What is a Blower Door test?
Jim Clarke • June 16, 2017
What is a Blower Door test?
This is a question that we frequently receive, as well as a topic in which we discuss with customers on nearly every job we do. When we visit a home and begin to determine what their specific energy reduction needs might be, a Blower Door test is one of the most powerful and revealing tools which we utilize. As our primary goal is turning your home into an efficient “ice chest,” we need to apply the same principles as ice chest incorporates. One thing that’s obvious about an ice chest is that the lid has to be kept shut to keep the ice from melting. The same concept applies for your home. We need to keep indoor and outdoor air separated. There are many little gaps and cracks, over here and hidden through there, which allow outside air to enter the house, or Building Envelope to be exact.
How does this work in my home?
The Blower Door test is set up with an adjustable frame which is fitted to an exterior door, then we attach a fabric to this frame, and lastly we insert a calibrated fan into this assembly. We then create a vacuum, or suction inside of the home, causing air to pour into the building through many gaps and cracks. The fan is connected to a manometer which provides us with a measurement of your “air infiltration rate” which is read as cubic feet per minute at standard of -50 Pascal’s. We compare these results to an international standard, relative to the buildings square footage, which determines a several factors. These factors include what is a considered a healthy amount of air coming into the home, and where the line is drawn which means too much air is coming into the house. This measurement value also directly equates to dollars of conditioned air which are being wasted and going outside.
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