Home Energy Audits in Manassas, VA

Do you want a new comfort system?

According to the Comfort Institute Free Special Reports and as recommended by EPA and DOE, you have to ask for diagnostic testing and equipment sizing calculations by your heating and cooling contractor before you buy a new indoor comfort system.

Does your home have cold or hot spots?

You can find out why you do with a Whole House Comfort Checkup. You can even find out what you can do about it.

Do members of your family have asthma or allergies?

Your home could be one of the reasons why they do. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will help come up with ways to make your indoor air safer and healthier.

Do you suffer from too dry or too humid indoor air?

Too much or too little humidity in your home can lead to dry skin, bloody noses in cold weather, static shocks, mildew, mold and structural damage during summer. A Whole House Comfort Checkup will help you find out ways to keep the humidity levels in check.

Do you have high utility bills?

The Department of Energy states that a typical home wastes 25% to 40% of the energy generated by the heat pump, the central furnace, or air conditioner. Are you guilty of that as well? Discover if you are and find out how to stop it!

Equipment Inspection

Equipment inspection starts with your heating and cooling system. The auditor will assess your equipment for signs that point to normal wear and tear or deterioration, lack of maintenance or improper installation. After that, he will inform you of the average life expectancy of the type of equipment that you have. Your auditor will also do the job of evaluating the air filtration and purification efficient of your system. This is done to find out whether improvements can clean your indoor air better.

Insulation Inspection

Insufficient insulation can hamper the efficiency of even the best heating and cooling system. The auditor will inspect the insulation levels all throughout your home. Plus, he will determine whether the existing insulation meets the recommended levels. Further, he will look for defects that are not obvious, such as hollow wall cavities. These things let air and heat find a way around your insulation. Additionally, the auditor will also check the ventilation levels in your attic.

Infiltrometer® Blower Door Test

All houses can have some air leaks. However, most homes leak more than the usually accepted standards. Signs that there are too many leaks include wasted energy, too much dust, not even temperatures in the whole house, cold drafts, the clammy air in summer, and dry air in winter. In contrast, some homes are too airtight. As a result, these homes may have unhealthy indoor air.

The Department of Energy scientists at Princeton University designed the blower door instrument. This gadget is often featured on television and in magazines. Some of the popular magazines where the gadget was featured include Better Homes and Gardens, National Geographic, Popular Science and This Old House.

With the use of an Infiltrometer, a computerized blower door system, the Comfort, and Indoor Air Quality Auditor will assess how leaky or airtight your home is. Plus, he can evaluate were improvements are needed.

Air Leakage Evaluation

It cannot be said that if you have seen an air leak, you have seen them all. All leaks are unique. From an air quality perspective, leaks around your doors and windows are good leaks because they allow fresh outdoor air in. On the other hand, leaks in your garage, attic, or crawl space are bad leaks because they allow dusty, polluted or moldy air to enter your home. Leaks in air ducts bring dirty air and hamper the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment. While conducting the Infiltrometer blower door test, your auditor will isolate the areas where the worst leaks are. Plus, he will provide you with information regarding where improvements can be made.

Air Flow Diagnosis

Your auditor will do “static pressure” tests in order to check if there are any hidden blockages in your duct system or whether there are problems with the design. Design flaws and blocks in air ducts waste your money and give you an uncomfortable indoor atmosphere. Studies made for electric utilities conducted nationwide have shown that more than 66% of air conditioners and heat pumps have these problems.

Electronic Air Flow Capture Hood Test

Are there rooms in your home that are difficult to cool or heat? There are cost-saving solutions. Your auditor will utilize an air flow capture hood to determine how the levels of conditioned air that gets to these hard-to-heat-or-cool rooms. When airflow is low, the auditor will be able to determine the cause and he will be able to prescribe the right solution.