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Air seal whole-house fans to minimize air leakage.

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Air sealing at whole house fan enclosure

CAD File

Air Sealing Colorado Homes – 10.634

Reference

Fact sheet describing air-sealing concerns and remedies, including HRV/ERV installation, caulking, spray foam, and weatherstrip installation.

Wrong – Whole house fan installed with holes in surrounding platform that need to be air sealed

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Right – A simple stacked rectangular design and well-insulated and air-sealed ICF walls provide for an extremely energy-efficient structure.

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Aerosol-Based Method Seals the Deal for Tighter New Homes

Reference

Fact sheet describing an innovative aerosol-based sealing technique for tightening building envelopes in new homes, involving pressurizing the structure and dispersing an aerosol sealant "fog" to autonomously identify and seal leaks, with real-time feedback through a standard blower door and laptop...

Building Science Introduction - Air Flow

Information Guide

Information guide describing the concept of air flow in residential buildings and its effects on occupants, building durability, and efficiency.

Whole house fans draw cool night-time air in through open windows and expel hot house air into the vented attic

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Your Northern Home: Air Leakage/ Blower Door Test

Video

Video describing a house air leakage test and the most common leakage sources for an Alaskan house.

Air leaking through the home's envelope wastes a lot of energy and increases energy costs.

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Your Northern Home: Attics/Air leakage/Stack effect

Video

Video from Cold Climate Housing Research Center on how warm air typically leaks out of homes through attics via the stack effect and how to mitigate these effects through building practices.

Novel, Simplified Air Delivery System Design Gets Commercialized

Reference

Fact sheet describing a novel, simplified air delivery system using a plug-and-play model that features 3-inch diameter flexible ducts, efficient fittings, and a simplified installation process that resulted in successful market engagement through commercialization.

A manometer is used to measure pressure differentials between indoors and outdoors when testing whole-house air leakage.

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Right – The energy rater used a window to test whole-house air leakage with this blower door testing equipment.

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Existing Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Deep Energy Retrofit in the Pacific Northwest

Case Study

Case study describing a whole-house, deep energy retrofit project in the marine climate.

Indoor airPLUS Version 2 Reaches for the Sky: New Opportunities for Healthier Multifamily Buildings

Presentation

Webinar from Nick Hurst, Gayathri Vijayakumar, and Karla Butterfield for EEBA on compliance with EPA's Indoor airPLUS program as multifamily buildings reach past five stories high, with special consideration taken for ventilation, air sealing, moisture control, and indoor air quality needs in larger...

Home Performance Assessment

Information Guide

Information guide describing how to apply a whole-house approach to home improvement with energy efficiency upgrades, improved indoor air quality, and increased comfort.

Best Practices Case Study: Artistic Homes, Albuquerque, NM

Case Study

Case study describing new home construction in hot-dry and mixed-dry climate zones.

DOE ZERH HIA 2017 Case Study: Thrive Home Builders, Courtyard Rows, Lone Tree, CO

Case Study

Case study describing a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home 2017 Housing Innovation Award winner that scored HERS 41 without PV and 8 with PV.

Duct Leakage Tests

Guide

Guide describing how to conduct duct leakage tests per RESNET protocols on all components of the HVAC system (including the air handler, ductwork, register boxes/boots, and all air devices such as diffusers, registers, or grilles).