Blower Door Tests

Air Leakage Tests and Blower Door Tests for New Construction

Since 2012, blower door air leakage tests have become mandatory, regardless of the path chosen for compliance.

IECC 2018 and IECC 2021 Leakage Requirements
See our chart for State of Illinois and National code compliance comparisons.

The blower door test consists of a large fan installed in the opening of an exterior door of the home. With all doors, windows and other openings tightly closed, the fan will pull air out of the home to cause a depressurized condition to a difference of 50 Pascals, or 0.2 IWC with respect to the outside. Once the home is in a depressurized state, which simulates a worst-case air leakage scenario, the tightness of the structure can be measured.

At this pressure, the home should not leak any more than:

Climate Zone 4: 5 Air changes per hour (ACH) at 50PA, or 4ACH50 under Illinois Energy Conservation Code, and 3ACH50 under the national IECC code.
Climate Zone 5: 5 Air changes per hour (ACH) at 50PA, or 4ACH50 under Illinois Energy Conservation Code, and 3ACH50 under the national IECC code.

When Should I Have a Blower Door Test?

A blower door test for IECC compliance should be performed when the house is completely finished. Be sure the locks are on the windows, the doors are on the fireplace and most contractors are finished going in and out. We like to tell our builders that when the cleaning crew is at the house, it’s the perfect time for a blower door test.

Priority Energy is an approved, third-party to provide blower door leakage tests nationally. Our testing crew is RESNET and/or BPI-certified and is recognized by the state of Illinois as a testing agency. Read about Air Leakage tests for existing homes and buildings.

Do you have duct work in an attic, crawl space, basement or garage? If you have a home with ductwork in unconditioned space will can also help with the required IECC duct test.

To schedule your Blower Door test, call 800-737-2299.

If you would like to see how we’ve helped builders pass blower door tests across the chicago land area – see our results page!

David was very professional, thorough, and easy to work with. He provided us with a clear, detailed report with helpful suggestions as to how to improve our home.

C.S. Chicago, IL

I highly trust and recommend this company for their prompt response, punctuality, and honesty in the performance of their service.

C. H. Chicago, IL

Anthony was brilliant and answered all my questions. Really appreciate his expertise on our energy audit! January 2023

S.K., Chicago, IL

The Duct Leakage assessment we had yesterday was extremely informative! I’m glad we had you come to our home.

D.K. Homeowner, Chicago, IL

“I had Priority energy clean and then aeroseal my supply ducts; what a great experience! Great communication, great technicians, and great overall customer service! I noticed an IMMEDIATE benefit as soon as I turned my A/C on; I could tell the house was cooling quicker, maintaining temperature more easily, and was cooled more evenly! I’d highly recommend Priority Energy, their duct cleaning, and aerosealing sevice!”

M.G., Downers Grove, IL

Excellent service and quality! (excerpt)

R.N., Inverness, IL

“The employees that showed up were friendly and took care to make sure they kept the house clean while performing the aeroseal job. They explained the procedure thoroughly, I would recommend this company A+.”

T.B., Elgin, IL

Priority Energy is an A+ company! I’ve been having issues with my house staying warm in the winter so I called them up and they came out right away. Kurt was so helpful and professional! He explained everything that was going on in my house and gave me peace of mind. Book this company with confidence, they are great. Thank you again, Priority!

M.I., Homeowner in Norridge, IL

“We enjoyed meeting Dave, our Energy Auditor. He was interesting, knowledgeable, and professional. We appreciated all his time and effort.”

S.B., Homeowner in Prospect Heights, IL

“You have a great Aeroseal team. We were impressed with how well they answered our questions and how quickly and neatly they performed our service. Our rooms are much warmer now that the duct leaks have been sealed!”

D.F., Homeowner in Palatine, IL

“We were impressed with how well your technicians answered our questions and how quickly and neatly they performed our Aeroseal service. Our rooms are much warmer now that the duct leaks have been sealed! You have a great team.”

D.F. Palatine, IL

The Energy Audit you did on last home was so helpful; we referred to it for years when we made home improvements. I’d like to have you do an audit on my new home now. B. A.

B. A. Lake Forest Homeowner

Before we sealed our ductwork the rooms farthest from the furnace were always hotter or colder than the rest of the house. We felt an improvement in air flow to the kids rooms right away. 98% duct leak reduction!

S. H. Glenview, IL - October 2020

Excellent Service and Company to work with – highly recommended and professional!

T. B. Chicago, IL - July 2020

Priority Energy did an aeroseal for our home. We have had issues with air flow in our kitchen (cold in the winter) and one bedroom upstairs (hot in the summer). After they were complete, there is such a stronger air flow from the vents, that it really makes a difference. The crew that came out was courteous and respectful and they were in and out much faster than I expected. Really positive experience overall.

J.J. Chicago, IL - November 2020

I had Priority Energy analyze my older home for indoor air quality and comfort because I was having difficulty maintaining temperatures. They came out and discussed our options. We ended up sealing our ducts and installing a whole-house dehumidifier. Our home is now more efficient, lower humidity, and much easier to keep and maintain temperatures. Priority Energy was very professional, easy to work with, and did quality work. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for better indoor air quality.

D. L, Lake Zurich, IL Feb. 2019

Employees were all very helpful and professional! Came out in a timely manner (to do our Duct Test). Would highly recommend this company!

J. R. New Lenox, IL April 2020

Very knowledgeable and professional (Aeroseal) staff. I definitely highly recommend and would use again in the future for other services!

D.F., Chicago, IL Feb. 2020

Used Priority Energy to help insulate (Aeroseal) a property we purchased and could not have been happier. Very professional staff, and the work done has saved us a ton with our heating and cooling bills. Would highly recommend them.

R. M., Lake Bluff, IL April 2020

Priority Energy did a great job with an Aeroseal project for my home. The rooms are more comfortable and even throughout the house, including the far registers which never used to get significant airflow. Very honest and trustworthy — they accidentally chipped some paint on the ceiling while doing the job and had a painter come to fix it without question. Would recommend to anyone.

B. L., Chicago, IL Feb. 2020

I hired Priority to seal the ducts and air seal my home. I have been very pleased with the results. The personnel from this company are professional and quite competent. I have literally saved hundreds of dollars on heating costs. My home is very comfortable. I was also able to save some dollars with discounts that were available. I strongly recommend Priority Energy if you wish to enjoy a more confortable home and save money.

Nelson, Lake Forest

Bryan, December 2019, Chicago, IL

Already the house seems more balanced (since Aeroseal duct sealing yesterday) .. far end of house is getting more warm air flow!

Bryan, November 2019, Chicago, IL

Pat was awesome and super helpful! We are experiencing weak air flow in the duct system of our 1950”s home and Pat gave us great recommendations to fix the problem when we do our remodel.

David; Arlington Heights, IL

On to the Radon issue – Excellent results with Aeroseal! From 5 + to a .4. Before sealing like we discussed, I had warm air coming out of the sump basket with the furnace running. Even with the furnace running, it is still pulling air in now. From the suction of the radon mitigation system – which it couldn’t do before because of the leaking ductwork and the mitigation system being overpowered by the furnace. This was a perfect application for Aeroseal! Thank you!

Bill; Belvidere, IL

Duct sealing (with Aeroseal) was the smartest thing I ever did! Our home is sooooo much more comfortable! We were so very pleased with Priority Energy and their technicians!

Richard; Lake Forest, IL

We are having less ice on roof since the Aeroseal duct sealing! Thanks!

Bill; Downers Grove, IL

(Aeroseal) is a GREAT Product! Really made our townhouse more comfortable!

Gordon; Chicago, IL

Thank you. Truly. I appreciate you taking the time to clarify things for me and then going above and beyond to ensure that my CEUs are handled for our current RESNET cycle. You’ve always been kind to me and this is another shining example of that.

Craig, HERS Rater, Batavia, IL

Thank You so much for the super-fast turn around of our Manual J, D and S reprt for the Village of Glen Ellyn. Our original Manual J kept getting kicked back to us for corrections but your calculations/report got approved instantly-no questions asked and no more permit delays! Our builder is going to use Priority Energy from now on!

Kim, Glen Ellyn, IL

I have a two story home built in the mid seventies. Lots of temperature fluctuation between the floors. The Aeroseal process dramatically increased the air flow to the second floor. Good experience. The company was very informative, answered a lot of questions. The crew was neat and thorough.

Vince from Oakbrook, IL

“It’s been cold here for the past few days and I really feel the difference in heating since the Aeroseal, my apartment is so much warmer now. Thank you!”

MP from Peru, IL

Anytime I can be a reference for all the great work on my (new) house, please let me know. Priority Energy is outstanding at what they do!

Executive at Medline Industries, IL

It’s been cold here for the past few days and I really feel the difference in heating since the building was Aerosealed! My apartment is so much warmer now. Thank you Priority Energy!

Miruna; Tenant at Country Manor Apartments, Peru, IL

Just completed my BPI Field exam for my Quality Control Inspector (QCI) certification renewal at Priority Energy. Such a convenient and well-set-up training and test center with caring and knowledgeable staff and proctors! Thanks folks!

P.R., Ottawa, IL

I am so sorry I haven’t written you but I actually just verified the part is the correct size yesterday. I received it a just after writing you last time but haven’t been back to the customers home until yesterday and I am very pleased to report that it is the CORRECT part. So without saying, I truly appreciate your assistance and persistence in the matter. Without you I would be holding a bucket. Thank you again and you will be the first person I call if I need additional part or service from your company.

Anonymous

I just wanted to send this message to all you and say GREAT JOB! We had a rough inspection today and passed for the Woodward Ave. house. The inspector told us “if every house I inspected looked like this one I would be out a job”. I just wanted to pass on the great news. Dupage county is more difficult to work in but you guys did an awesome job. Thanks.

Anonymous Builder

We were so impressed with the amount of information the Priority Energy technicians gave us during our ENERGY AUDIT. If you are buying a house, I would strongly recommend having them do an energy audit on it, in addition to your usual home inspection. We had a strange smell in the basement and their crew took the time to pinpoint a leak in a ventilation pipe that was inside the wall. How would we have known? Thanks Priority Energy!

P.I.

David was very professional, thorough, and easy to work with. He provided us with a clear, detailed report with helpful suggestions as to how to improve our home.

C.S. Chicago, IL

Thanks for a super intelligent and deep seminar expertly handled by a staff which was a pleasure to be around. Lunch was superbly and subtly handled.

A.S. Architect

I wanted to thank you for all of your extra time and energy during our BPI training over the last few weeks. You really helped put things in perspective. You are an awesome crew and your facility is a valuable resource for students and the community

BPI Student, L.E.

There is much less dust in the house and the monthly gas and electric charges have been reduced by 10 to 15%…..I’m sure I will see greater savings over a twelve month period……thanks again.

Aeroseal Client, R.N.