shall have an aggregate glazing area of not less than 8 percent of the floor area of such rooms. Natural ventilation shall be through win
dows, skylights, doors, louvers or other approved openings to the outdoor air. Such openings shall be provided with ready access or shall otherwise be readily controllable by the building occupants. The openable area to the outdoors shall be not less than 4 percent of the floor area being ventilated.

California Building Code:

1202.5 Natural ventilation. Natural ventilation of an occupied space shall be through windows, doors, louvers or other openings to the outdoors. The operating mechanism for such openings shall be provided with ready access so that the openings are readily controllable by the building occupants.

CBC Definition:

OCCUPIABLE SPACE. A room or enclosed space designed for human occupancy in which individuals congregate for amusement, educational or similar purposes or in which occupants are engaged at labor, and which is equipped with means of egress and light and ventilation facilities meeting the requirements of this code.

 

[HVACQuestions]

thank you! this is a 65 sf storage room in a large commercial floor in a high-rise building. the life safety plan does call out one occupant at 1 person / 300 sf. but it also calls out the electrical room as one occupant and i know the code does not require electrical rooms to be ventilated. so still unsure if the storage room needs ventilation or not...

 

[e hilton]

Are you asking about natural ventilation by a window, or hvac ventilation?

 

[HVACQuestions]

Are you asking about natural ventilation by a window, or hvac ventilation?

HVAC mechanical ventilation, this is in the middle of a large floor and the windows are non-operable anyway

 

[tmurray]

thank you! this is a 65 sf storage room in a large commercial floor in a high-rise building. the life safety plan does call out one occupant at 1 person / 300 sf. but it also calls out the electrical room as one occupant and i know the code does not require electrical rooms to be ventilated. so still unsure if the storage room needs ventilation or not...

We generally separate out occupant loading from an exiting perspective from the more practical plumbing fixture and ventilation requirements. We've generally accepted small spaces that are occasionally occupied to be indirectly ventilated.

 

[mark handler]

As soon as the space becomes "occupiable", you need to Ventilate it.
A small closet is not "occupiable".

 

[HVACQuestions]

As soon as the space becomes "occupiable", you need to Ventilate it.
A small closet is not "occupiable".

yea generally agree with this, my room was a 65 sf storage room, so it was very on the fence of closet vs room. ultimately decided to provide ventilation since it did show up on the life safety plans as having an occupant, although maybe the building inspector wouldn't have cared if i didn't ventilate it.