If air was leaking out of your home, you would know about it…right? This is what a lot of homeowners think. Areas around the house where air and heat are able to move in and out should be obvious, as these may be points of entry for moisture or pests. But this isn’t necessarily the case.
If you’ve been assuming your home is airtight, think again. A blower door test, a test offered by companies that provide home performance testing and home energy audits for energy efficiency, usually determines that a house has far more air leaks than the homeowner would assume.
How a Blower Door Test Finds Leaks
A blower door tests takes about an hour, and it helps you to learn how efficient your home is and where you are wasting air. The major piece of equipment involved is a large fan that sits in the doorway, pulling air out of the house which, in turn, lowers the pressure inside. The door seals into the doorway with an adjustable frame. There is also a pressure gauge to measure differences in pressure inside and outside of the home.
Because the air pressure outside of the home is now higher than the air pressure inside of the home, air will leak into the home through any holes and cracks in the wall. Auditors can do a walk-through and use a smoke pencil to find these areas of the home.
Do You Really Need a Blower Door Test?
If you’ve never had one before, and if you’d like to be paying lower monthly bills (like most people), we strongly recommend you schedule blower door testing as part of a complete home performance inspection.
Blower door tests help to get your home in better shape for years to come. After you and your contractor take the steps to seal up leaks (steps like weather stripping and caulking), you can count on having an AC and heating system that works more efficiently. Air and heat move directly to your home, not to the outdoors, meaning lower heating bills for you.
Boehmer Heating & Cooling provides blower door testing in Baldwin, PA, along with complete home energy audits. Call our friendly staff for exceptional customer service.