These problem spots are easier to find using the infrared camera to determine the air infiltration points to help with evaluating indoor air quality.
Blower door test michigan.
Prior to starting construction on an addition a benchmark of the existing building must be made with an initial blower door.
Understanding blower door test results.
It is also required for additions and major renovations.
A blower door test must be preformed before and after the addition is made.
Testing shall be conducted with a blower door at a pressure of 0 2 inches w g.
The new code requires homes to be at or below 4 00 ach50 air changers per hour with a blower door running at 50 pascals.
The state of michigan recently passed a new version of the state energy code which is based on the 2015 iecc but with some state specific amendments.
The new code went into effect for all homes permitted after february 8 2016.
To pass the blower door test in the prescriptive path in the new michigan energy code requires a home to be equal to or less than 4 ach50 air changes per hour with the blower door depressurizing the home to 50 pa.
Blower doors test the amount of natural air leakage in a house.
Last year we built an energy star home for a customer and we used a blower door test to evaluate the houses air infiltration performance.
Code compliance performance prescriptive energy rating index hers ratings blower door duct leakage testing manual j s and d analysis energy modeling thermal infrared inspections residential construction consulting combustion zone testing.
Based on 2015 michigan residential code n1 102 4 1 2 county building departments are requiring a blower door test for new homes and in some counties additions as well.
To avoid conflict of interest michigan code officials require builders to use an independent third party to complete testing code n1102 4 1 2.
Air leakage is also the same as letting a house breathe and a house can have too much or too little.
Blower door northwest is bpi certified to conduct a blower door test and services the entire tip of the mitt and eastern u p.
A blower door test determines how airtight a home is.
By measuring the air flow through the fan and its effect on the air pressure in the home or office the blower door system measures the air tightness of the entire building envelope.
Too much and its drafty too little and you have to install mechanical ventilation which can be expensive.
Simply put a blower door is a diagnostic tool used to measure how much air infiltration air leakage occurs in a house.