Home Performance · Portland Metro & SW Washington
Test before you invest.
Most homeowners replace HVAC equipment hoping it'll fix the drafty bedroom, the high bills, or the room that never feels right. Often the equipment was never the problem. Blower-door, duct-leakage and infrared testing measure the building envelope and the ductwork so you know what's actually wrong before you spend on a system that won't fix it.
- 90 min – 3 hrsOnsite, depending on scope
- CFM50 · ACH50Measured, not estimated
- 2–3 daysWritten report, prioritized
The test costs a fraction of the install and saves multiples of itself in better decisions.
Home performance testing, in five facts
- 90 min – 3 hrsOnsite, depending on scope.
- CalibratedBlower door, duct blaster, infrared.
- 2–3 daysWritten report with findings.
- ETO & federalProgram-compliant report format.
- No quotaThe test is independent of any equipment sale.
- Oregon CCB #40820
- WA Contractor #LARSEMS742D7
Three reasons to test the house.
The test surfaces the actual problem so you spend on the right fix instead of guessing.
Before a heat pump or HVAC replacement
The Manual J load calculation is more accurate when the actual envelope leakage is known. Test first and the equipment gets sized to the house you have, not the house on the estimate sheet.
When comfort problems persist
Drafts, rooms that never feel right, high bills. If the equipment has already been replaced and nothing changed, the envelope or the ducts are the reason.
When you're planning energy upgrades
Insulation, air sealing, window replacement. Infrared shows which stud bays, knee walls and attic edges are actually losing heat, so you insulate where it matters rather than where it's easy.
Tell us what you're noticing.
These are the complaints testing answers. Equipment quotes usually don't.
One bedroom is always drafty.
Air leaking through the envelope, and the blower-door test locates it with a smoke pencil.
The bills climb and nothing explains it.
Most older Portland-area duct systems lose 20 to 35% of conditioned air into an attic or crawl.
Somebody said the AC is undersized.
Often wrong. The existing equipment is fine and the ducts are the problem.
You replaced the equipment and nothing changed.
Because the equipment was never the driver. The envelope was.
Smoke season gets inside.
Envelope leakage is the first input to any wildfire-smoke solution.
You want to insulate, but not everywhere.
The infrared survey names the specific stud bays, knee walls and attic edges worth paying for.
Test the house first.
A blower-door + duct-leakage test either confirms a replacement and sharpens the Manual J, or surfaces a different problem that saves you the install.
Three instruments. One picture of the home.
Booked individually or as a full audit with a written report.
Blower-door test
A calibrated fan in the front door depressurizes the home to 50 pascals, and a flow meter reports the airflow required to hold it. That is your envelope's leak rate, in CFM50 and ACH50. Tight homes (under 4 ACH50) hold heat and keep smoke out. Average homes (4 to 10) waste meaningful energy. Leaky homes (10+) prioritize air sealing before any HVAC replacement.
Measures: CFM50, ACH50 · Time: 60-90 min · Output: tightness number, leak locations
What it means: the number tells you whether tightening up is the next move, or whether the envelope is already tight enough that the next dollar goes elsewhere.
Duct-leakage test
A duct blaster pressurizes the duct system to 25 pascals. Two numbers come back: total leakage, and leakage to outside, which is what leaves the conditioned envelope into attic, crawlspace or outdoors. Total leakage above 10% of system airflow indicates a meaningful upgrade opportunity. Leakage to outside above 6% almost always justifies sealing.
Measures: CFM25 total, CFM25 to outside · Time: 45-60 min · Output: % leakage, target areas
What it means: most older Portland-area duct systems lose 20 to 35% of conditioned air. That is heating and cooling you already paid for, vented into the attic, and sealing the ducts is often the single highest-ROI upgrade available.
Infrared camera survey
A radiometric infrared camera visualizes surface temperatures across walls, ceilings and floors. Performed with the home under depressurization (blower-door running) or thermal stress (a cold winter morning), the survey reveals missing or compressed insulation, thermal bridges and air leakage paths.
Measures: surface temperature gradients · Time: 45-60 min · Output: annotated photos, action map
What it means: the picture makes invisible problems obvious, and the photos go in the report so you see exactly where to act.
Combined audit + written report
The full audit combines all three tests and adds a written report delivered within 2 to 3 business days: the test numbers, photos from the infrared survey, prioritized recommendations in order of cost-effectiveness, and the format required if you're pursuing Energy Trust of Oregon rebates or federal tax credits that require a qualified audit.
Includes: all three tests · Time: 2.5-3 hrs onsite · Output: written report in 2-3 days
What it means: you start where the dollars work hardest, and you have a measured baseline to test against after the work is done.
Two ways to diagnose a comfort problem.
One guesses. The other measures.
| What is being compared | Typical diagnosis | Tru72 diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| The diagnosis | "Your AC is undersized. Replace it." A visual estimate without measuring the envelope or the ductwork. Often wrong; the existing equipment is fine and the ducts are the problem. | Envelope and ducts measured first. Blower-door and duct-leakage results identify the actual driver. Sometimes replacement; often sealing existing ductwork is the bigger win. |
| Insulation | "You need more insulation." A general recommendation without an infrared survey to show where insulation is actually missing or compressed. | Infrared shows where insulation is missing. The camera identifies specific stud bays, knee walls, attic edges. You insulate where it matters, not where it's easy. |
| Priorities | Recommendations not prioritized. A list of everything that could improve the home, no order, no cost-per-improvement context. | Recommendations ranked by cost-effectiveness. The report orders fixes by cost per CFM of leakage reduced (or equivalent metric). You start where the dollars work hardest. |
| The record | Verbal results only. The contractor tells you what they found; no written record. No baseline to measure improvement against. | Written report with measured baselines. Every test number documented. If you complete air sealing or duct sealing, a follow-up test quantifies the improvement. |
| The motive | HVAC replacement quote attached. The "test" is often a sales call. The recommendation always lands on replacement. | Test is independent of any equipment sale. You may end up replacing equipment, sealing ducts, adding insulation, or doing none of those. Tru72 sells the diagnosis. The data tells you what comes next. |
Five steps. Measured at each.
Schedule, test, image, report, plan.
Schedule
Pick a scope (single test or full audit) and a 3-hour window. We confirm and route a senior technician.
Blower-door test
Calibrated fan in the front door. CFM50 and ACH50 measured and noted. Smoke pencil traces leak locations.
Duct-leakage test
Duct blaster pressurizes the system. Total and to-outside leakage measured. Target areas flagged.
Infrared survey
Camera survey of walls, ceilings, attic, and key trouble areas under depressurization. Photos taken.
Written report
Test numbers, IR photos, prioritized recommendations, program-compliant format if required. Delivered in 2-3 days.
Keep reading.
Heat Pumps
Manual J on every install. Testing data makes the Manual J more accurate.
Indoor Air Quality
Envelope leakage data is the first input to a wildfire-smoke solution.
Financing
If the test points to a major upgrade, flexible financing options are available. Call a project manager at (541) 652-6299 to ask.
Common questions about home performance testing.
Plain answers from a diagnostic-first crew.
What is a blower-door test, and why would I want one?
A blower-door test measures how much air leaks through your home's envelope. A calibrated fan installed in an exterior door depressurizes the house to 50 pascals, and a flow meter reports the resulting airflow in CFM50 (cubic feet per minute at 50 pascals) or ACH50 (air changes per hour). The number tells you whether your home is tight, average, or leaky. Tight homes hold heat in winter and keep smoke and pollen out in summer. Leaky homes waste 20 to 40% of the energy you pay for heating and cooling. A blower-door test is the only way to know which one you have.
When does it make sense to do home performance testing?
Three common cases. First, before a heat pump or major HVAC replacement: the Manual J load calculation is more accurate when actual envelope leakage is known. Second, when comfort problems persist: drafts, rooms that never feel right, high bills. Third, when planning energy upgrades: insulation, air sealing, window replacement. The test surfaces the actual problem so you spend on the right fix instead of guessing.
What does a duct-leakage test reveal?
A duct blaster pressurizes the duct system to 25 pascals and measures the leakage rate in CFM25. Two numbers are reported: total leakage (how much air leaks out of the ducts at all) and leakage to outside (how much escapes the conditioned envelope into the attic, crawlspace, or outdoors). Most older Portland-area duct systems leak 20 to 35% of conditioned air, which is heating or cooling you paid for, going to unconditioned space. Sealing the ductwork is often the single highest-ROI energy upgrade available.
What is infrared thermal imaging used for?
An infrared camera shows surface temperature differences across walls, ceilings, windows, and other building components. With the home depressurized (during a blower-door test) or under thermal stress (a cold winter morning), the camera reveals where insulation is missing or compressed, where air leakage paths exist, and where thermal bridges (studs, joists, framing) are letting heat through. The image makes invisible problems obvious.
How much does home performance testing cost?
Tru72 offers home performance testing as a standalone diagnostic service. Pricing varies with scope: a focused blower-door + duct-leakage test is most common; full audits adding infrared imaging and a written report cost more. Energy Trust of Oregon may subsidize testing as part of qualifying programs for some homeowners. Call (541) 652-6299 for current pricing and a scope walkthrough.
Will this qualify me for any rebates?
Possibly. Some Energy Trust of Oregon programs require pre and post air-sealing or duct-sealing testing to qualify for the associated rebates. Federal energy-efficient home improvement tax credits also require qualified audits in certain cases. Tru72 documents test results in the format required by the relevant program when you tell us up front which program you're pursuing.
How long does the testing take?
A standard blower-door + duct-leakage test is about 90 minutes to 2 hours. Adding infrared imaging brings it to 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on home size. A full audit with a written report typically completes within the same visit; the report follows in 2 to 3 business days.
Does Tru72 also do the air-sealing and duct-sealing work after testing?
Tru72 performs duct sealing directly (Aeroseal in-duct sealing for accessible duct runs, manual sealing where access is available). For whole-home envelope sealing (attic insulation, knee walls, basement and crawl space sealing), we recommend specialist envelope contractors and coordinate the work so test-out results can be measured.
The test costs a fraction of the install.
Schedule the test before the equipment quote. The numbers either confirm the replacement and improve the Manual J accuracy by 15 to 25%, or surface a different problem that saves you the install entirely. Either way, you spend the next dollar on the right thing.
- Portland Metro & SW Washington(541) 652-6299
Home performance testing across the Portland metro and SW Washington
Tru72 Heating & Cooling performs blower-door, duct-leakage and infrared testing for homes in Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, West Linn, Oregon City, and across the Columbia in Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield and La Center, from the Lake Oswego dispatch at 5 Centerpointe Dr, Ste 87. CFM50 and ACH50 measured with calibrated instruments. Written report in 2 to 3 business days, in the format Energy Trust of Oregon and federal programs require. Oregon CCB #40820 · WA #LARSEMS742D7.
