Page 44 RAIN Oct./Nov. 1983 CORK House Doctors diagnose energy leaks with Blower Door. ■ .'.S'' .'P'V, ■ . ' !-■•■■■- •. I':. ' ' A.T. IN OREGON: CONSERVATION INNOVATION What do a "Blower Door," a beam trawl shrimp netting device, and a laundry water recycling system have in common? All represent innovative ways to cut fossil fuel costs, and all have been developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (USDOE) Appropriate Technology Small Grants Program. This is the fourth in a series offive articles describing projects funded under the USDOE program in Oregon. Here we focus on projects that illustrate a wide range of energy conservation strategies. Closing the Door on Energy Leaks Rising utility bills have stimulated many people to “tighten up" their houses. But often, homeowners are not aware of how much heat is pouring into and out of the house through baseboard seams, wall plug outlets, door jams, heat ducts, and so on. With the aid of a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the folks at Central Oregon Renewable Resources (CORR) used an eye-catching new concept—House Doctoring—and an interesting piece of equipment—the Blower Door—to stimulate the public imagination and improve the energy efficiency of 50 homes in the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Sisters, and LaPine areas. CORR's goal was to reduce the energy required for space heating 15 to 20 percent by sealing leaks, using low- and no-cost measures as much as possible. The leaks often carmot be seen by the usual methods of performing an energy analysis on a house. In order to locate leaks, the House Doctors used the Blower Door, an instrument that fits in a door of a house and includes a large fan and air pressure measurement devices (see photo). The fan pressurizes and depressurizes a house, and, when used with smokesticks or an infrared scanner, is an excellent diagnostic tool for locating hidden air leaks. The measurement instruments on the door enable the House Doctors to estimate the air infiltration rate in a house. House Doctors then seal leaks with the appropriate material (e.g., weatherstripping, foam gaskets, caulking). House Doctors identified leaks in three major areas: 1) the outside building envelope, allowing cold air to creep in and hot air to rush out; 2) attic bypass routes, permitting heated air to slip around and through attic insulation; and 3) leaky ductwork, allowing warm air to heat unused areas. Typical sources of leaks included the fireplace, plumbing penetrations of the wall and floor. I I,......... .......... ^
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