Most homeowners replace HVAC equipment hoping it'll fix the drafty bedroom, the high bills, or the room that never feels right. Often the equipment was never the problem. Home performance testing measures the building envelope and the ductwork so you know what's actually wrong before you spend $15,000 on a system that won't fix it. The test costs a fraction of the install and saves multiples of itself in better decisions.
The blower-door test reports CFM50 or ACH50, the standard measurement of how much outside air leaks into your home through the building envelope. The result tells you whether tightening up (insulation, air sealing) is the next move, or whether the envelope is already tight enough that the next dollar goes elsewhere.
The duct-leakage test reports total duct leakage and leakage to outside. Most older Albany-area duct systems lose 20 to 35% of conditioned air. That's heating and cooling you paid for, vented into the attic or crawl. Sealing the ducts (Aeroseal or manual) is often the single highest-ROI upgrade available.
Infrared imaging visualizes temperature differences across walls, ceilings, and floors. Combined with the depressurization from the blower-door, the camera reveals missing or compressed insulation, air leakage paths, and thermal bridges. The picture makes invisible problems obvious.
A calibrated fan in the front door depressurizes the home to 50 pascals. A flow meter reports the airflow required to maintain that pressure. The number is your envelope's leak rate, reported in CFM50 and ACH50. Tight homes (under 4 ACH50) hold heat and keep smoke out. Average homes (4 to 10) waste meaningful energy. Leaky homes (10+) prioritize air sealing before any HVAC replacement.
A duct blaster pressurizes the duct system to 25 pascals. Two numbers are reported: total leakage (everything that escapes the ducts) and leakage to outside (what leaves the conditioned envelope into attic, crawlspace, or outdoors). Total leakage above 10% of system airflow indicates a meaningful upgrade opportunity. Leakage to outside above 6% almost always justifies sealing.
A radiometric infrared camera visualizes surface temperatures across walls, ceilings, and floors. Performed with the home under depressurization (blower-door running) or thermal stress (cold winter morning), the survey reveals missing insulation, thermal bridges, and air leakage paths. Photos are included in the written report so you see exactly where to act.
The full audit combines all three tests and adds a written report delivered within 2 to 3 business days. The report includes the test numbers, photos from the infrared survey, prioritized recommendations (in order of cost-effectiveness), and the format required if you're pursuing Energy Trust of Oregon rebates or federal tax credits that require a qualified audit.
Schedule a blower-door + duct-leakage test. The result either confirms a replacement (and sharpens the Manual J) or surfaces a different problem that saves you the install.
Pick a scope (single test or full audit) and a 3-hour window. We confirm and route a senior technician.
Calibrated fan in the front door. CFM50 and ACH50 measured and noted. Smoke pencil traces leak locations.
Duct blaster pressurizes the system. Total and to-outside leakage measured. Target areas flagged.
Camera survey of walls, ceilings, attic, and key trouble areas under depressurization. Photos taken.
Test numbers, IR photos, prioritized recommendations, program-compliant format if required. Delivered in 2-3 days.
You get the numbers, the IR photos, and a prioritized fix list. Start where the dollars work hardest, not where the contractor has margin.
Schedule the test before the equipment quote. The numbers either confirm the replacement (and improve the Manual J accuracy by 15 to 25%) or surface a different problem that saves you the install entirely. Either way, you spend the next dollar on the right thing.
Clean. Quality. Comfort.
