Monthly Archives: June 2019
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Posted: June 26, 2019
This is the 2nd installment of a monthly column from Ben Walker, Co-CEO of Retrotec. Ben's column focuses on observations on the art and science of high-performance building and home testing.
A blower door test, along with before and after load calculations of a leaky 1915 home, show the value of these technologies for remodelers and homeowners.
A lot has been written about making new homes energy efficient, comfortable and healthy. That's important, but as more communities with high-performance new homes become available, more owners of existing homes want the same benefits.
Just tightening up a home isn't enough, however. Homeowners want you to quantify the improvements. That's where testing earns its keep.
Weatherization contractors and remodelers who specialize in energy retrofits talk about "testing
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Posted: June 10, 2019
Author: Sam Myers, Retrotec
When pressurizing a building with a blower door, did you know that extra tubing must be added to the Channel B side of your gauge if you are not using a Retrotec DM32? If this tubing connection is neglected, you will have a reading that is approximately 20% high due to the open Channel B port that is referencing the indoor pressure of 50Pa instead of the outdoor pressure. Therefore, the extra tube is needed to connect that port on Channel B to the outside so that it is referencing the outside instead of the pressure induced by the blower door.
However, the Retrotec DM32 automatically