Is A Professional Energy Audit Worth It?

A homeowner can determine a number of things about a home’s energy efficiency with a quick visual inspection. However, to really get to the source of energy loss, a professional energy audit goes much deeper. Armed with sophisticated technology, an HVAC professional can take it to the next level and perform a comprehensive room-by-room analysis indoors, as well as an exterior inspection. After the audit is complete, you’ll get a complete report for your records, including suggestions to improve your efficiency profile.

Here are a couple of the technologies utilized in a professional energy audit:

• Blower-door testing: A blower door test evaluates the air-tightness of your home and pinpoints any leakage. Installed in an exterior door frame, the blower door incorporates a reversible fan and pressure sensors connected to a computer that monitors interior pressure, exterior pressure and the pressure of air flowing through the fan. Exterior doors and windows are closed and the fan is turned on to draw air out of your home, creating a low-pressure zone inside the house. The sensors read pressure indoors and out, and the computer compares this reading to the airflow through the fan. Programmed with data about the square footage of the house, the computer can then calculate the total area of air leakage.

• Thermography: Thermography is the process of infrared imaging to depict the flow of heat. Utilizing a thermographic camera, the auditor can generate images of heat flowing in and out of your home in order to find the location of leaks. By scanning walls, the thermographic image reveals the varying levels of heat-conducting through the walls and providing a good indication of spots where wall insulation needs upgrading. Usually, an auditor will image interior areas of the house while it’s depressurized by the blower door in order to exactly mark the location of air infiltrating through the outside through leaks.

For more information about getting a professional energy audit or any other HVAC matters, contact Sobieski Services.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Wilmington, Delaware and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

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