A blower door test is a way to measure the air permeability of buildings. The test is used to measure air infiltration, air leakage, and general air tightness in a building’s envelope. One of the main long-term benefits of blower door testing is to ultimately reduce the cost of energy bills by identifying, and then fixing, areas of energy loss. 

For companies located in the Netherlands, new fiscal benefits now exist to further incentivize taking action.  

This article was originally published from Vakblad Heat Pumps. To view the original article (in Dutch), click here. 

A home must be sufficiently insulated to use a heat pump. An infrared camera is often used to find out whether this is the case. But that's not enough, says Frans Dam, energy consultant and thermography teacher. According to him, additional techniques are needed to know exactly where any thermal bridges or energy leaks are located.

Frans Dam summarizes his work as 'discovering

A guide to the “House As A System” approach to understanding comfort, IAQ, durability, and energy consumption issues caused by building air leakage and HVAC driven pressure imbalances in single-family homes.

By:
Sam Myers, Retrotec
Genry Garcia, Comfort Dynamics Inc.

How does a house operate? It seems like a silly question. Houses are stationary objects, right? What else is there to know? This may seem like the case at first glance; however, the physical activities of a home are always in motion and are constantly changing. Air is always infiltrating and exfiltrating at rates that change with the weather and when mechanical systems are powered on and off. This impacts our level of comfort, the quality of

Having a flood in your home is an awful situation and requires a lot of time to properly clean up. It is worth the time, however, to research and make the best choices for you and your family so that your house remains healthy and safe for years to come.

 
The Pacific Northwest has gotten more rain in the last two weeks than they normally see for the entire month of November. The recent atmospheric river of rain conditions have poured over the Pacific Northwest over the past several days and brought record amounts of rainfall and devastating flooding across Western Washington. 

Many homes in the area have been impacted by the flood waters and now find themselves with water soaked flooring, carpets, and basements.

As flooding recedes, many people will return

If you’ve ever lived in a historic home, you’ve likely noticed the level of comfort can change throughout different parts of the house. This can typically change throughout different times of the year depending on your climate. This is primarily due to excessive air leaks in the home’s enclosure. When we think of improving the home’s comfort, the HVAC system and insulation are the items that usually come to mind. However, the air leaking through the building’s enclosure is equally important, if not more so for these older historic homes.

Let’s start with some history of construction ideologies, processes and materials. The phrase “they don’t build houses like they used to” is absolutely true. Homes that were built during and before the early 1900s were built with a different mindset than modern-day h

For those looking to improve building and HVAC performance, a blower door is a must-have. This tool measures and exposes air leaks in buildings, one of the most vital contributors to high construction quality and correct HVAC equipment sizing. The blower door test removes a lot of the guesswork for builders, HVAC contractors, and insulators. It is also mandatory for HERS Raters, energy auditors, and building science consultants. If you are using a blower door, it is clear you care about the quality of your work. Therefore, you are going to want the best product available to allow you to work smarter, not harder. When shopping for a blower door system, here are some questions to consider to ensure you are getting the most bang for your buck.

Durability: Will it last? – Not all blower doors are created equally. Remember, you will be hauling t

Beginning December of 2020, the Nashville Tennessee area will update its building code to the IECC 2018. This means a blower door and duct leakage test will be required for all residential new construction homes per the new code update. Are you ready to meet these new requirements?

Luckily, Retrotec’s DucTester and blower door systems come with an online training module that provides you with a Manufacturer’s Certification that will have you testing your work in no time.

A recent Retrotec webinar, “Duct Testing Best Practices,” walks through duct testing procedures relevant to those looking to begin testing in Tennessee. You can also see our latest blower door presentation: “Blower Door 101”, which covers the basics of setting up a blower door system and getting the results you need.

Article written by Sam Myers, Retrotec

When purchasing a home, the due diligence period is a dedicated amount of time where the seller takes the home off the market so the buyer can take time to have inspections completed to make sure everything is in working order. This typically starts by bringing in a home inspector, and sometimes a general contractor or engineer if structural items need a closer look. If the home has a swimming pool, a pool inspection is common as is a chimney inspection if the home has a fireplace. The same is true with HVAC and plumbing if the home inspector thinks a further look may be needed. But what about other items that will affect the new owner on a daily basis? Items such as comfort, indoor air quality, and energy consumption. Having a comfort consultation during the due diligence period is how a buyer can gain a full understanding of how the home will perform. This includes testing to determine why some rooms may be warmer

-article by Sam Myers, Retrotec

Reducing air leaks in duct systems plays an essential role to ensure efficient HVAC system operation. This keeps operating costs down and occupants comfortable. The duct tester equipment used to test for air leaks in duct work is made up of a calibrated fan, high precision manometer, tubing to connect the manometer to the fan, and flexible duct to connect the duct tester to the HVAC system. The technology applied to commercial duct testers has greatly improved over the past decade. What used to be a large blower bolted to a wheeled hand truck can now be easily carried by one worker in a case with a shoulder strap; all without sacrificing power. However, even with some of the most powerful duct testers out there, more fan power is needed for extremely large HVAC cabinets to

Yes, according to this high-performance builder, who uses it to constantly raise the quality bar

This is the 6th 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. 

Home builders are using blower doors  
to go beyond code compliance

With codes and high-performance construction programs requiring airtightness testing, a small but growing cadre of home builders have been purchasing their own blower