Home Performance — Albany & the Mid-Willamette Valley
Test the house before you replace the equipment.
Most homeowners replace HVAC hoping it will 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 measures the building envelope and the ductwork, so you know what's actually wrong before you spend $15,000 on a system that won't fix it.
- 90 min – 3 hrsOn site, depending on scope
- 2–3 daysWritten report, findings and recommendations
- 20–35%Conditioned air lost by a typical older duct system
The test costs a fraction of an install, and the report comes in the format Energy Trust and federal programmes require.
The Albany home performance standard, in five facts
- Blower door · duct blaster · IRCalibrated instruments, not estimates.
- 90 min – 3 hrsOn site, depending on scope.
- 2–3 daysWritten report with the numbers and the photos.
- Program-readyFormatted for Energy Trust and federal programmes.
- IndependentThe test is a diagnosis, not an equipment sale.
- Oregon CCB #40820
Three reasons homeowners book a test.
Each one ends with a number, not an opinion.
You're about to replace a system
The Manual J load calculation is more accurate when the actual envelope leakage is known. Test first and the sizing is built on your house, not on an assumption about it.
A comfort problem won't go away
Drafts, rooms that never feel right, bills that climb every year. The test surfaces which of the three — envelope, ducts, equipment — is driving it.
You're planning energy upgrades
Insulation, air sealing, window replacement. Some Energy Trust programmes require pre- and post-work testing to qualify, and certain federal credits require a qualified audit. Tell us which programme you're pursuing and the results come back in its format.
Tell us what you're noticing.
Every one of these has a measurement behind it.
One bedroom is always drafty.
Envelope leakage takes a path, and the infrared camera finds it.
The bills climb and nothing else changed.
A leaky home wastes 20 to 40% of the energy you pay for heating and cooling.
A room never feels right, whatever the thermostat says.
Usually the duct run serving it, not the equipment making the air.
The ducts run through the attic or the crawl.
Where a typical older valley duct system loses 20 to 35% of what it carries.
Someone quoted a replacement without measuring anything.
A visual estimate with no envelope or duct numbers behind it is a guess with a price on it.
A rebate programme is asking for test results.
Pre- and post-work testing is a condition of some Energy Trust programmes and some federal credits.
Test the house first.
A blower-door and duct-leakage test either confirms the 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. Without these numbers, any recommendation is a guess.
Blower-door test — how leaky the envelope is.
A calibrated fan in the front door depressurizes the home to 50 pascals, and a flow meter reports the airflow needed to hold that pressure. That is your leak rate, in CFM50 and ACH50. Under 4 ACH50 is a tight home that holds heat and keeps smoke out. 4 to 10 is average and wastes meaningful energy. Over 10 means air sealing comes before any HVAC replacement.
Measures CFM50 and ACH50 · 60–90 minutes · Output: tightness number and leak locations, traced with a smoke pencil.
What it means: The number tells you whether the next dollar goes into insulation and air sealing, or whether the envelope is already tight enough that it belongs somewhere else.
Duct-leakage test — how much conditioned air you're losing.
A duct blaster pressurizes the duct system to 25 pascals and reports two numbers: total leakage, and leakage to outside the conditioned envelope into attic, crawlspace or outdoors. Total leakage above 10% of system airflow is a meaningful upgrade opportunity. Leakage to outside above 6% almost always justifies sealing.
Measures CFM25 total and CFM25 to outside · 45–60 minutes · Output: leakage percentage and target areas.
What it means: Most older Albany-area duct systems lose 20 to 35% of conditioned air into the attic or crawl. That is heating and cooling you already paid for, and sealing it is often the highest-return upgrade available.
Infrared survey — where the problems are hiding.
A radiometric camera reads surface temperatures across walls, ceilings and floors. Run with the home depressurized by the blower door, or under thermal stress on a cold winter morning, it reveals missing or compressed insulation, air leakage paths and thermal bridges through studs, joists and framing.
Measures surface temperature gradients · 45–60 minutes · Output: annotated photos and an action map, included in the written report.
What it means: You insulate the specific stud bays, knee walls and attic edges that are failing, instead of the places that are easy to reach.
The full audit — all three, plus the report.
The combined audit runs all three tests in one visit, 2.5 to 3 hours on site, and adds a written report within 2 to 3 business days: the test numbers, the infrared photos, recommendations ranked in order of cost-effectiveness, and the format required if you're pursuing Energy Trust of Oregon rebates or federal tax credits that call for a qualified audit.
What it means: You finish with a baseline. Air-seal or duct-seal afterwards and a follow-up test measures exactly what the work bought you.
Two ways to diagnose a comfort problem. One measures it.
The other guesses.
| What is being compared | Typical diagnosis | Tru72 diagnosis |
|---|---|---|
| The starting point | "Your AC is undersized. Replace it." A visual estimate with no envelope or ductwork measurement behind it, and often wrong: the equipment is fine and the ducts are the problem. | Envelope and ducts measured first. The results identify the actual driver — sometimes replacement, often sealing the ductwork you already have. |
| Insulation advice | "You need more insulation," with no infrared survey to show where it is actually missing or compressed. | The camera identifies specific stud bays, knee walls and attic edges. You insulate where it matters, not where it's easy. |
| The recommendations | A list of everything that could improve the home. No order, no cost-per-improvement context. | Ranked by cost-effectiveness — cost per CFM of leakage reduced, or the equivalent metric. You start where the dollars work hardest. |
| The record | Verbal results only. No written record, and no baseline to measure improvement against. | Every test number documented. Complete the air sealing or duct sealing and a follow-up test quantifies the improvement. |
| The incentive | The "test" is often a sales call, and the recommendation always lands on replacement. | Independent of any equipment sale. You may end up replacing equipment, sealing ducts, adding insulation or none of them. Tru72 sells the diagnosis. |
Five steps. Measured at each.
Schedule, test, image, report, plan.
Schedule
Pick a scope — a single test or the 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, leak locations traced with a smoke pencil.
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 the known trouble areas, under depressurization. Photos taken.
Written report
Test numbers, infrared photos, prioritized recommendations and the programme-compliant format where it's required. Delivered in 2 to 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, call a project manager at (541) 652-6299 to talk it through.
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 Albany-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.
Book it 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, the next dollar goes to the right thing.
- Albany & the Mid-Willamette Valley(541) 652-6299
Blower-door, duct-leakage and infrared testing across Albany and the Mid-Willamette Valley
Tru72 Heating & Cooling tests homes in Albany, Corvallis, Philomath, Lebanon, Tangent, Millersburg, Sweet Home, Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg, Scio, Shedd, Jefferson, Sublimity and Stayton, from the Albany dispatch at 815-A SE 1st Ave E. Blower-door envelope leakage in CFM50 and ACH50, duct leakage in CFM25 total and to outside, radiometric infrared survey, and a written report in 2 to 3 business days, formatted for Energy Trust of Oregon and federal programmes where required. Oregon CCB #40820 · WA #LARSEMS742D7.
