Your Home Energy Audit: Why the Blower Door’s an Essential Component
Creating an airtight building enclosure has become a major priority for many homeowners, what with rising energy costs and environmental awareness. A home energy audit, which includes a blower door test, should be an essential component of any home energy efficiency strategy.
What is Involved in Blower Door Testing?
1) A powerful fan (blower door) is fitted into a main exterior door frame of your home.
2) The fan is activated, sucking the indoor air outwards. This lowers the inside pressure and forces the higher air pressure from outside to rush into the house through holes, openings and unsealed cracks.
3) While the blower door fan is operating, the auditor uses special instruments to measure inside and outside pressures to determine the severity and location of air leaks in the home.
The Role of the Blower Door Test
- Measuring airtightness. Air leakage is a major contributor to escalating home energy bills. Leaks make your A/C work harder to counter infiltrating warm air from outside. Hence, more energy is required for cooling your home during South Florida’s long, warm and humid summer months. A blower door test helps energy auditors to detect and deal with such problems.
- Air sealing and weatherization. The blower door test is an essential diagnostic tool for contractors when assessing and planning air sealing and insulation. The auditor can detect and effectively deal with moisture condensation problems, in addition to controlling the indoor air quality so as to create a comfortable environment for your family.
- Regulatory compliance. In recent years, various states have come up with green building efficiency programs, which have seen the incorporation of various air leakage standards into the housing codes. These standards include HERS, the Passivhaus standard and LEED. Blower doors tests help building owners to comply with these building regulations.
For expert advice or help in conducting a home energy audit in South Florida, please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating.
