Component Leakage Testing in Residential Buildings

Conference · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:892183

Dickerhoff, D J; Grimsrud, D T; Lipschutz, R D

The common approach to leakage area measurements in residential housing through pressurization of an entire structure with a blower door. However, this technique does not provide quantitative measurements of the leakiness of individual building components. By pressurizing individual components, it is possible to determine the distribution of leakage within a structure. The studies described in this paper involved measurement of the leakage areas of fireplaces, bathroom and kitchen exhaust vents, electrical outlets and leakage in the ducts of forced air distribution systems. Component leakage measurements were made in a total of thirty-four houses in Atlanta, Georgia, Reno, Nevada and the San Francisco Bay area. Damperless fireplaces and ductwork were found to be the most significant sources of leakage in the western houses. In the Atlanta houses, where cooling loads dominate, the significant leakage area was in the ductwork of the distribution system for central air conditioning that passes through the unconditioned space in the attic and crawlspace.

• Research Organization: Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley NationalLaboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Director, Office of Science
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-05CH11231
• OSTI ID: 892183
• Report Number(s): LBL--14735
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
AIR CONDITIONING
ATLANTA
ATTICS
BLOWERS
COOLING LOAD
DISTRIBUTION
DUCTS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FIREPLACES
GEORGIA
NEVADA
PRESSURIZATION
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
TESTING