First Blower Door and Duct Testing Certification Trainings

Our first 8 newly certified DET Verifiers came through our brand new training center at our home in Atlanta! It was a thrill, honestly, since I haven’t given any in-person trainings in over a year (like most trainers). Everyone passed their certification exams, which doesn’t always happen- they have to earn 80% on both written and hands-on exams with the equipment, and do a bunch of geometry calculations that we all forgot since high school.

They all totally rocked the use of the blower door and duct tightness tester, and are ready to rock the houses in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Alabama (no joke, that’s where all these folks work). Super happy also that we didn’t have a bunch of last minute registrations, which used to be the bane of my existence. Sold out weeks ahead of time- very grateful!

A few class stats:

Furthest Traveled: Nashville, TN (thanks DocAir for sending 3 of your crew!)

Funniest Pandemic Hobby: breeding fish

Funniest Place to Keep a Calculator: chest pocket of bib overalls

Number of 100% scores on exam: 2 (25%)

Newest DET Verifier Certified in Georgia!

Never taught a DET Verifier training for one before- this should be interesting!

In a customized 1-on-1 COVID-adapted class, Corbett Lunsford trained, examined and certified Treondras Manning, HVAC technician and Georgia’s newest certified Duct and Envelope Testing (DET) Verifier. As a DET Verifier, Treondras is certified to perform blower door tests and duct tightness testing on new construction and renovations in the state of Georgia. He is also one of Corbett’s Mastermind students, and is helping homeowners in the Atlanta area tune the air quality, comfort, durability and energy efficiency of their homes with his building science and diagnostics expertise.

DET Verifier Trainees are taught the accepted blower door and duct leakage test protocols from the book ‘Home Performance Diagnostics: the Guide to Advanced Testing’ written by trainer Corbett Lunsford

Treondras Manning, right before he received his well-deserved certification as a Georgia certified DET Verifier

Watch DET Verifier Treondras Manning test Corbett’s heat pump cabinet for duct leakage in the high performance house his family is building.

Free Homeowner Course in College Park, GA

More Insulation? NO.
HVAC Replacement? NOPE.
New Windows? PLEASE STOP IT.

FREE COURSE FOR NORMAL PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HOMES:

How to PROVE You Got What You Paid For in Home Improvements and New Construction

Includes a free copy of ‘How to Keep an Eye on Your New Home Construction or Home Improvement’

Tues. Nov. 7, 6-8pm
Woodward Academy Chapel
1600 Rugby Avenue
College Park, GA

Corbett Lunsford built the world’s highest performance tiny house on wheels, but it’s not because he’s a great builder. He’s an idiot- just ask him. The reason he could create a home that feels perfectly comfortable, smells great, and sounds quiet all the time is that he’s learned to think about the physics of home performance, and measure it. And he wants to pass along what he’s learned so you never feel like you wasted money guessing- Proof Is Possible through the ‘magic’ of performance testing like infrared, blower door, and HVAC diagnostics.

Whether you’re planning home improvements, trying to solve a mystery house problem, or buying or building a home, you will learn a ton in this crash course from one of the world’s experts on the topic. Bring any and all questions about your particular home, and get your hands on high-tech testing tools!

IN THIS 2-HOUR WORKSHOP, YOU'LL LEARN TO:

• Explore your home through the lens of the #TinyLab (which housed 3 people and 2 cats on a 13k mile tour)
• Understand the physics of home performance, and predict problems before they happen
• Control the way your home feels, smells, and sounds using the latest technology and materials
• Ensure your home isn’t poisoning or endangering your family
• Make better investments in home upgrades

SPACE IS LIMITED! REGISTER FOR FREE AT:
ProofisPossible.com

How to Master the Multi-family Blower Door Test

Hello Corbett,
A need to run a Blower Door test at a 3 house complex here in Greece. The houses are in the row, this means that normally I should have three Blower door devices, in order to measure the house in the middle. But I have only one Blower Door!
Additionally, I will need to hand over a written document (report), in order to certify the construction to the Passive House Institute. Do you have any suggestions?
Best and thanks in advance,
Stefanos

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Hey Stefanos-
Great question! You do not, in fact, need multiple blower doors, because you actually want to include the unit-to-unit air leakage.  The measurement of all uncontrolled air leakage to outdoors and to other townhouses is a valuable one, and it should be the goal especially when building to Passive House (or PassivHaus) standards.  Watch this video for a visual explanation: