E
Elite Edition

What is the purpose of flushing out a building after construction prior to occupancy?

Author

David Edwards

Published Mar 10, 2026

What is the purpose of flushing out a building after construction prior to occupancy?

Flushing may need to occur in segments (e.g., floors, individual rooms) due to facility size and water pressure. The purpose of building flushing is to replace all water inside building piping with fresh water.

When should I flush out of a building be done?

Phased flush-outs require 3500 cubic feet of outdoor air per square foot of floor area to be flushed out prior to occupation, then continual ventilation (at 0.30 CFM per square foot) after occupancy until the expected 14,000 cubic feet of air is reached.

What is a flush out in LEED?

A “flush out” is the process whereby outdoor air is forced through a building (especially one that is newly constructed) for a period of time before the building is occupied.

What is flushing in building?

To maintain the quality of our drinking water we need to release water at a high flow rate to clean the water mains after we attend to a fault or as part of our maintenance program and network testing. This process is known as ‘flushing’.

What is the volume of air that must be supplied to a building for the flush out requirements for IEQ Credit 3.2 IAQ management plan before occupancy?

14,000 cubic feet per square foot
These conditions must be maintained until a total of 14,000 cubic feet per square foot (4,500 cubic meters per square meter) of outside air has been delivered to the space.

What are the LEED IAQ?

LEED v4. 1 must meet the Minimum Indoor Air Quality requirement, which is intended to benefit occupants and establish minimum standards for indoor air quality. Projects must maintain ventilation system equipment and components while also following requirements outlined for mechanically and naturally ventilated spaces.

What is meant by indoor air quality?

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) refers to the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants.

What does flush mean in measurement?

#2. “Gap”= an unfilled space. “Flush”= level or even with a surface.

What is flushing a wall?

1. flush – of a surface exactly even with an adjoining one, forming the same plane; “a door flush with the wall”; “the bottom of the window is flush with the floor”

What does LEED mean in construction?

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.

What is LEED v4?

LEED v4 is the newest version of the LEED green building —and this version is more specialized and designed for a better user experience. LEED v4 builds on the fundamentals of previous versions while offering a new system that prepares all LEED projects in a portfolio to perform at a higher level.

What is a leleed building flush?

LEED requires a building flush to be executed by supplying a total air volume of 14,000 cubic feet of outdoor air per square foot of floor area, all while maintaining an internal temperature 60° and relative humidity of 60%.

Do I need a flush-out for the LEED credit?

If a Flush-Out is required (IAQ air sampling is not cost-effective or available or desired) for the LEED credit, our make-up air handling units combined with our air exhaust units are configured to your unique building to provide the necessary 100% outside air volume.

What are the LEED building design and construction practices?

sustainable building design and construction practices. LEED recommends a whole building flush-out procedure and indoor air quality assessment to occur for all new construction to help reduce indoor air pollutant concentrations. The LEED version 4 rating system procedure requires that 4267 m³ of outside air to be supplied to the interior for every

How long does it take to flush a building?

While many projects opt for building flush-outs to prepare their indoor air quality for occupation, the process can be incredibly time-consuming–a building flush usually takes at least 2 weeks, and in many cases can last up to a month. Time is not the only challenge presented with a building flush.