Ryan Lovan, TEG Energy Analyst, performs many residential audits for customers around Iowa.
TEG: What exactly is a blower door test?
Ryan: A blower door test is a test that measures the airtightness of a home/building. The test can help find how leaky a home might be, and where these air leaks are located.
TEG: Why do you think it is important for a person to have a blower door test?
Ryan: Blower door tests are an important part of home improvement. Not only can they tell you how leaky your home is overall but it can pinpoint where these air leaks are so you know exactly where you need to focus your improvement efforts; the test gives you a good idea of priorities and where to start.
The test can also give you an idea on whether or not your home is receiving the recommended level of air within it. Some homes (mainly newer homes) can be very air tight and not be receiving the recommended level of ventilation. This test can help you determine that.
TEG: What are the benefits of a person doing a blower door test on their home?
Ryan: A few benefits can include: identifying/locating leakage points in a home, calculating ventilation levels in a home (home air changes per hour), and measuring the effectiveness of home improvements (pre-test before installing improvements and post-test after improvements are installed).
TEG: How can doing a blower door test reduce your energy bill?
Ryan: Blower door testing can assist in steps to reducing your energy bill in that it can identify how much air is leaking out of the home. In the winter and summer we run our furnaces and air conditioners and if a home is air leaky, we are losing all of that conditioned air meaning that our furnaces and air conditioners will have to run more often or longer. Having a blower door test done can help us locate points where we are losing air so we can seal those up. Sealing up these air leaks can help lower our energy bill in that our furnace and air conditioner may run for less, saving us on our heating and cooling costs.
If you are interested in a Blower Door Test or a Residential or Commercial Audit, please call The Energy Group at 515-564-1045
