Blower Door Test in Marcus Hook, PA

Ensure your home is sealed properly and energy-efficient with quality blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA. Our licensed professionals help homeowners, builders, and contractors identify air leaks, enhance comfort, and achieve PA energy compliance.

What Is A Blower Door Test?

A blower door test quantifies how often indoor air is renewed through air changes per hour, helping maintain optimal ventilation. Too frequent air replacement can reduce efficiency since every exchange requires your system to use more energy for heating or cooling. Excessive air leakage can cause drafts, reduce comfort, and contribute to issues like condensation, moisture, and mold inside the home. A blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA makes it easier to locate leaks and inefficiencies early, ensuring lasting comfort and reduced energy waste.

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How Is A Blower Door Test Conducted?

When performing blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA, the technician ensures all exterior doors and windows are sealed and interior doors are open for steady air movement. One central exterior door is chosen, where an adjustable aluminum frame and durable fabric panel are securely installed. A calibrated fan is connected to the frame, lowering the home’s internal pressure to 50 Pascals, roughly matching a 20 mph wind force.

When air is drawn out by the fan, outdoor air seeps in through unsealed joints and hidden cracks. A nanometer precisely gauges the pressure applied by the fan in relation to the home’s internal air pressure. Measurements are expressed as air changes per hour (ACH), showing how effectively the home retains conditioned air in the PA environment.

What Is A Passing Blower Door Test Score?

In Marcus Hook, PA, residential buildings must meet the benchmarks set by the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or any newer codes adopted locally. To meet efficiency standards in most areas, homes should record 3 air changes per hour or less on a blower door test. Meeting this benchmark in your blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA reduces ongoing energy costs while ensuring local regulatory compliance.

Why Do I Need A Blower Door Test?

PA, along with many city governments, enforces the IECC, which requires blower door test for residential projects after construction or renovation. We regularly provide blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA for home builders, contractors, and homeowners working to meet local code requirements and close permits. A duct leakage test may also be necessary if any ducts or HVAC systems are positioned outside the building’s thermal envelope. Learn more about energy code compliance.

Using blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA, homeowners can detect unwanted airflow. The depressurization process reveals leaks, helping them seal gaps and increase comfort. A blower door test may take just a few hours, yet its long-lasting impact can greatly improve your home’s comfort and energy use across PA’ hot summers and cool winters.

How To Pass A Blower Door Test:

  • Anticipate potential air leaks before testing begins.
  • Use Tyvek or Zip Sheathing as your air barrier and carefully tape all seams to prevent air leakage.
  • Ensure insulation with the specified R-value is properly installed and fitted throughout the entire building envelope.
  • Seal all penetrations in exterior walls using caulk or spray foam.
  • Ensure doors and windows are properly installed, caulked, and weather-sealed.
  • Ensure complete sealing of all openings between conditioned rooms and unconditioned areas like basements, attics, and crawl spaces.
  • Local construction departments often include compliance guides — you can download the Philadelphia checklist here.
  • Local Energy Audits uses professional-grade thermal imaging, caulk, and spray foam to locate and close leaks during the visit./li>
  • We achieve a passing score within two hours in over 90% of cases and promptly issue the documents to finalize your permit.

Preparing for a Blower Door Test in Marcus Hook, PA

For blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA, preparation includes turning off all heating and air conditioning units, plus bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans. We continue with a walkthrough inspection to confirm every exterior door and window is firmly closed — especially those to unconditioned spaces outside the thermal envelope. Once the home is prepared, we mount the blower door fan and frame in a central exterior doorway and depressurize the building to 50 Pascals to measure air leakage precisely. After depressurization, air infiltration from outdoors increases, allowing faster and more accurate leak detection. A thermal imager helps us identify air leakage points by revealing temperature shifts in walls, ceilings, and surfaces adjoining unconditioned areas. We bring the tools and materials—chalk, spray foam, and weatherstripping—to work with homeowners or contractors in fixing visible air leakage issues immediately. After sealing, we perform a follow-up test to determine if the desired blower door score meets the efficiency standards required in Marcus Hook, PA.

Blower Door Test for Contractors in Marcus Hook, PA

For contractors conducting blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA, well-insulated homes generally require only minimal on-site corrections during the test. Using materials like chalk and spray foam, small leaks or gaps can typically be sealed right away during the test. In over 90% of cases, we successfully achieve a passing blower door test score within just two hours and promptly deliver all required documentation to close out the building permit without any delay.

Schedule Your blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA

Get expert, certified, and dependable blower door test in Marcus Hook, PA delivered by our experienced professionals. Whether you’re a homeowner seeking better efficiency or a contractor finalizing a build, we ensure every test aligns perfectly with energy code standards.