USING THE PRESSURE PAN TECHNIQUE TO PRIORITIZE DUCT SEALING EFFORTS -A STUDY OF 18 ARKANSAS HOMES

The purpose of this 1991 investigation was to gather data on the preva lence and size of duct leakage for a dispersed sample of Arkansas hous es. Information on the practicality, cost and success of duct sealing procedures are included. This study also illustrates the use of a simp le, but very powerful, diagnostic tool, which we call the ''pressure p an''. The concept evolved from experiments by others to find pressure fields (generated by forced-air systems) inside wall cavities. The pro cedure directs repair efforts and provides follow-up quality control. The calculations of energy savings achieved after sealing the duct sys tems are based on direct metering of the daily consumption of the elec tricity or gas for space heating and hourly outside temperatures. The study reports that, before repair, the average duct system leakage at 50 pascals in cubic feet per minute was 621 (0.293 cubic meters per se cond at 50 pascals), which represents an average of 21.6% of the total leakage of the study houses. For that sample, the average reduction i n energy consumption after repair was 21.89%; 31.3% for heat pumps and 19.7% for gas furnaces. Converting the energy reduction data into dol lars and considering the repair costs results in very positive simple payback and benefit-to-cost ratio.