BPI BSP flashcards
BPI BSP · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- House as a system
- A house is an interacting system of enclosure, HVAC, occupants, and environment; changing one part affects air, heat, and moisture movement elsewhere.
- Stack effect
- Warm indoor air rises and escapes high in a building while outdoor air enters low, creating pressure differences driven by height and temperature difference.
- Pressure boundary
- The continuous surface separating conditioned from unconditioned space; it should align with insulation to reduce condensation risk inside assemblies.
- Sensible heat
- Heat that changes a material's temperature without changing its phase; measured with a thermometer and expressed in Btu or joules.
- Latent heat
- Heat absorbed or released during a phase change, such as water evaporating or condensing, without a temperature change.
- BTU
- The amount of energy needed to raise one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit; a common unit for heating and cooling capacity.
- Controlled ventilation
- Deliberate outdoor air supply or exhaust using fans or ducted systems, provided after air sealing to maintain indoor air quality.
- Conduction
- Heat transfer through direct contact within a solid material or between materials, driven by a temperature difference.
- Convection
- Heat transfer by moving fluid such as air or water; in buildings, buoyancy and fans drive convective loops and air leakage.
- Radiation
- Heat transfer by electromagnetic waves between surfaces; it does not require a medium and depends on surface temperature and emissivity.
- R-value
- A measure of thermal resistance; higher R-value means better resistance to conductive heat flow for a given thickness and material.
- U-value
- The rate of heat flow through a material or assembly divided by area and temperature difference; it equals 1 divided by R-value.
- Dew point
- The temperature at which air reaches saturation and water vapor begins to condense onto surfaces at or below that temperature.
- Vapor diffusion
- Movement of water vapor through materials driven by vapor pressure differences; usually slower than air transport in buildings.
- Air barrier
- A continuous material or system that limits uncontrolled air movement between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, including seams, penetrations, and transitions.
- Thermal bridging
- Heat flow through framing, fasteners, or other conductive paths that bypass insulation, reducing the assembly's effective R-value.
- Closed-cell spray foam
- A high-density foam insulation that provides thermal resistance, air sealing, and a vapor retarder in one application.
- Rain screen
- A cladding system with a drained and ventilated cavity behind it, allowing bulk water to drain and walls to dry.
- Class II vapor retarder
- A material with permeance between 0.1 and 1.0 perm, often used to limit vapor diffusion while allowing some drying.
- Continuous insulation
- Insulation installed outside framing without thermal breaks, reducing thermal bridging and improving effective R-value.
- AFUE
- Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency; the percentage of fuel energy converted to useful heat over a heating season, with higher values indicating greater efficiency.
- SEER2
- A seasonal cooling efficiency rating for air conditioners and heat pumps; higher SEER2 indicates more efficient cooling performance.
- Heat pump COP
- Coefficient of performance; useful heating or cooling output divided by electrical energy input, often greater than one because heat is moved rather than generated.
- Duct leakage
- Unintended air loss from ducts, which reduces delivered capacity and can draw pollutants or moisture into the system.
- HRV
- Heat recovery ventilator; a balanced ventilation device that transfers sensible heat between exhaust and supply air streams.
- ERV
- Energy recovery ventilator; a balanced ventilator that transfers both sensible heat and latent moisture between exhaust and incoming air.
- Carbon monoxide
- A colorless, odorless gas produced by incomplete combustion; it interferes with oxygen transport in blood and can be fatal.
- Relative humidity
- The amount of water vapor in air expressed as a percentage of the maximum it can hold at that temperature.
- Radon
- A radioactive soil gas that can enter buildings through foundation cracks and openings; long-term exposure increases lung cancer risk.
- Backdrafting
- Reverse flow of combustion gases into a building caused by depressurization or inadequate draft, creating carbon monoxide and health risks.
- Source control
- Reducing indoor pollutants at their origin by selecting low-emission materials and isolating sources such as garages or combustion appliances.
- ASHRAE 62.2
- A residential ventilation standard that specifies minimum outdoor air ventilation and local exhaust requirements for acceptable indoor air quality.