Pulse air tightness testing for buildings

Pulse air tightness testing for buildings is considered an alternative method to standard blower door test to measure the air tightness of a building. In June 2022 the published edition of the UK Approved Document L of the Building Regulations, for the first time included approval of an alternative method of airtightness testing to the traditional approach using a fan pressurisation system.

The pulse system approach measures the air leakage of a building at a near ambient pressure level of 4 Pascals (Pa) rather than the standard blower pressure of 50 Pascals (Pa), allowing for a portable compressed-air based unit. This lower pressure testing give an air leakage measurement representative of inhabited conditions of the buildings and simplifies the process of testing removing the need for block up doorways and fans to penetrate the building fabric, so less disruptive.

Whilst the system is approved by the buildings regulations for use in UK buildings industry responses to the Future Homes Standard consultation revealed that there was some lack of confidence in the method, when dealing with very airtight properties, and more generally in comparing the different testing methods. A study published in Energy and Buildings Volume 295 (15 September 2023, 113270) "An investigation into the efficacy of the pulse method of airtightness testing in new build and Passivhaus properties" (Harriet Seddon & Hua Zhong) However showed that when extrapolated up to 50 Pa all fell within the fan pressurisation’s 10% uncertainty range.

The technology was developed by The University of Nottingham, and is now commercially-licensed to tech start-up, Build Test Solutions (BTS), for further information visit https://www.buildtestsolutions.com.

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