April 23, 2019
When it comes to making your home more comfortable and energy efficient, it can be difficult to decide which home improvements to target first. Does your home need insulation, and if so, where? Are air leaks letting outside air and unwanted pests into your home?
Fortunately, there’s a simple test that can help you assess your home’s overall performance: the blower door test. Find out how blower door testing works and what it can do for your home in southern Vermont or southwestern New Hampshire.
How a Blower Door Test Works
Blower door testing assesses how much air is traveling freely into and out of your home via tiny air leaks. It is one of the diagnostic tests conducted during an energy audit and is often performed together with thermal imaging to uncover air leaks and gaps in insulation.
To conduct your blower door test, an energy auditor will start by closing all exterior doors and windows, opening all interior doors, and turning off all combustion equipment. Then, they will fit the blower door (a large, powerful fan) into one of your exterior doorways. This fan sucks interior air out of your home to create negative pressure, which forces outside air to come in through any existing air leaks. A gauge on the blower door then uses the interior air pressure to measure how much air is seeping into your home — and how quickly.
Why Have a Blower Door Test Done on Your Home?
The blower door test provides valuable information about how air leaks are affecting your home’s overall efficiency and comfort. Many Vermont and New Hampshire homeowners are surprised to find out that the number of air leaks in their home can add up to the equivalent of leaving a window wide open year-round!
Plus, when blower door testing is done hand in hand with thermal imaging during an energy audit, your energy auditor can uncover exactly where air leaks are — as well as where any under-insulated areas are. After testing your home, your energy auditor can recommend targeted home upgrades, like attic insulation and air sealing with spray foam insulation. These upgrades will:
Increase home efficiency
Reduce energy costs
Enhance indoor comfort
Less of a need for heating & cooling
Provide greater peace & quiet
Get an Energy Audit from Vermont Foam Insulation
An energy audit will give you valuable information about your home, including which home improvements will be most effective at improving comfort and efficiency. It all starts when you schedule a free site visit with Vermont Foam Insulation. Our team will meet with you to discuss your concerns and find out if you could benefit from an energy audit and blower door testing.
A blower door test can help you identify where your home needs important upgrades. Find out if you could benefit from a blower door test. Contact us or call 802-367-3113 today to schedule a free site visit!
Find out if you could benefit from blower door testing.
Schedule a free site visit with our team!