Blower Door Testing

You rely heavily on air conditioning to keep your Arizona home cool and comfortable all summer long. If you’re on the lookout for ways to improve AC efficiency and home comfort, consider choosing Marshall Insulation to perform a blower door test. The results can help you tighten up your home to keep conditioned air inside where it belongs.

Want to learn more about blower door testing in Phoenix? Contact Marshall Insulation at (602) 527-5858 today!

What Is a Blower Door?

A blower door is a diagnostic tool that certified energy experts use during a home energy audit. It consists of a powerful, variable-speed fan set into a plastic panel that temporarily mounts to an exterior door frame. The purpose of this test is to measure the amount of air leaking into and out of your home. If you act upon the findings revealed by a blower door test, you can:

Reduce energy consumption associated with air leakage.
Avoid condensation and other moisture problems.
Decrease uncomfortable drafts that make your home difficult to keep cool.
Determine how much, if any, mechanical ventilation is required to ensure acceptable indoor air quality.

How Does a Blower Door Test Work?

An energy auditor mounts the blower door to an exterior entrance. When powered up, the fan pulls air out of your house, depressurizing it. This encourages air on the outside to rush in through all the unsealed gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior envelope, including around windows and doors, attic floor penetrations, wiring and plumbing penetrations, air ducts, and other areas.

Calibrated blower doors feature two gauges to allow the auditor to quantify your home’s air leakage. The pressure gauge records the difference between indoor and outdoor air pressure in Air Changes per Hour (ACH), and the manometer measures airflow in cubic feet per minute (CFM).

While the blower door test is running, the auditor may use a smoke pencil or thermal imaging camera to more precisely detect where leaks are coming from. This information combined with the readings from the blower door’s gauges gives the auditor a detailed look at leak-prone areas and the overall tightness of your home.

How to Prepare Your Arizona Home for a Blower Door Test

To ensure the most accurate results, follow these simple steps before your energy auditor performs a blower door test:

Extinguish all fireplace fires and remove any ashes.
Close all exterior windows and doors, open all interior doors, and close fireplace dampers and wood stove air inlets.
Prepare to point out any drafty rooms or troublesome areas to the auditor.
Expect the auditor to request access to closets, kitchen cabinets, unused rooms, the attic and crawlspace.
Know that the auditor will adjust your thermostats, so the HVAC equipment and any combustion appliances don’t kick on during the blower door test. The auditor should return these systems to their normal settings once the test is complete.
Be aware that a blower door test usually takes about an hour. If you schedule other energy auditing services alongside this test, the auditor may perform them back-to-back.

Blower Door Testing in the Phoenix and surrounding Areas

Marshall Insulation offers comprehensive home energy audits, including blower door tests, for Phoenix area homeowners. In addition to diagnosing inefficient air leakage, we can also help you correct problems by sealing and insulating the troublesome areas of your home, including the walls, attic, basement, crawl space and elsewhere.

Call the certified experts at Marshall Insulation to schedule a blower door test, and you’ll be well on your way to achieving a more energy-efficient home!