Blower Door Testing
What is a blower door test ?
The Blower Door test provides the amount of air leakage through your building envelope. The greater the amount, the less energy efficient the home will be. Passing a Blower Door test is now a requirement in the state of Florida. The Florida Energy Efficiency code for building construction mandates that all new residential construction (both additions and homes) will be required to have a blower door test for air changes per hour (ACH). The ACH result must fall between 3 and 7 to pass code. This information can be found in Section 402.4.1.2 of the Florida Building Code, 5th Edition 2014 Energy Conservation.
Who needs a blower door test ?
Residential Properties in Florida Permitted after July 1st 2017 require testing in order to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A homeowner experiencing a build up of moisture in the home or one who has high energy bills, may inquire about a blower door test to determine possible air leakage.
When should I request a blower door test ?
A blower door test can be performed at any time, but for Florida Code compliance, it is conducted just before the Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued and after all piping, wiring and other penetrations of the building thermal envelope have been sealed. The Blower Door test takes about one hour from start to finish. The results are instant. FRCENERGY.COM will provide a signed copy of the Envelope Leakage Form to the homeowner/builder.
Who can perform this test ?
Sections R402.4.1.2 and R104.5 indicate that a Florida blower door test must be done by an approved third party Energy Auditor or Energy Rater. Both titles require certification – either from the Building Performance Institute (BPI) or Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) – to qualify.
Additional information about Blower Door Testing
Each home must have 7 air changes per hour (7 ACH50) or less to pass. The Blower Door test simulates the following: If a home has wind blowing against it at 20 miles per hour, the total volume of air within the house would exchange with outside air 7 times. The 20 mph wind is equivalent to 50 Pascals (Pa) pressure difference that we are simulating using the Blower Door Fan. All homes are tested at this 50 Pa pressure difference to allow for comparisons to be made between homes/structures, no matter the size or plan type.
Areas we provide Blower Door Testing
FRC is located in Central Florida. We provide Blower Door Testing to the following cities/counties :
Hillsborough County
Tampa
Clearwater
St. Petersburg
Zephyrhills
Lakeland
Odessa
Pasco County
New Port Richey
Port Richey
Lutz
Land O Lakes
Wesley Chapel
Pinellas County
Tarpon Springs
Palm Harbor
Oldsmar
Brandon
Apollo Beach
And more…
Duct Leakage Testing
FRCENERGY.COM also provides Duct Leakage Testing. A Duct Leakage Test determines the approximate total amount of air leakage throughout your homes duct system. This information enables the builder to identify air leakage areas, and seal if necessary, therefore increasing the energy efficiency of the home.
