Did you know that there is such an effective tool that Transition énergétique Québec – the government corporation set up to administer several energy efficiency programs – has made it its main tool, among others, for the Rénoclimat and Novoclimat programs? And what if we told you that our experts even use it to diagnose water infiltration problems. Stay tuned as we take a look at an instrument that is as useful as it is little known: the blower door.

The blower door test measures the amount of air infiltration into a building and the amount of outside air that enters a building. During the blower door test, the evaluator installs a powerful fan in an adjustable frame in the front door.

This fan expels air from the inside to the outside of the building, producing a negative pressure, a vacuum. The resulting interior depressurization forces air from the outside into the building through other openings in the envelope. Of course, these infiltrations are exaggerated by the depressurization and are therefore much easier to detect.

With this fan, the energy evaluator uses a tool called a pressure gauge to measure the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the building, which allows him to measure the amount of air flowing through the fan. A calculation follows where the relationship between the pressure difference, the flow of air and the volume of the building allows to establish the airtightness rate of the envelope.

With the blower door in operation, the evaluator goes around the building to identify the problematic areas in order to propose effective ways to remedy the air leaks, which is not insignificant when you consider that heating remains the predominant factor behind energy consumption in the residential sector.

But more than that, our experts use the infiltrometer to help them diagnose problems such as water infiltration. By pushing the air out, they will create a negative pressure inside a house. In doing so, they accentuate the phenomena of air infiltration… and water infiltration! Using a garden hose, they will simulate rain by spraying a particular section of the house. With the blower door on, the water will be more easily drawn into the building. Our experts’ keen eyes and senses will then be able to identify the source of the problem and make accurate and realistic recommendations to fix the situation for good, the first time.

If you think you can benefit from the many advantages of blower door testing, do not hesitate to contact us. Our building experts are available to bring you lasting solutions to your problematic situations.
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