In an era of home efficiency and staying green, professional contractors and energy auditors are finding new ways to help home owners save money. A blower door test can help home owners determine if their home suffers from any drafts, leakers, or insufficient insulation.

What is a blower door test?

Blower door testing is test run on homes to determine areas of energy consumption that lead to air leakage, moisture condensation, drafts, and poor air quality. During a blower door test, a powerful fan is mounted onto an exterior door. This fan pulls air out of the home which results in lower air pressure within the house. Higher outside pressure will then find its way into your home through cracks and openings. Then gauges on the panel of the blower door measure and calculate the air flowing into the home.  After the test, auditors are able to quantify the air leakage in your home and determine the overall tightness of the building. The information gathered can then help the auditor determine the best solution for your home.

Benefits of blower door tests

While there are many benefits to blower door tests, we want to highlight some of the major benefits of running this test in your home. On newly constructed homes, blower door tests are required to make sure they meet “Green” conservation standards. Below is a list of benefits of doing a blower door test:

• Discovers drafts, air-leaks, or lack of insulation
• Makes your home more energy efficient thus reducing greenhouse gases
• Reduces your carbon footprint
• Improves your indoor air quality
• Increases the value of your home
• Saves you money on your utility bill
• and may increase the efficiency and life of your air conditioning and heating system.

How to prepare

Here are some steps to prepare your home for a blower door test. This can ensure a smooth, easy process when your auditor arrives.

• If you have a fireplace, please make sure all fires and coals are completely out.
• Plan a walk-through with your auditor or air conditioning contractor to point out areas within your home that you know are drafty.
• Expect to allow the contractor or auditor to have access to all rooms, attics, closets, and built-in cabinets.
• Plan on the test taking a few hours, including set up.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule your blower door test, do not hesitate to contact us. Akins Heating and Air is always ready to be of service.