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Professional energy auditors use blower door testing to help determine a home's airtightness. These are some reasons for establishing the proper building tightness: - Reducing energy consumption due to air leakage
- Avoiding moisture condensation problems
- Avoiding uncomfortable drafts caused by cold air leaking in from the outdoors
- Making sure that the home's air quality is not too contaminated by indoor air pollution.
How It Works The Blower Door consists of a frame and flexible panel that you can place in a doorway, a variable-speed fan, a pressure gauge to measure the pressure differences inside and outside the home, and an airflow manometer and hoses for measuring airflow. - The Blower Door is mounted into the frame of an exterior door.
- The powerful fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings.
- The auditor uses the pressure gauge to determine the air infiltration rate of the home.
- The auditor may use a smoke pencil or thermal imaging to determine the size and location of air leaks.
 |  | | Source: U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy | Copyright ©1999-2007 The Energy Conservatory |
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