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Energy By Design
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Blower Door Testing
What's a Blower Door Test and Why are they Required for all New Residential Construction in Florida?
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The most accurate way to measure the air leakage in a building is by performing a blower door test. A blower door is a tool used in the home performance industry to measure the airtightness of the building envelope.
The blower door consists of a powerful, calibrated fan, installed in an exterior doorway which creates a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the building, thereby forcing air through the breaches and penetrations of the building envelope. The blower door system measures the amount of air needed to create a change in pressure by calculating the air flow through the fan and its effect on the air pressure inside the building. The less air needed through the fan, the more airtight the building.
The pressure created by the use of the blower door makes leakages easier to find using chemical smoke, or an infrared camera. Blower door calculations are very valuable in estimating annual average and designed air infiltration rates. These can be used to help in gauging the size of heating and cooling equipment and for determining the necessary installation of mechanical ventilation for moisture control, proper combustion appliance ventilation and air quality purposes.​
Who Provides Blower Door Testing in Central Florida?
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All new homes, major renovations and additions in Florida are now required to have a blower door test. Energy By Design is qualified to perform these tests and provide you with the certifications necessary to meet the Florida Energy Code. To schedule your blower door test call today: 407-450-0295
​Duct Leakage Testing
Energy bills high but comfort levels low?
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When experiencing high energy bills but low comfort levels one of the first places to test for inefficiencies is a building's duct work. The duct system is a branching network of tubes in walls, floors and ceilings that creates a pathway for conditioned air to travel throughout the home. Industry experts estimate that there are over a million miles of ducts installed throughout U.S. homes. Of those million miles, over 2/3 are estimated to have leakage issues. Leaky ducts can result in potentially dangerous indoor air quality problems and significantly increase air conditioning and heating bills. Equipment performance is substantially reduced when ducts are leaking and home comfort levels are affected.
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Not only is mold a very serious effect of duct leakage. Return leaks pull unconditioned air into the duct system reducing the desired effect of the heating and cooling equipment. Homes that feel clammy even with air conditioners running are the result of moist air being drawn in through leaks and overwhelming the dehumidification capacity of the system. Luke-warm or even cold air coming from heat pumps in the winter are also caused by duct leakage issues. Serious air quality complications are produced through mold, dust, insulation fibers and other allergens contaminating the air drawn in through duct leaks.
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​How Can Duct Leaks Be Found and Measured?
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The most precise and efficient way to find duct leakage issues is to have a duct leakage performance test. The duct leakage performance test requires pressurizing the duct system with a calibrated fan and simultaneously measuring the air flow through the fan. By calculating its effect on the pressure within the duct system. This is also referred to as duct blasting. The less air you need from the fan to create a change in duct system pressure, the more invulnerable the system. To visually demonstrate the location and extent of duct leakage, a smoke pencil or fog machine may be used during the duct leakage test.
Who Performs Duct Leakage Testing?
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Measuring for duct leakage is the most definitive way of certifying the quality of the duct system installation. Energy By Design is qualified to perform these tests. To schedule your blower door or duct leakage test call today: 407-450-0295
Health issues from duct leakage?
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In many cases duct leakage has a greater impact on energy use than air infiltration through the building shell. Studies indicate that in both new and older homes duct leakage can account for up to twenty five percent of the energy loss in a home. Uncomfortable hot or cold rooms are the result of duct leakage as is the prevention of heating and cooling equipment doing it's job properly. Humidity is the most serious effect of leaky ducts. Ducts leaking into attic spaces can create substantial mold issues and even worse pull those pollutants back into the air that's being conditioned and then directly into the air you breathe.
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