5 Benefits of Blower Door Testing for Your Home

A blower door test is one of the best ways to test your home’s HVAC efficiency. A blower test can take anywhere from fifteen minutes to a few hours – it depends on the size of the home. A blower door test should be on everyone’s list when they are conducting an energy audit, because it is one of the best ways to find out if you are spending too much money on wasted energy. A blower door test must be conducted by a professional in the HVAC industry, because it requires a carefully crafted mechanism to be attached to the front of your home and only someone skilled enough can analyze the findings. Here are five benefits of blower door testing for your home.

1. One of the biggest benefits of a blower door test is that it will decide how much your home needs to be ventilated. With leaks and other issues, indoor air pollutants, like mold, mildew, dust, and dander can start to build up. If the blower door test shows that there are large drafts, chances are you need to think of a way to ventilate your home properly.
2. A blower door test can determine whether your home is at risk for mold. If there are moisture leaks in your home, it could be that you have mold in your walls, or visibly in areas where the most moisture accumulates. For instance, there might be mold in the bathroom or around your window frames. If the blower door test shows that your home is susceptible, you might have to then bring in a mold remediation specialist to determine whether or not you have a mold problem. Some mold can be toxic and even deadly.
3. A blower door test can also help raise your property value. New homeowners are looking for an airtight living space where no moisture can enter or escape. If you can show that a recent blower test proved your home was sealed up tight, you could get a higher asking price for your property. However, if your home fails the blower test, you might need to make upgrades, like placing insulation in attics, sealing windows and whatever else it takes to pass the test.
4. Protect your investment on a new HVAC system. One of the biggest advantages of an air conditioning service agreement is that you can get repairs and maintenance done at a relatively low cost, or sometimes even at no cost. However, if your home fails the blower test, you could be faced with losing energy no matter how tuned up your air conditioner is. This is because a home with leaks can have up to 30% of the energy escaping through the windows and walls.
5. Increased quality of life. Having a blower test is good for peace of mind and you will know with relative certainty that your home is sealed up tightly. Yet, if your blower test fails, at least you know that you have to make changes, or else you could be faced with drastically higher utility costs. It is not so great for the environment either.