Test your building airtightness

Transcription

1 For any air leakage problem Test your building airtightness

2 Blower Door Test - Air Tightness Testing What is Air Leakage? In contrast to controlled ventilation, air leakage is the migration of uncontrolled air to and from a building, which does not have a design purpose such as providing fresh air. It is the flow of air through gaps and cracks in the fabric of the building (sometimes referred to as infiltration or draughts).too much air leakage leads to unnecessary heat loss and discomfort for the occupants from cold draughts. 1. Under floor ventilator grilles. 2. Gaps in and around suspended timber floors. 3. Leaky windows or doors. 4. Pathways through floor/ceiling voids into cavity walls and then to the outside. 5. Gaps around windows. 6. Gaps at the ceiling-to-wall joint at the eaves. 7. Open chimneys. 8. Gaps around loft hatches. 9. Service penetrations through ceilings. 10. Vents penetrating the ceiling/roof. 11. Bathroom wall vent or extract fan. 12. Gaps around bathroom waste pipes. 13. Kitchen wall vent or extractor fan. 14. Gaps around kitchen waste pipes. 15. Gaps around floor-to-wall joints. 16. Gaps in and around electrical fittings in hollow walls.

3 Why should we test for Air Leakage? Most of the air leakage paths through the building fabric cannot be detected by visual inspection as they are often obscured by internal building finishes or external cladding. The only satisfactory way to show that a building fabric is reasonably airtight is to measure the rate permeability leakage. How do we test for Air Leakage? A blower door is a large calibrated fan that is temporarily mounted in a house door to measure the "Air Tightness" of the house and to assist in finding the location of the leaks. Modern blower doors have variable speed fans so that the pressure in the house can be adjusted, and they also have door mounting frames so that the fan can be sealed tightly into the door jamb. In order to measure the leakiness of the house, the blower door measures both the air flow through the fan and the pressure difference between the house inside and outside. Everyone knows that air leakage can cause uncomfortable drafts in houses, but energy researchers have discovered that sealing air leaks are one of the simplest and least expensive ways to save energy in homes. A typical house may lose about 1/3 of its heat through walls and ceilings, 1/3 through windows and doors, and 1/3 through air leakage. To read the results correctly and to prepare corrective action sites, the test is concluded with some techniques able to see where they are located air leaks, infrared camera and smoke generators. Using infrared camera, the energy auditor can detect heat transmission and air leakage. Finding hidden air leaks is possible using the blower door and infrared camera together.

4 How They Work A blower door is a powerful fan that mounts into the frame of an exterior door. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. The higher outside air pressure then flows in through all unsealed cracks and openings. The auditors may use a smoke pencil to detect air leaks. These tests determine the air infiltration rate of a building. Blower doors consist of a frame and flexible panel that fit in a doorway, a variable-speed fan, a pressure gauge to measure the pressure differences inside and outside the home, and an airflow manometer and hoses for measuring airflow. There are two types of blower doors: calibrated and uncalibrated. It is important that auditors use a calibrated door. This type of blower door has several gauges that measure the amount of air pulled out of the house by the fan. Uncalibrated blower doors can only locate leaks in homes. Preparing for a Blower Door Test Take the following steps to prepare your home for a blower door test: Close windows and open interior doors Turn down the thermostats on heaters and water heaters Cover ashes in wood stoves and fireplaces with damp newspapers Shut fireplace dampers, fireplace doors, and wood stove air intakes.

5 Blower Door Test - Equipment Infiltec Blower Door E3 is designed for testing residential and small commercial buildings. For example, it can test buildings up to 325 m 2 by 3 m with leakage up to 10m 3 /h/m 2 or Pa. For testing larger buildings, see on our website the Large Building Air Leakage Test Calculator to determine how many E3 fans are required. Kit includes a fiberglass fan, aluminum door panel with nylon cover and case, DM4 Micro-Manometer, controls, calibration certificate, manual & case. The DM4 Micro-Manometer features digital flow and pressure measurement, leakage area (ELA) measurement, and dual auto-zeroing sensors for simultaneous flow and measurements. The resolution is 0.1 Pa, the range is -750 Pa to +548 Pa, and the pressure accuracy is 1% of reading or 1 digit. The DM4 is calibrated for use with the E3 blower door, the Infiltec DL1 duct leakage tester, and Pitot tubes. Flow, pressure, and leakage area can be displayed in US, metric, or mixed units. Electronics are 220 or 110 VAC / 50 Hz. Options include software, fan covers, and door expander kit. NEW FEATURE: digital display of building leakage area in square inches/centimeters at any test pressure. Also Avalaible: E3 is designed for testing residential and small commercial buildings (Maximum 50 Pa: 9265 m 3 /h) it can test buildings up to 325 m 2 by 3 m with leakage up to 10m 3 /h/m 2 or Pa E3 3 Stacked Fan is designed for testing large residential and medium commercial/industrial buildings, it can test buildings up to 1000 m 2 by 3 m = 3000 m 3 with leakage up to 10 m 3 /h/m 2 or Pa. E3 and Duct Leakage Tester G54 Mobile fan for large building 25 or 38 HP is designed for testing the largest residential and large commercial or industrial buildings, it can test buildings up to 4200 m 2 by 3 m = m 3

6 with leakage up to 10 m 3 /h/m 2 or Pa. E3 FAN SPECIFICATIONS FEATURE SPECIFICATION COMMENTS Fan Motor 3/4 240 vac/50 Hz Powerful, light weight and speed controllable Flow Calibration Orifice pressure drop Multi-tap pressure sensor in fan Maximum 50 Pa 5450 cfm (9265 m 3 /h) Highest flow of any portable blower door Minimum calibrated flow 42 cfm (71 m 3 /h) Only one low-flow plate with plugs is required Pressure or depressure Calibration unchanged Turn fan body around in the door frame Speed control location On power cord Hold in hand or hang on gauge panel Fan housing Fiberglass (black) Metal fan blade guards on each end Fan length 25.4 cm Compact for easy carrying Fan width 61.0 cm Fits in narrow door widths Fan weight 16.4 kg Handle on fan for carrying Maximum current 8.7 A Low current draw for cooler operation Motor speed ranges 2, switch on fan Low motor speed allows for cooler low-flow operation Motor reverse switch on fan Reverse motor rotation for quick uncalibrated flow reversal Shipping box Weight 19.1 kg Dimensions: 62.2 x 33.0 x 62.2 cm E3 CONTROLS FEATURE SPECIFICATION COMMENTS Number of gauges 3 Dwyer Magnahelic One gauge for building pressure, one for high flow, one for low gauges flow Gauge calibration Recalibrated if necessary Each gauge is tested to guarantee 5% system accuracy Flow gauge units Either m 3 /h or cfm Upper scale for open fan, lower scale for low-flow plate Pressure gauge units Both Pa and "wc House pressure gauge has easy-to-read Pa and inch wc scale Pressure calibration within 1 Pa Calibration certificate shows ASTM E779 standard met Maximum pressure 62.5 Pa and.25 "wc Standard pressure range Flow gauges two High and low flow gauges with easy-to-read cfm flow scales (m 3 /h optional) Flow calibration within 5% E3 calibration certificate shows ASTM E779 standard met Maximum flow reading 6500 cfm (11050 m 3 /h) Maximum flow reading on gauge Minimum flow reading 400 cfm (680 m 3 /h) Minimum flow readings on gauge Minimum flow measurement 42 cfm (71 m 3 /h) Calculate using low-flow plate & hole plugs Wind dampening yes Capillary tubes dampening built into pressure gauge Gauge weight 2.3 kg Includes pressure and flow gauges on gauge mounting plate Gauge Mounting On house door The gauge plate mounts on house door with clamp Speed control Triac solid-state control On cord, can be hung on the gauge panel Carrying case 4.1 kg Dimensions: 25.4 x 27.9 x 67.3 cm Case Contents Gauges, speed control, door frame cover, manual, power cord, misc tools Shipping box 10.5 kg dimensions: 25.4 x 27.9 x 67.3 cm

7 E3 DOOR FRAME FEATURE SPECIFICATION COMMENTS Height adjustment to 221 cm Fits most door heights Width adjustment 61 to 99.1 cm Fits most door widths (optional extenders for wider/taller doors) Door frame edge seal Flexible gasket The gasket provides an airtight seal between the frame and the door jamb Door frame material Aluminum Gold anodized aluminum extrusion Door frame cover Coated nylon Air-tight, rip-stop, black nylon cover with elastic fitted border and fan hole Door frame weight 6.5 kg Combined weight of frame and cover Locking mechanism Lockable cams The cams on each section adjust to lock the frame into the jamb Door frame case Gun case (black) Dimensions: 137 x 27.9 x 12.7 cm Shipping box 9.1 kg Dimensions: 137 x 27.9 x 12.7 cm E3 OPTIONS FEATURE SPECIFICATION COMMENTS Door expander kit Expands width to 122 cm Expands height to 244 cm Door cross bar 2nd bar across door Mounted at chest level for increased door stability Fan case Black rip-stop nylon Fitted protective cover for fan 240 VAC/50 Hz 3/4 hp, 4 amp Includes motor and speed controller, without electrical plugs (country dependent) Digital Gauges DM4 or DM3 Micromanometers Auto-zeroing with single or dual pressure sensors, PC controllable Smoke Puffer Contains titanium tetrachloride Lasts up to 6 months after activation, comes in resealable tube

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