Alternative Energy Answers
(Page 2 of 3)
February/March 2006
By Ken Sheinkopf
DO YOU NEED A BLOWER DOOR TEST?
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We’ve had contractors come to our home and talk to us
about energy-saving ideas. They told us we need a blower
door test. Is this some kind of gimmick or will it actually
help us?
—Jason G.
San Diego, California
In a world where e-mail messages promise us great riches
and incredible bargains every day, people are extremely
skeptical about sales claims. However, in this case, the
answer is a resounding “do it!”
One of the most likely causes of high energy bills is air
leaking into and out of your house. The easiest way to tell
if your home is leaking air is to walk around your home on
a windy day and hold your hand near windows and doors, in
front of electrical outlets and against walls to feel for
any air currents. Odds are good you’ll find places in
your home that need to be sealed better—usually
around openings from the outside for wires and pipes, in
places where different building materials meet, and where
cracks and holes have developed in walls or floors. Sealing
these openings will dramatically reduce the amount of
cooled or heated air that escapes outside and, conversely,
will keep outdoor air where it belongs.
Since the 1970s, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning
(HVAC) contractors have used blower door tests to measure
unwanted airflow problems. It’s a fairly simple test:
A special panel system with a variable-speed blower is
fastened securely into one of your home’s doorways,
and the blower creates a pressure difference between the
inside of your home and the outdoors that pushes air
through any openings. The contractor probably will use a
little smoke stick that allows him or her to see where the
air is flowing. The problem spots then can be identified
and sealed to stop the air leakage. HVAC contractors also
can identify leaky places in your home’s ductwork,
which can be another major cause of high energy bills.
Your contractor often can perform these tests at a fairly
low cost, and repairing the sources of unwanted airflow is
not expensive. Take the advice of the HVAC contractor and
have the leaks sealed. Be sure to hire someone with
experience in this field and check his or her references.
This isn’t a job for the casual DIYer or for a
company without experience and knowledge of home ductwork
systems.
