There are thousands of holes in your home in Folsom, Ca. that are leaking energy.  A Home Energy Test will determine where the energy leakage is coming from.

At Energy Savings California we use blower door tests to help determine a home's airtightness.

These are some important reasons we use a blower door test 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 Determining how much mechanical ventilation might be needed to provide acceptable indoor air quality.

How They Work

A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door. The 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 auditors may use a smoke pencil to detect air leaks. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building.

Blower doors consist of a frame and flexible panel that fit 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.

There are two types of blower doors: calibrated and uncalibrated. It is important that auditors use a calibrated door. This type of blower door has several gauges that measure the amount of air pulled out of the house by the fan. Uncalibrated blower doors can only locate leaks in homes. They provide no method for determining the overall tightness of a building. The calibrated blower door's data allow the auditor to quantify the amount of air leakage and the effectiveness of any air-sealing job.

Preparing for a Blower Door Test

Here are the following steps you will need to take to prepare your home for a blower door test:

If you heat with wood, be sure all fires are completely out - not even coals - before the auditor arrives. Remove any ashes from open fireplaces. 

Plan to do a walk-through of your home with the analyst. Be prepared to point out areas that you know are drafty or difficult to condition comfortably.

Expect the analyst to request access to all areas of your home including closets, built-in cabinets, attics, crawl spaces, and any unused rooms.

The analyst will need to close all exterior doors and windows, open all interior doors, and close any fireplace dampers, doors, and wood stove air inlets.

Expect the analyst to set controls on all atmospheric fossil fuel appliances to ensure that they do not fire during the test. The analyst should return them to the original position after the test.

The test can take up to an hour or more, depending on the size and how complex your home is.

For more information and to schedule your Home Energy Test call Energy Savings California today! (916)955-3374