| NEW ENGLAND ENERGY AUDIT THE BLOWER DOOR TEST-WHAT IS IT? |
IS IT THE INSULATION OR THE AIR LEAKS?
MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE INSULATION IS THE ANSWER TO THEIR HIGH HEATING BILLS. INSULATION IS NOT THE
ONLY ANSWER. ADDING MORE INSULATION ALONE, RARELY LEADS TO SAVINGS. IN MOST HOMES AIR LEAKAGE
IS THE CULPRIT, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEATING DOLLARS.
WHY DO HOUSES LEAK AIR?
AIR LEAKAGE OCCURS BECAUSE THERE IS A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR AIR
PRESSURE. THE LARGEST DIFFERENCES IN PRESSURE OCCUR HIGH AND LOW IN A BUILDING. THE MIDDLE IS
MORE A NEUTRAL PLANE. WARM AIR RISES AND LEAKS OUT OF ANY UNSEALED AREAS AT THE TOP. ONCE YOU
RECEIVE YOUR HOME ENERGY AUDIT REPORT, START SEALING THE LEAKS AT THE TOP, I.E., ATTIC FLOOR,
SINCE THEY ARE THE MOST DETRIMENTAL TO HEAT LOSS. OUTSIDE AIR TENDS TO LEAK INSIDE MORE
TYPICALLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSE AS THEY PULL IN COLD AIR.
A HOME THAT IS PROPERLY AIR SEALED IS MORE COMFORTABLE AND HEALTHY. NO ONE REALLY WANTS AN
AIRTIGHT HOME. IF YOU MAKE YOUR HOME TOO TIGHT, YOUR HOME WILL REQUIRE MECHANICAL VENTILATION.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO SEAL YOUR HOME, TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING “TOO TIGHT”. THIS
CAN ALSO LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS, IE, MOLD, MILDEW, STALE ODORS, ETC. A HOME THAT IS TOO LOOSE
BRINGS MOISTURE, POLLUTANTS, UNCONDITIONED AIR, INCLUDING ALLERGENS INTO YOUR HOME. HOMES
THAT ARE PROPERLY AIR SEALED ARE MORE DURABLE. IN A LEAKY HOUSE MOIST, HEATED AIR ESCAPES INTO
COOLER AREAS, CAUSING MOLD, MILDEW, ROT AND OTHER MOISTURE RELATED PROBLEMS.
FINDING AIR LEAKAGE NO LONGER REQUIRES A WILLY NILLY APPROACH, GUIDED BY GUESSWORK ALONE.
WITH BLOWER DOOR TESTING, THERE IS NO MISTAKING WHERE THIS AIR LEAKAGE IS OCCURRING.
HOMEOWNERS ARE TOTALLY AMAZED AS WE DO THE WALK THROUGH, AND ARE TAKEN BACK BY WHERE
THESE LEAKS ARE OCCURRING. THEY USUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT WAS
THE SOURCE OF THE AIR LEAKS. NINE OUT TEN HOMEOWNERS THINK IT IS THE WINDOWS, NINE OUT TEN TIMES
IT NOT THE WINDOWS. NOT HAVING TO PURCHASE WINDOWS AMOUNTS TO A HUGE SAVINGS. THEY ARE ALSO
SHOCKED AT THE AMOUNT OF AIR LEAKAGE ORIGINATING FROM THESE SOURCES.
THE BLOWER DOOR TEST
WHEN WE PREPARE FOR THE BLOWER DOOR TEST, WE CONFIRM ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE CLOSED
AND PREFERABLY LOCKED, TO CREATE A TIGHT SEAL. WE SET UP THE FRAME, CANVAS, FAN AND
MANOMETER, USUALLY AT YOUR FRONT DOOR. THE FAN IS QUITE POWERFUL AND PULLS AIR FROM THE
HOUSE. THE MANOMETER MEASURES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR AIR PRESSURES, AS
WELL AS AIR FLOW THROUGH THE FAN. INITIALLY WE GET A BASELINE READING THEN WE ADJUST THE FAN TO
MAINTAIN A CONSTANT PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL AND TAKE READINGS, WHICH ARE USED TO CALCULATE THE
AIR LEAKAGE RATE.
THE OUTDOOR AIR PRESSURE FORCES AIR THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE BUILDINGS ENVELOPE. YOU CAN FEEL
THESE AIR LEAKS WITH YOUR BARE SKIN AND AS YOU PASS BY. THE LEAKS ARE UNMISTAKABLE. THE
LOCATIONS OF THESE LEAKS ARE NOTED ON YOUR REPORT.
THESE LEAKS CAN THEN BE SEALED, USUALLY VERY EASILY WITH SPRAY FOAM, CAULK, RIGID BOARD
INSULATION, ETC. MANY HOMEOWNERS HAVE US RETURN AFTER THEY COMPLETE THE WORK FOR
CONFIRMATION THAT HAVE SEALED ALL THE AIR LEAKS. WE DO THIS BY PERFORMING ANOTHER BLOWER
DOOR TEST AND ANOTHER WALK THROUGH, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS TELL US MUCH OF WHAT WE NEED TO
KNOW.
BLOWER DOOR TESTING MAKES IDENTIFYING AIR LEAKAGE WITHIN A HOME EASY AND IS OBJECTIVE,
ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR GUESS WORK.
IF WINDOW SALESMAN HAD THIS TOOL – THEY WOULD NOT SELL MANY WINDOWS!!
A BLOWER DOOR BOTH MEASURES AND LOCATES AIR LEAKAGE. IT MEASURES THE NUMBER OF AIR CHANGES
PER HOUR, WHICH IS THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE INDOOR AIR VOLUME OF THE HOUSE IN AN HOUR,
AT A STANDARD PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH IS THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE HOUSE MINUS PRESSURE
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, MEASURED IN PASCALS. THIS TELLS NEW ENGLAND AUDIT HOW THE HOUSE IS
PERFORMING, AND WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE.
THE BLOWER DOOR TEST PLACES A HOME UNDER A KNOWN PRESSURE AND THEN MEASURES HOW MUCH
AIRFLOW IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDOORS AND OUTDOORS. THE
TIGHTER THE HOUSE, THE LESS AIR THE BLOWER DOOR MUST MOVE TO MAINTAIN THE GIVEN PRESSURE.
MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE INSULATION IS THE ANSWER TO THEIR HIGH HEATING BILLS. INSULATION IS NOT THE
ONLY ANSWER. ADDING MORE INSULATION ALONE, RARELY LEADS TO SAVINGS. IN MOST HOMES AIR LEAKAGE
IS THE CULPRIT, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HEATING DOLLARS.
WHY DO HOUSES LEAK AIR?
AIR LEAKAGE OCCURS BECAUSE THERE IS A PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR AIR
PRESSURE. THE LARGEST DIFFERENCES IN PRESSURE OCCUR HIGH AND LOW IN A BUILDING. THE MIDDLE IS
MORE A NEUTRAL PLANE. WARM AIR RISES AND LEAKS OUT OF ANY UNSEALED AREAS AT THE TOP. ONCE YOU
RECEIVE YOUR HOME ENERGY AUDIT REPORT, START SEALING THE LEAKS AT THE TOP, I.E., ATTIC FLOOR,
SINCE THEY ARE THE MOST DETRIMENTAL TO HEAT LOSS. OUTSIDE AIR TENDS TO LEAK INSIDE MORE
TYPICALLY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSE AS THEY PULL IN COLD AIR.
A HOME THAT IS PROPERLY AIR SEALED IS MORE COMFORTABLE AND HEALTHY. NO ONE REALLY WANTS AN
AIRTIGHT HOME. IF YOU MAKE YOUR HOME TOO TIGHT, YOUR HOME WILL REQUIRE MECHANICAL VENTILATION.
IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO SEAL YOUR HOME, TO PREVENT IT FROM BEING “TOO TIGHT”. THIS
CAN ALSO LEAD TO HEALTH PROBLEMS, IE, MOLD, MILDEW, STALE ODORS, ETC. A HOME THAT IS TOO LOOSE
BRINGS MOISTURE, POLLUTANTS, UNCONDITIONED AIR, INCLUDING ALLERGENS INTO YOUR HOME. HOMES
THAT ARE PROPERLY AIR SEALED ARE MORE DURABLE. IN A LEAKY HOUSE MOIST, HEATED AIR ESCAPES INTO
COOLER AREAS, CAUSING MOLD, MILDEW, ROT AND OTHER MOISTURE RELATED PROBLEMS.
FINDING AIR LEAKAGE NO LONGER REQUIRES A WILLY NILLY APPROACH, GUIDED BY GUESSWORK ALONE.
WITH BLOWER DOOR TESTING, THERE IS NO MISTAKING WHERE THIS AIR LEAKAGE IS OCCURRING.
HOMEOWNERS ARE TOTALLY AMAZED AS WE DO THE WALK THROUGH, AND ARE TAKEN BACK BY WHERE
THESE LEAKS ARE OCCURRING. THEY USUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT LOCATION THAT WAS
THE SOURCE OF THE AIR LEAKS. NINE OUT TEN HOMEOWNERS THINK IT IS THE WINDOWS, NINE OUT TEN TIMES
IT NOT THE WINDOWS. NOT HAVING TO PURCHASE WINDOWS AMOUNTS TO A HUGE SAVINGS. THEY ARE ALSO
SHOCKED AT THE AMOUNT OF AIR LEAKAGE ORIGINATING FROM THESE SOURCES.
THE BLOWER DOOR TEST
WHEN WE PREPARE FOR THE BLOWER DOOR TEST, WE CONFIRM ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS ARE CLOSED
AND PREFERABLY LOCKED, TO CREATE A TIGHT SEAL. WE SET UP THE FRAME, CANVAS, FAN AND
MANOMETER, USUALLY AT YOUR FRONT DOOR. THE FAN IS QUITE POWERFUL AND PULLS AIR FROM THE
HOUSE. THE MANOMETER MEASURES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUTDOOR AND INDOOR AIR PRESSURES, AS
WELL AS AIR FLOW THROUGH THE FAN. INITIALLY WE GET A BASELINE READING THEN WE ADJUST THE FAN TO
MAINTAIN A CONSTANT PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL AND TAKE READINGS, WHICH ARE USED TO CALCULATE THE
AIR LEAKAGE RATE.
THE OUTDOOR AIR PRESSURE FORCES AIR THROUGH OPENINGS IN THE BUILDINGS ENVELOPE. YOU CAN FEEL
THESE AIR LEAKS WITH YOUR BARE SKIN AND AS YOU PASS BY. THE LEAKS ARE UNMISTAKABLE. THE
LOCATIONS OF THESE LEAKS ARE NOTED ON YOUR REPORT.
THESE LEAKS CAN THEN BE SEALED, USUALLY VERY EASILY WITH SPRAY FOAM, CAULK, RIGID BOARD
INSULATION, ETC. MANY HOMEOWNERS HAVE US RETURN AFTER THEY COMPLETE THE WORK FOR
CONFIRMATION THAT HAVE SEALED ALL THE AIR LEAKS. WE DO THIS BY PERFORMING ANOTHER BLOWER
DOOR TEST AND ANOTHER WALK THROUGH, ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS TELL US MUCH OF WHAT WE NEED TO
KNOW.
BLOWER DOOR TESTING MAKES IDENTIFYING AIR LEAKAGE WITHIN A HOME EASY AND IS OBJECTIVE,
ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR GUESS WORK.
IF WINDOW SALESMAN HAD THIS TOOL – THEY WOULD NOT SELL MANY WINDOWS!!
A BLOWER DOOR BOTH MEASURES AND LOCATES AIR LEAKAGE. IT MEASURES THE NUMBER OF AIR CHANGES
PER HOUR, WHICH IS THE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE INDOOR AIR VOLUME OF THE HOUSE IN AN HOUR,
AT A STANDARD PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH IS THE PRESSURE INSIDE THE HOUSE MINUS PRESSURE
OUTSIDE THE HOUSE, MEASURED IN PASCALS. THIS TELLS NEW ENGLAND AUDIT HOW THE HOUSE IS
PERFORMING, AND WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE.
THE BLOWER DOOR TEST PLACES A HOME UNDER A KNOWN PRESSURE AND THEN MEASURES HOW MUCH
AIRFLOW IS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INDOORS AND OUTDOORS. THE
TIGHTER THE HOUSE, THE LESS AIR THE BLOWER DOOR MUST MOVE TO MAINTAIN THE GIVEN PRESSURE.
| CALL 866-603-3637 (ENERGY) OR EMAIL: SAVE@NEWENGLANDENERGYAUDIT.COM |
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