Your house feels drafty in winter and clammy in summer, and you want to know where the air is actually getting in. A blower door test answers that question with a number, not a guess. A blower door test is a calibrated fan that depressurizes a home and measures total air leakage in CFM50, and the test surfaces every major leak in one visit. Novus Mechanical runs these tests across Freehold and Monmouth County, NJ, and a blower door test starts at $350.
Here is what the test gives you. First, a hard leakage number for the whole house. Second, the exact spots where outside air rushes in. Third, a written report the same visit, so you leave knowing what to seal first. A blower door test is the diagnostic step before any sealing job, and it belongs before a central AC replacement too, so the new system is sized to the real house. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR, and the test shows where that 15% is hiding.
A blower door test finds the total air leakage of a home plus the exact spots where outside air gets in. The calibrated Retrotec fan pulls air out of the house and drops the inside pressure, so outside air comes rushing through every gap. First, the test gives a whole-house leakage number in CFM50, the standard leakage measurement, and that number feeds the Manual J load calculation that right-sizes new equipment. Second, the test reveals where the leaks live, room by room. Third, the test ranks the leaks by size, so the biggest offenders are clear. The common culprits are rim joists, recessed lights, attic hatches, old window and door frames, and plumbing and wiring holes. For example, we measure the whole house using Retrotec gear, then walk every room feeling for inrushing air. Air sealing saves about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
The common air leaks in a house cluster in a handful of predictable spots, and a blower door test exposes each one. First, rim joists, the band of wood where the foundation meets the framing, leak badly in basements. Second, recessed lights punch dozens of holes straight into the attic. Third, attic hatches and pull-down stairs sit over a big open gap. Fourth, old window and door frames leak around the casing, not just the glass. Fifth, plumbing and wiring penetrations leave gaps behind walls and under sinks. An older home, like a 1970s colonial around Freehold, usually shows all five at once. For example, we measure total leakage using Retrotec gear, then trace each source by hand. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on energy, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
Duct leakage is a separate but related problem, and leaky ducts waste the conditioned air a homeowner already paid to heat or cool. A blower door test measures the building shell, while a duct leakage test measures the duct system. Ducts that run through an attic or crawlspace often leak a large share of conditioned air into space nobody lives in. First, Novus runs the blower door test to map the shell leaks. Second, we run a duct leakage test when the ducts look suspect. Third, both numbers go in the same written report. A leaky duct in a hot Monmouth County attic dumps cool air where the cooling does no good. For example, we measure duct loss using Retrotec gear, the same trusted approach as the shell test. Air sealing saves about 15% on energy, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
Running a blower door test is a measured process at Novus, not a quick look, and the process runs in five clear steps. Here is how Novus tests a home across Freehold and Monmouth County.
That last step is the payoff, because a number alone does not fix a drafty house. The report tells you which leaks to seal first for the most savings. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
Sealing the worst air leaks first saves the most money for the least work, and a blower door test ranks the leaks so the order is obvious. A big rim-joist gap or an open attic hatch moves far more air than a hairline crack near a baseboard. First, we measure total leakage in CFM50 to set the baseline. Second, the written report sorts every leak from biggest to smallest. Third, you tackle the top offenders and skip the tiny ones that barely matter. Chasing small leaks first wastes a weekend for almost no gain. Air sealing and insulation together save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR, and the worst leaks hold most of that 15%. For example, we verify the work using Retrotec gear on a follow-up test. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
A blower door test finds the total air leakage of a home in CFM50 plus the exact spots where outside air leaks in. The calibrated Retrotec fan depressurizes the house, so outside air rushes through every gap and the leaks become easy to trace. The common finds are rim joists, recessed lights, attic hatches and pull-down stairs, old window and door frames, and plumbing and wiring penetrations. An older home, like a 1970s colonial around Freehold, usually shows several of these at once. For example, we measure the whole house using Retrotec gear, then walk each room feeling for inrushing air across Monmouth County. You get a written report the same visit, ranked worst first. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
Yes, Novus hands you a written report the same visit, so you leave knowing exactly what the blower door test found. The report lists your whole-house leakage number in CFM50, the standard measurement for air leakage. First, the report shows the total leakage for the home. Second, the report names where the leaks are, room by room. Third, the report ranks every leak from biggest to smallest, so the priorities are clear. The biggest offenders, like rim joists or an open attic hatch, sit right at the top. For example, we measure the home using Retrotec gear, then write up the findings before leaving across Monmouth County. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350, and the report is part of that price.
A blower door test from Novus Mechanical starts at $350 across Freehold and Monmouth County, and the written report is included in that price. The $350 covers the full test, not a quick walkthrough. First, Novus seals a calibrated Retrotec fan into a doorway and runs the test. Second, Novus reads total leakage in CFM50, the standard leakage measurement. Third, Novus walks the home feeling for inrushing air and writes up the findings. You leave the same visit with a report that ranks the leaks worst first. The test pays for itself, because air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. Novus verifies any sealing work using Retrotec gear on a follow-up test, so the savings are real. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
No, a blower door test and a duct leakage test measure two different things, though both check for wasted air. A blower door test measures leakage in the building shell, while a duct leakage test measures leakage in the duct system. Shell leaks let outside air into the house, and duct leaks let conditioned air escape into attics or crawlspaces. First, Novus runs the blower door test to map the shell. Second, we run a duct leakage test when the ducts look suspect. Third, both results land in the same written report across Monmouth County. For example, we measure both using Retrotec gear, the same trusted approach for each test. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
Air leaks come from gaps left where building parts meet, and a blower door test finds them by pulling air through every one. The usual causes are rim joists, recessed lights, attic hatches, old window and door frames, and plumbing and wiring holes. First, rim joists leak where the foundation meets the wood framing. Second, recessed lights and attic hatches open a path straight into the attic. Third, old frames and pipe penetrations leak around the edges, not through solid material. An older home, like a 1970s colonial around Freehold, tends to show several causes at once. For example, we measure total leakage using Retrotec gear, then trace each cause by hand across Monmouth County. The Department of Energy names these same spots as the leaks worth sealing first. Air sealing and insulation save about 15% on heating and cooling, according to ENERGY STAR. A blower door test from Novus starts at $350.
We measure your home, explain what we find, and hand you one clear price. Book a consultation in Freehold or Monmouth County.
