Is your home quietly leaking air and money without you knowing it? Home energy performance educators Chris Hughes and Steve Rogers pull back the curtain on your home’s energy performance and why assessing and improving it is more important than you may realize. From blower door testing to the science behind air changes per hour, they explain how industry codes and tools are used to achieve comfort, safety, and efficiency. Chris and Steve share helpful examples of how duct leakage, room pressurization, and even the wrong fan speed can quietly drive up costs, worsen humidity, and sometimes put your health at risk. Whether you’re building new, troubleshooting comfort issues, or simply curious about your home’s energy performance, this class empowers you with the tools and in-depth insights to keep your home efficient, comfortable, and healthy.

In this mini class, you’ll learn: 

• A description of a blower door test, and its purpose. (3:39)

• The test pressure in pascals for a blower door test, what it reveals, and what can go wrong if it’s performed improperly. (7:28)
• How many air changes per hour are required by code and what rate is considered optimal. (12:48)
• How air changes per hour work and why building a leaky house to avoid mechanical ventilation is not the solution. (16:02)
• Why you can’t tell how leaky or airtight a home is just by looking at it, and why it matters. (18:39)
• Who you can trust to create permanent load reduction in your home. (26:04)
• How duct leakage is tested, examples of total duct leakage testing, and the risks of improper HVAC flow and high pressure. (28:15)
• Why low airflow feels comfortable but is inefficient, while high airflow is efficient but ineffective at removing moisture. (37:01)
• How room pressurization is checked, the consequences of poor pressurization, and ways to fix it. (40:34)
• How The Energy Conservatory’s Roomulator Measurement Card helps solve pressurized rooms, with examples of solutions. (48:51) 
• Who should have their home’s pressure tested, when it’s needed, and which combustion products could cause dangerous backdraft. (54:34)
• How to get an affordable home energy assessment and resources The Energy Conservatory offers about home energy assessment tools and methods. (1:02:10)

Download the transcript here.

Watch More Episodes From Our HVAC + D Mini Class Series here:
https://changetheairfoundation.org/understanding-hvac-d/

Thank You To Our Sponsor!
Santa Fe Dehumidifiers: www.santa-fe-products.com

Links Mentioned In Our Interview:
The Energy Conservatory’s Roomulator Measurement Card: https://www.energyconservatory.com/product/roomulator-measurement-card-3-pack/?srsltid=AfmBOoqfHEakZkgoPXJ0ae9mSZPTF9Jn-9gB6UXQ-Ghy8jRxfUO1rxS3

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@energyconservatory

Get In Touch With Our Guests:
The Energy Conservatory: https://www.energyconservatory.com

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https://www.changetheairfoundation.org

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