PASS or FAIL? New Construction Blower Door Test Inspection

[@TJ-22]

Were the majority of houses built 20-25 years ago constructed this way, without sealing?

[@homeairleakagetest]

Good point. Yes this house is insulated to 1990s standards.

[@cottagekeeper]

We need to install an attic ladder, and I’m concerned this might cause us to fail the blower door test for our spec home build. What do you recommend for sealing the attic ladder to prevent air leakage from the attic and ensure we pass the test?

[@homeairleakagetest]

Try this vid kzbin.infoJvikM5BJkRw?si=4KaUEFtEwb5im5MY

[@heathersimon5917]

I’m in a townhome in FL which is a new home build. I closed in June 2020. I’m having issues with water condensation coming through my A/C ducts. I had several stains on my downstairs ceiling where the duct work runs. I had water coming through my microwave hood vent. I have massive condensation in my dryer. My powder bath fan vent continually leaks large amounts of water when we come into the summer months. The builder has tried to blame this on the fact that I keep my thermostat at 71/72. They opened up the ceiling to replace the stained drywall and there is absolutely no “sealing” like what I saw in this video anywhere in my home. The builder is Beazer. They claim this is an energy efficient home. Is it code that this type of “sealing” should be visible around the openings you mentioned in the video? If it should be, could I contact the county inspectors office. I just want the issue to get fixed. All they’ve done so far is replace the ceiling drywall where I had stains and seal the duct seams with more tape/glue which only puts a band aid on the problem. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@homeairleakagetest]

First question. Where is the air handler. Inside or in an attic or crawl space? Second: is this happening to only you? Are the others in your townhouse community also having the same problem?

[@heathersimon5917]

@@homeairleakagetest air handler is in a closet on the second floor by the laundry room. No, I’ve heard from some neighbors they’ve had issues with water in their microwaves and dryers. I’m not sure if anyone else has had the same issue with water on the downstairs ceiling or water in the powder bath fan vent. I had the A/C unit serviced recently and there were no issues. I had the dryer vent cleaned and there was no lint causing a back up. The flap outside is working properly and my fresh air intake valve is operating correctly. When humidity level readings were taken inside the home they were within normal range. Every time we hit the summer months I have problems. They haven’t identified the real problem. I had a neighbor tell me her handler was improperly installed. Our outside units are in an enclosed space, not allowing them to breathe, which has caused several people to need to replace parts on the units way sooner than normal. Overall, I know people in the neighborhood have had ongoing problems with their A/C.

[@homeairleakagetest]

⁠When the issue is not super obvious it’s a little harder to solve from afar. If this is only happening to you then something is wrong (obviously lol). But what I mean is something is different. Something is missed. Do you have any features in or outside of your home that are upgrades or different? Maybe a raised ceiling or an overhang? You should get a blower door test done first. The test will help you with two things: 1. find any abnormal connections to the outside of the house 2. your house should be equal to or less than 3 ACH since it is new. If you are near Clearwater, FL try Attic Queen.

[@homeairleakagetest]

feel free to send me your address or a photo of your house so I can see the build from the outside (Google Earth). Sometimes I can see the problem with a photo or two. : ) [e-mail]

[@homeairleakagetest]

Here is one video where the homeowners had a similar issue and the blower door helped find the connection to the outside that was causing the problem. kzbin.infoyge2xRMJV-Y