Back to basics - Air Leakage Testing

As summer draws to a close and the chill of winter is starting to creep in, we know that it’s more important than ever to get our buildings as airtight as possible.

A proportion of new dwellings and non-domestic buildings require an Air Leakage Test. This test is used to finalise the results of SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) and SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) Calculations. As building regulations become stricter, it is becoming more important than ever to keep our buildings as energy efficient as possible and making sure our buildings are airtight contributes to this. If your building passes it’s Air Leakage Test, an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) can then be issued, so that a house can then be sold or rented in the future.

An Air Leakage Test is completed at the end of construction but before interior elements, such as carpets are fitted. This means the test will be as accurate as possible, and you will be more likely to pass. Engineers fit a large fan into an expandable external door frame (normally the front door) and close off all other external doors and windows. The fan will then depressurise the house and an anemometer reader will read the internal pressure, external pressure and the strength of the fan to calculate the air leakage in the property. Different factors such as temperature are also considered.

At Energist our Air Leakage Test Engineers cover sites throughout England and Wales and are ATTMA (The Air Tightness Testing & Measurement Association) accredited. If you need an Air Leakage Test on one of your exiting or upcoming projects, get in touch with one of our friendly team today for a quote.

https://www.energistuk.co.uk/services/air-leakage-testing/