“My house gets way too hot during the summer. Chances are the AC is running constantly but it never seems to cool down!”
We hear this a lot in our area. Customers’ homes are too hot during the summer. The AC bills are too high. They have gotten their AC cleaned recently so what else could it be? Chance are these customers probably have leaks somewhere in their house. Without an airtight home, hot air is coming in (or cold air is escaping). Not only is this affecting room temperature, these leaks can also make a difference in between walls and attic spaces where air ducts are. If leaks are suspected, we might recommend a blower door test.
A blower door test is really a neat way to test for leaks. A special “door” is used in place of your current door, typically the front door. The blower door has a fan on it to pull air out of the house lowering the pressure inside. Then special pressure gauges record changes.
If the blower door test detects any leaks, then the next step will be an inspection to see where the leaks are and how they can be sealed. Any house can have leaks. While you might think only older homes have leaks (the blower door test is often used on the TV show “This Old House”), houses of all ages can have leaks. Any time a house has “settling” or is victim to a strong storm, such as a hurricane, the shifting, and angling of the house can result in some cracks. It’s not always drafts that you’ll feel. Leaks may or may not have anything to do with wind. Temperature differences can result in leaks alone.
So if you are experiencing unusually difficult cooling ability in areas of your home, some rooms always feel hot or your AC seems like it’s always on, you’re probably due for a blower door test. Call TIES360 to schedule a blower door test for your home throughout the Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Sarasota, Siesta Key, University FL area.
