What is possible?

We recently tested a home that was only one year old. The homeowner had answered "YES" to many of our questions. Yes, he had hot and cold rooms, high summertime humidity, lots of dust around the house and high utility bills. We found a laundry list of issues, from oversized equipment to undersized ductwork. Duct leakage was excessive, both supply and return side. This means bad air from the crawlspace and attic was being pulled into the ductwork and pushed into the house. Heated and cooled air was being lost from the supply ducts.

Installation techs spent several days correcting sizing issues and sealing ductwork. When finished we returned to the home to test for improvements. The difference in duct leakage was significant. Before we started, the ductwork leakage tested at 273 cubic feet per minute or cfm. For a visual, imagine that for every minute the heat pump ran, the amount of air roughly equivalent to what is inside 273 basketballs leaked from the duct system. After our techs performed their work, leakage was down to 25 cfm. SCORE!!

Easily accessible storage is a valuable commodity in any home; but the access doors can be having a serious impact on utility bills and allergies.

This week's blower door testing shows how.

In this four year old home, we found the duct system leakage to be within acceptable levels, mainly because it was comprised of a lot of flex duct with few connections. We did find some leakage around the flat screen tv. The homeowner was already aware of this because of a continuous cold weather draft coming from around the screen. The television, like many new homes, was installed over the fireplace. The cable and electrical entry came through the exterior wall cavity enclosing the flue, leaving an unsealed opening around the wires.

The real story on excess home leakage was discovered when we moved upstairs. Right by the golf ball collection on the wall of the tv room was the first place we found it. A nice, full size door gave wonderful access to the attic space behind the wall for storage. With no weather stripping or seal around the door it also allowed for significant infiltration. Our homeowner told us that she had five such doors in the upstairs, plus the pull down staircase to the upper attic. All five were allowing a lot of air to infiltrate the upstairs of the home. Infiltration from attic spaces means dust and utility bill consequences. I believe weather stripping the doors just went on the honeydo list.

We took care of the pull down staircase before we left with an Attic Tent.

In looking for budget busting energy leakage, we found a potentially dangerous type of leak. In the recent past this homeowner bought a replacement air conditioner from a local HVAC firm. Their furnace was less than 10 years old so they kept it in service. The new cooling coil was taller than the old one and the furnace had to be lowered. So did the PVC vent pipe that carried the carbon monoxide out of the basement. Unfortunately, it was not done well. This vent pipe should be secure and sealed for the safety of the homeowners. A homeowner's health and safety are in the hands of their heating and cooling contractor. Choose carefully.

During the course of the home energy test we found a significant amount of duct leakage. One leak was painfully obvious in a duct running exposed, outside the home. This duct was only a few years old but outdoor conditions had taken its' toll. If you must run a duct on the exterior of the home due to accessibility challenges, additional insulation and weather proofing are a must. This is not quality work and it is costing this homeowner every day.