Whole House Diagnostic
Our Whole House Diagnostic Inspection is a thorough evaluation of your home's systems, a qualitative analysis of home energy loss, comfort issues and combustion safety. Energy efficiency, indoor air quality and comfort are sacrificed when the air barrier is compromised and/or insulation is insufficient, both of which can allow air leakage. Determining the location and magnitude of a home’s air leakage provides a prioritized and cost effective scope of work that can decrease the home’s energy consumption and increased comfort without compromising indoor air quality.
Here’s how it works
A specially trained Comfort Consultant will visit your home, using advanced diagnostic instruments and testing procedures, and will identify problems that affect your indoor living environment. Your consultant will then provide you with a personalized plan to solve these problems, permanently.
Initial Consultation
Your input provides valuable information, such as whether any rooms feel clammy, or if any parts of the house need to be dusted more often than others. We encourage all of the adults in your home to participate in this, since everyone’s perception of comfort and indoor air quality is unique.
Equipment Inspection
The inspection begins with your heating and cooling equipment. Is it efficient, dependable and safe? Your consultant will visually inspect your equipment for any signs of deterioration, improper installation, or insufficient maintenance. He will let you know the average life span of your type of equipment. He will also evaluate your system’s air filtration and purification efficiency, to determine if improvements would better clean your indoor air.
Insulation Inspection
Even the best heating and cooling system will have trouble keeping you comfortable or will cost more to run if you don’t have proper insulation. Your consultant will visually inspect insulation levels throughout your home and determine if they meet current recommended levels. More importantly, he will look for hidden defects, such as hollow wall cavities, that allow air and heat to bypass your insulation. Attic ventilation will also be checked.
Infiltrometer™ Blower Door Test
All houses should have some air leakage but most leak too much. Symptoms of excessive leakage include uneven temperatures throughout the house, high utility bills, excessive dust, cold drafts, dry air in the winter, and clammy air in the summer. On the other hand some homes are too airtight and may have unhealthy and stale indoor air. To measure a homes air tightness, Department of Energy scientists at Princeton University invented the blower door instrument. It is often featured in magazines and on television, including National Geographic, Better Homes and Gardens, Popular Science, and This Old House.
Air Leakage Evaluation
Using an Infiltrometer (a computerized blower door system) your consultant will evaluate how leaky or airtight your entire home is, and where improvements can be made. Not all air leaks are created equal. From an indoor air quality standpoint, those around your windows and doors are good leaks, since they let in fresh outdoor air. Bad leaks let in dusty, moldy or polluted air from your attic, garage, or crawl space. Leaky air ducts often bring in dirty air, and cause your heating and cooling equipment to perform well below peak efficiency. As part of the infiltrometer blower door test, your consultant will pinpoint where your home's worst air leaks are, and where improvements can be made.
Infrared Camera Inspection
With the use of an Infrared camera we are able to see through the walls and see hot or cold spots. Having this ability helps us to determine whether there is adequate insulation or whether there are other problems that are not visible to the naked eye.
Air Flow Diagnosis
If your air duct system has hidden design flaws or blockages, your air flow will be restricted or unevenly distributed. This wastes your money and can make your home uncomfortable. Studies conducted for electric utilities nationwide show that over 66% of air conditioners suffer from this problem. Your consultant will conduct static pressure tests - like a blood pressure check for your ducts - to reveal any hidden blockages or design problems.
Electronic Air Flow Test
Do you have rooms that are hard to heat or cool? There are economical solutions. Your consultant will use an air flow capture hood to measure precisely how much conditioned air is getting to those rooms (provided the supply vents are accessible). If air flow is low, the causes will be determined, and appropriate solutions will be prescribed.
Personalized Improvement Plan
Once the inspection and testing are complete, your consultant will explain the results, and give you a prioritized plan of recommended improvements. Many such as adding insulation or weather-stripping - can be performed by homeowners as weekend projects. Other improvements may require professionals. Upon request, your consultant will prepare a proposal for repairs that Chappel's Heating & Cooling can perform, and can recommend other contractors for services we do not offer.
During the Whole House Health, Energy and Comfort Checkup, you will learn how to
- Achieve even, comfortable temperatures throughout your home
- Maintain healthy, comfortable humidity levels year-round
- Reduce dust, system noise and repair bills
- Save money on your utility bills (typically between 20% and 50%)
Call today to arrange a Whole House Diagnostic Inspection for your home
House as a System
Indoor Air Quality
Home Performance
