Jargon. I have always said we shouldn’t use jargon but there it is right in the title! 2ACH means 2 Air Changes Per Hour….which means that all the air in the volume being measured changes completely
– twice – in one hour. In this case the volume being tested is our new townhouse.
Last month, #EnergyScore held a #BPI training class here that ran blower door tests. They found the house had 19ACH! Holy cow that is breezy. Since that time we have been contemplating air sealing projects and actually accomplished two: Sealing up a broken window at the very top at of the house and Installing weather stripping around the side door. #EnergyScore’s latest class found the house has 17ACH….a drop of 2ACH with two simple changes.
Now a 2ACH drop is significant yes but putting it in context shows how much opportunity there is for saving energy at our new townhouse. The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) calls for a TOTAL 
of 3ACH for our climate zone. That means to meet code, we need to reduce air changes by 14ACH.
The #EnergyScore students provided some hints on where to start: Augment the weather stripping on the loft’s french door, Seal the old dryer vent hole and Seal up the utility closet drywall. Those will get done before they come back with another class – maybe we will be rewarded with another 2ACH drop. Fingers crossed.
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