When it comes to ensuring energy efficiency and a comfortable living environment, a blower door test can be a game-changer.
Green Attic Insulation utilizes this diagnostic tool to determine the amount of air entering or escaping from your home.
In this comprehensive blog post, we will explore the significance of blower door test, and how they contribute to reducing energy costs and improving air quality indoors.
What Is A Blower Door Test
The blower door test is a powerful and essential diagnostic tool used to measure the airtightness of a structure. It plays an important role in evaluating a home’s energy efficiency and identifying areas that require attention.
During the blower door test, a trained energy professional mounts the fan into the frame of an exterior doorway.
The fan creates negative pressure, allowing the analyst to detect air leaks and areas where insulation is missing. An infrared camera and nontoxic smoke pencil are used to pinpoint specific locations of air leakage.
The test involves two primary procedures: depressurization and pressure measurement. During the depressurization test, the fan is activated to pull air out of the house, creating a negative pressure inside.
This negative pressure causes air to flow in from the outside through any unsealed cracks, gaps, or openings in the building envelope.
What is a Good Blower Door Test Score
Many homeowners and builders ask, "What is a good blower door test score?" The answer depends on various factors, including building codes and energy efficiency goals.
In general, for existing homes, a score below 5 ACH50 (Air Changes per Hour at 50 pascals) is considered good, while 3 ACH50 or lower is excellent.
For new construction, standards are often stricter. In fact, some energy-efficient building standards require a blower door test new construction score of 2.0 ACH50 or even lower. Green Attic can help you understand what score to aim for based on your specific situation and goals.
Calibrated vs. Uncalibrated Blower Doors
There are two types of blower doors: calibrated and uncalibrated. It's crucial to use a calibrated blower door, as it provides accurate measurements of air leakage. Uncalibrated doors can only locate leaks but cannot determine the overall tightness of the home.
Components of Blower Door Equipment
Benefits of Blower Door Tests
One of the significant benefits of the blower door test is its ability to determine if there are unsealed cracks and openings in the house's shell that need sealing. These unsealed areas can be a major source of energy loss, leading to higher energy bills and reduced indoor comfort. With the help of infrared cameras, every leak can be visually detected, ensuring that no air leakage goes unnoticed.
The test provides valuable data on the air infiltration rate, aiding in identifying necessary improvements and ventilation requirements.
If you're thinking of buying or building a house, a blower door test can help you understand the potential future energy bills. By identifying unsealed cracks and openings, the test enables homeowners to make informed decisions about sealing their homes, which ultimately increases comfort and reduces energy costs.
Green Attic customers have reported cutting back on their heating bills by up to 50% after implementing recommendations from a blower door test.
Moreover, sealing a house effectively not only saves energy but also helps control outdoor contaminants, pests, and odors from entering your home. Furthermore, it allows for proper ventilation, maintaining good indoor air quality.
Air leaks can introduce pollutants from the outside into your living space. These pollutants can include dust, pollen, mold, and even harmful gases like carbon monoxide. By identifying and sealing air leaks, you can create a healthier indoor environment for you and your family.
How To Prepare The House For Door Blower Test
How A Blower Door Test Works
Blower Door Test For New Construction Buildings
It's worth noting that blower door test requirements can vary depending on the type of construction and local building codes. For instance, some jurisdictions have adopted stricter standards for new construction.
A blower door test new construction score of 2.0 ACH50 or lower is becoming increasingly common in energy-efficient building practices. This stringent requirement ensures that new homes are built to high standards of airtightness, promoting energy efficiency from the outset.
Cost of Blower Door Test
The average cost for a blower door test ranges from $200 to $450, but the investment can lead to significant long-term savings. Green Attic offers professional blower door tests for as low as $250 on buildings less than 3000 sq ft, making it an affordable option for many homeowners in the Chicago area.
The cost includes the testing process itself and a detailed report of the findings. The report will identify locations of air leakages and suggest measures for enhancing your home's energy efficiency. It may also include pricing options for sealing or caulking sources of air leaks in your home.
Blower Door Test Equipment and Technology
A blower door test, equipped with thermal scan technology, targets air intake gaps between building materials, like window frames, siding, AC window insulation, and more.
During a home walk, we measure ductwork vent delivery temperatures, revealing leaks, pressure issues, and gaps along baseboards. These gaps significantly impact drafts, air quality, room comfort, and heating/cooling costs.
The thermal imager confirms pressure barrier gaps, evident through cobwebs and cracked paint. Auditors identify unintentional air leakage and devise solutions, prioritizing treatment and creating action plans with pricing.
We calculate your home's square footage and volume, determining Air Changes Per Hour (ACH) for new construction. Most homes test 2-3 times leakier than intended, resulting in discomfort and higher energy costs.
Interpreting Blower Door Test Results
Understanding the results of a blower door test is crucial for assessing your home's energy efficiency. Here are key metrics and their interpretations:
CFM50 (Cubic Feet per Minute at 50 pascals)
This number represents the cubic feet of air moving across the fan per minute at the test pressure of 50 pascals. It's the most important information the blower door supplies and is necessary to calculate other metrics.
ACH50 (Air Changes per Hour at 50 pascals)
ACH50 indicates how many times the entire volume of air inside the home is exchanged with outside air in one hour at 50 pascals of pressure. For example:
A home testing at 3 ACH50 will exchange all its inside air with outside air 3 times per hour at the test pressure.
In Chicago's climate zone, we aim for older homes to be under 5 ACH50.
Homes with results over 5 ACH50 are candidates for improvement.
The best test result we've seen was 0.33 ACH50; the worst was just over 15 ACH50.
CFM50/sq. ft. (Cubic Feet per Minute at 50 pascals per square foot)
This metric represents air leakage in relation to the surface area of the home. It's becoming increasingly popular among building scientists as it provides a more accurate representation of air leakage. A test of 3 ACH50 is roughly equivalent to 0.25 CFM50/sq. ft.
Estimated Natural Infiltration (ACHnat)
This is an estimate of how much air leakage occurs naturally within the structure under normal conditions. For example, a home that tests at 3 ACH50 will have a rough natural air leakage rate of 0.2 air changes per hour (0.2 ACHnat).
Leakage Area
The software estimates the cumulative size of all air leaks within the building, helping to visualize the total size of all air leaks.
Chicago Energy Audit with Green Attic
Green Attic Energy Audit in Chicago is your one-stop solution for a home heat loss inspection. Our blower door test equipment and Thermal Scan technology allow us to pinpoint the exact location of air intake from the exterior, enabling us to recommend exterior sealing treatments.
With Green Attic Insulation, you get a comprehensive action plan tailored to your specific needs. Our team prioritizes treatment and provides transparent pricing with individual line items for each solution.
Whether it's attic sealing, handyman work, painting, siding, or other specialized tasks, we've got you covered.
At Green Attic Insulation, we value your time and money. That's why we offer attic insulation consultations in-house or over the phone, providing you with truthful and accurate information. We help you identify major points of heat transfer and detect unintentional air leakage.
For residents of Illinois, the Home Energy Saver tool is also available as an online audit platform.
While this tool can provide some initial insights, a professional blower door test from Green Attic offers a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of your home's energy efficiency.
By properly sealing and insulating your home, we ensure immediate savings on your energy bill.
With our expert services and extensive experience in ensuring energy efficiency, you and your family can enjoy a nice, cozy, and warm home. Experience the difference with Green Attic Insulation and take control of your home's comfort and energy efficiency today!
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