News

1/1/2009

Infrared should not be BLACK

by PAUL GILLESPIE

In today's economy, being energy efficient in your home is just one simple step to cut cost and save money. Union Rural Electric can provide members with a Home Energy Audit. Your energy advisor, Paul Gillespie, uses the latest technology to find air leaks within your home using an infrared camera.
This camera, teamed up with a blower door test, can find areas in your home where unsuspected leaks are creating increased energy usage. The blower door test uses a large fan that is capable of pulling up to 6000 CFM (cubic feet a minute). The blower door will bring the house down to a negative 50 Pascal or negative .2 inches in water column. This is equal to a 20 mile an hour wind blowing on all four sides of your home. This negative pressure is the amount of air leaking into your home which is measured in CFM. For example, if your home is 2000 square feet a good CFM reading would be 2000 CFM or below.
The blower door is generally connected to the main entrance of the home; provided there is no immediate blockage. All of the outside doors and windows need to be closed. Fireplaces need the ashes removed, because of the potential of being sucked into the house. Heating and air conditioning systems need to be turned off. If the HVAC system has a standing pilot, it should be turned off including fossil fuel water heater pilots. All rooms with a register need to have their doors opened. Any ductwork, not within the boundary of the home, (an unconditioned attic or crawl/ outside the thermal barrier) needs the registers and grills sealed off. If there is a basement the door should be left open. All bath fans should be turned off but their vents should be left in their normal position.
The blower door can then be installed into the frame, gradually raising the speed, until it reaches negative 50 Pascal. Once attained, closing inside doors to feel where the most air is coming from will help identify problem areas. Then, using the infrared camera allows an inside look at walls, ceilings, floors, or any building component. If black areas appear, you have a leak.
The areas where there is black can be from framing concerns, openings in a ceiling where there are light fixtures, insulation that has gaps, penetrations where plumbing or refrigeration components go to the outside, electric boxes, and any area that is lacking an air barrier. So remember that the black from an infrared camera is not your friend.
There is no cost to schedule a Home Energy Audit. Call 937-642-1826 and ask for Paul, your energy advisor.

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