Blower door test
Quality assurance in new builds and renovations: Tracking down heat leaks
Find out how airtight your house is!
A blower door test provides building owners in new builds and renovations with information on the extent and location of weak points in a house in the form of air leaks. The more airtight a house is built, the less heating energy escapes unused into the environment. In addition, airtight construction increases the quality of living. Another important point: air leaks and heat leaks can cause mould and, in the worst case, even cause lasting damage to the building fabric.
When should a blower door test be carried out?
- Accompanying the construction of new buildings or the renovation of the building envelope for quality control.
- As a weak point analysis in existing buildings, also in conjunction with the creation of an energy performance certificate.
- Proof of eligibility for state subsidies.
- The blower door test is a useful addition to thermography.
How the blower door test works
- For the blower door test, all openings, windows and external doors are first closed. A fan is then installed in the balcony door or one of the window openings. This fan blows air into the interior of the house or sucks it out.
- The amount of air that passes through the building envelope under the given pressure conditions is then determined. If the results do not correspond to the DIN values, the experts detect the leaks. Larger leaks can be detected with the naked hand, other weak points can be detected with an air velocity meter or a smoke detector.
- If thermography is also carried out, the infrared camera can now be used to visualise the cooling caused by the air currents. This enables the experts to recognise damaged areas and, if necessary, have them repaired on site.
