Blower door testing
Failed Blower Door Test and Retest in the Florida Panhandle
Retests for new homes that read over the Florida air leakage limit.
When a new house reads over the limit
A new house in the Florida Panhandle has to test at or below 7 air changes per hour at 50 pascals. When a house reads over that, the leaks are corrected and the house is tested again. Big Bend Services, Inc. runs the retest under the same conditions as the first test, so the two readings can be compared.
Call (850) 819-6031, Monday to Friday from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, or send the form once the corrections are done.
Reading the result
The result is one number for the house, in air changes per hour at 50 pascals. A reading of 9 means that at the test pressure, the leaks would replace the air in the house nine times in an hour.
Two houses built from the same plan can read differently, because the leaks depend on how each one was framed, wired, plumbed and sealed. The number says how much air gets through, not where it gets through. Small gaps in many places and one large gap can give the same reading.
Where air gets through
Places where air passes through a new shell
Tops of the walls
Gaps where wires, pipes and ducts run up through the top plates into a vented attic.
Attic hatch or pull-down stair
An access panel that does not close tight against its frame.
Recessed lights and ceiling boxes
Fixtures and electrical boxes cut into the ceiling under the attic.
Register boots
The gap between a duct boot and the drywall cut around it.
Pipes and wires leaving the house
Openings around drain lines, supply lines, refrigerant lines and wiring where they pass through an outside wall or the floor.
Windows and exterior doors
The gap between the frame and the rough opening, and weatherstripping that does not meet the door.
Fans and vents
Exhaust fan housings and the dampers on vents to the outside.
Tubs and showers on outside walls
The wall behind a tub or shower set against an exterior wall, where the framing can be open to the attic above.
Service panel and meter
The electrical panel or meter base set in an exterior wall, where the service wires enter the house.
Knee walls
Short walls with attic space behind them, in rooms under a sloped roof, where the attic side can be left open.
Chases and soffits
Framed chases and dropped soffits that carry ducts or pipes and open into the attic.
The garage wall and door
With an unconditioned attached garage, the wall and door into the living area are part of the measured boundary.
Before the retest
Check the test conditions as well as the leaks
A reading can also run high because the house was not left in the test conditions. Those are corrected by setting the house up right, not by sealing. Go through them before the retest so the second reading measures the corrections and nothing else.
A window left cracked
An unlatched sash upstairs or in a closet counts as an opening in the shell.
A damper stuck open
A bath fan, range hood or dryer damper that did not close lets air straight out.
A fireplace door left open
An open door is a path up the flue.
An attic hatch out of place
A cover pushed aside by a trade leaves an open square in the ceiling.
Equipment running
An air handler or ventilation fan left on pushes against the test pressure.
The retest
Booking the retest
What to send
The address and permit number, the first reading if you have it, and who handles access on site.
Only the house that read high
On a job with several houses, the others keep their own results. Only the house over the limit is tested again.
A note of what was sealed
Keep a short list of what was sealed and where. If the second reading is still over 7, it shows which places have been dealt with and which are left.
If it reads high again
The same steps repeat: more corrections, then another test.
Where we work
Counties where we run retests
Retests are available in each of these counties.
What to expect
From booking to result
- 1
Send the build details
Address, permit number and when the house will be ready.
- 2
Test booked
We give you a date for the test.
- 3
Test run
A fan in an exterior doorway holds the house at the test pressure while the air leakage is measured.
- 4
If it is over
The leaks are corrected, and the house is tested again under the same conditions.
Does a bigger house get more leeway on the limit?
Will painting or finishing the house bring the number down?
What if the retest date needs to move?
Is the attic part of the retest?
Does the retest check only the places that were sealed?
Get a quote
Request a Blower Door Retest
Send the address and permit number of the house, and the office will follow up.
