Energy Audit Kansas City

As part of our series of blogs focusing on different components of HERS ratings today we are talking about the blower door. This tool is also used in new and existing construction and can be very helpful to both. A blower door measures how leaky the house is to the outside. At Green Improvement Consulting we use this daily in all homes we visit. However, there are multiple uses for blower doors.

The primary purpose for using the blower door is to simply measure air leakage in the home. It uses a fan to depressurize the building. This forces air into the leaky areas of the home. While the blower door is running a building analyst is able to identify where the leaks are occurring. This is very helpful in existing homes which tend to be leaky typically. Our technicians at GIC are trained to identify and seal leaks in homes with the use of the blower door.

Blower doors are also used in conjunction with duct blasters, which we talked about in our last blog. The blower door is used to pressurize the house in order to measure the leakage of the duct system. You cannot do a duct blaster test without a blower door. It is essential in the testing process.

Blower doors have been used an increasing amount in new home construction. As building practices advance homes are being built tighter. Some cities in the metro, like Gardner and Shawnee, area are requiring blower door testing to ensure indoor air quality meets minimum standards in homes. Moisture and toxins are introduced in a variety of ways in a home, such as: people breathing, cooking, showers and cleaning products. The tighter the home the more moisture and toxins are trapped within the home. If the home is too tight mechanical ventilation must be installed to ensure a healthy home.

Sealing leaks throughout the home is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce your energy bills. Schedule your HERS rating today! There are still rebates available for home energy efficiency improvements.

 

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