The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Brought to you by:

You are here: Home / Infrared, Code Verification, & Energy Audits / Notes from the field: Single Point Test & TecTite

Notes from the field: Single Point Test & TecTite

1-itec-resnet-android-iconWhen completing Code Compliance Testing or doing a “Verified” Rating one has two options when it comes to Blower Door Tests. Today we are going to look at the single point test (802.5) using a smartphone app from The Energy Conservatory (EC) called iTec RESNET. We are also going to look at an issue that can dramatically impact the results if one is not careful.

A little history: One of the first issues I had to deal with when moving into the Chicago market was certain programs & even building departments requiring that one provide a TecTite report or “.bld” file for all blower door testing done. While this might not be an issue for those that use EC’s equipment… if you are like me & use Retrotec’s equipment (or maybe even another one like Infiltec) this can pose a small issue as the software is designed for & only lists their equipment. Welcome to the workaround…

Setup:

After installing the software, you will see an icon like the one pictured above.  This brings you to the project screen. If this is your first time using this you should start by clicking the icon circled in red which is for some basic default settings.
1-project-screen
This first one is where you enter in all your business information.
1-template-settings-business
This one is where you enter in the equipment info. As you may recall, per RESNET specs for single-point tests, one should include this information on all test reports (and yes I blanked mine out on purpose). As a quick side note, after a little finagling, I elected to use EC’s Model 4 Blower Door fan as it more closely resembled my setup. While this doesn’t really pose an issue on single point tests, it sure does on multi-point tests (which this app doesn’t handle or do.)
1-template-settings-equipment
After this has been completed one should create a new test / project file. This is done by clicking the + icon circled in black above.
1-tectite-create-new-project

Tips, tricks, and things to rememberIf you have multiple clients, you may wish to create a template for each one. By doing this you can use the “copy” function to prefill in the “Customer Information” which I will cover below. I haven’t fully reset all my templates back up as I switched phones & haven’t gotten there yet.

 Getting Ready to Test:

In most cases, you can easily have the next screens mostly completed from the comfort of your car or office. This first one is the generic start screen. From here click the drop-down menu where it says “Test Data”
2-tectite-start-screen
This is the Building Info screen where you enter in the address & necessary characteristics. Building Height is not really required, but I added it in anyways for this example.
3-tectite-add-building-info
The next screen is the Customer Information screen – the project name should reflect either your naming convention or be meaningful to the builder: for example subdivision & lot number or maybe even permit number
3-tectite-add-customer-info
Now we get back to where we started & that is with the test screen. Be sure you enter in the temperatures correctly & also the altitude (especially for those where a correction factor is needed.) By clicking the set-date button it will default to todays date. Now if you have messed up & you saved a template with a past date in it, no big deal click on the date & adjust accordingly. One other check is to make sure you select “depressurization” if you are doing that test – unfortunately you cant have it default there even though that is the bulk of the tests.
4-enter-proper-variables
The next section is where you enter in the 5 required baseline readings. Remember you do not adjust the baseline, you simply enter in the 5 required readings.
5-single-point-baseline-readings-enter-screen
Be sure you enter them in properly (yes we will come back to this) & do not hit “accept” on your equipment – one is only supposed to record them. When this is done simply hit your back button on the phone. ***Depending on your phone, this can suck – my old one had a slide out which allowed me to hit the “-” key whereas as the touch screen shares it with the “.” key. I generally have to enter them in using the positive function & then go back to each one & hit the negative key in the appropriate spot.
5-baseline-enter-make-sure-correct-negative
The next screen brings up the test results – as I have my manometer set to give me the CFM @ 50 pa, I simply use -50 for the nominal building pressure. If I didn’t have that set, I would enter the actual pressure showing on the gauge. As a reminder, it is always important to double check your settings.
6-test-screen
One feature I always use is the photo option to prove what the reading is. One feature that never seemed to work with my 3G phone was the geo-tag, but hopefully it works better on the 4g networks.
This is essentially what you should see when you have entered all the data in properly
7-competed-test

The Report:

You got to love an app that has all the necessary information being automatically generated for you. If you look at the screen above you may notice 3 icons – a report, an envelope & a question mark. The page looking one which is the report allows you to view & also email an HTML report file. This is what the email option looks like which includes the blower door picture taken.
7-tectite-email-report-screen
This is a copy of the report generated – which has been cropped & modified a bit to fit here.
tectite-single-point-retrotec-report

The Big Issue:

If you scroll back up a little you may notice the baseline reading screen & the associated issues we had with it. Below is what happens if you simply enter the baseline readings in & leave them positive assuming they are actually negative. In this case there is a difference of over 100 CFM’s & .32 ACH difference. Not only might someone fail, but if this is a verified rating you might run into issues when your QA provider runs the test & comes up with the correct reading as you probably have gone past your allowable margin.
tectite-verify-settings

Related posts:

Day 4: RESNET HERS training
Notes from the Field: A tale of two reports & getting your money’s worth
Energy Auditing Services Update – BPI Certification
LEED Habitat: Targeted Air-Sealing & Pre-Drywall Inspection
Alabama’s New Duct testing requirement goes into effect???
Notes from the Field: The AHRI Directory
Basic Energy Audit Questionnaire & Checklists
Duct Testing - FAQ’s
  •  Tweet
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Filed Under: Infrared, Code Verification, & Energy Audits January 30, 2014 By SLS Leave a Comment

Featured Posts

Getting ready for Spring: Your deck & grill

Hopefully, this last snow storm was it for spring (really?) meaning most of us can start getting ready to grill and get back to enjoying the great outdoors. Needless to say for ...

Read More

March – Early Spring Maintenance Checklist

March and the start of spring, is a great time, as it seems to bring out a new life in everything. The trees start to bloom, the animals that were ...

Read More

Preventing or fixing frozen water pipes

Updated: This article was originally posted in early 2010 after the Alabama Department of Health issued the following warning via press release: Prolonged period of cold weather ahead prompts warnings to ...

Read More

BS4D: Saving on Heating Related Energy Costs

For the bulk of the year, energy costs are not a big concern to many and instead most calls relate to comfort, safety or health issues. We are now starting ...

Read More

Common Sense Building: Build Radon Out

Common Sense Building: Build Radon Out

As many of you probably already know, January is National Radon Month. Just like CO, it is an odorless & tasteless gas; however, unlike CO there are no warning signs ...

Read More

FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

Read More

FAQ on Duct Cleaning: All Hype or Worthy Expense?

It must be spring time... I got the following in the mail just the other day: 5 different ads all for duct cleaning. With allergy season starting along with my ...

Read More

Random Glossary term

  • CR

    When completing Code Compliance Testing or doing a “Verified” Rating one has two options when it comes to Blower Door Tests. Today we are going to look at the single point test (802.5) using a smartphone app from The Energy Conservatory (EC) called iTec RESNET. We are also going to look at an issue that can dramatically impact […]

The HTRC - Copyright © 2006–2021 by TheHTRC.com & SLS Construction & Building Solutions LLC http://SLS-Construction.com