Blower door test
What it is
Auditors use the images to determine the location of air leaks. When done together with a blower door test, air leaks show up as black streaks in the infrared image.
The blower door test is designed to measure the airtightness of a house. A powerful fan called a blower door is mounted into a flexible panel and frame that fits in a doorway.
When performing load calculations, it is important to enter accurate data about the home’s envelope air leakage rate and insulation levels. A blower door test is the most accurate way to determine a home’s envelope air leakage rate.
Adequate isolation is achieved when the pressure difference between the appliance zone and outside is less than 5 Pa for a blower door induced house depressurization of 50 Pa or 1/10 of the house depressurization for houses that can’t reach 50 Pa.
Its parts
Related pages
- Glossary: Blower door test
Its entry, and the guide's pages that use it.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Energy. Guide to Home Energy Assessments.
- U.S. Department of Energy. Cold Climate Heat Pump Sizing and Selection.
- U.S. Department of Energy. Measure Guideline: Combustion Safety for Natural Draft Appliances Through Appliance Zone Isolation (DOE Building America).