Last week I had a home energy audit conducted by REEis on the recommendation of a colleague in the sustainability/”green” field here in Phoenix. I had some idea of what to expect but the care and detail in the explanation of the process that David Robinson went into to ensure that I knew exactly what was happening was extraordinary.

The process involved diagnosing the home using a blower door test and thermal imaging to find areas where there are:

• Leaks in the Air condition duct system
• Penetrations which allow air exchange and connection between the attic and exterior of the home with the conditioned space
• Insulation failures
• Room pressure imbalance and heat island which cause uneven air temperature and comfort issues
• Unsealed windows and doors 

After the blower test they go up into the attic where the real proof for issues are found.  In the case of my home, penetrations, room pressure imbalances and a return air-handler that was completely disconnected were causing some serious issues. Our major complaints have been comfort — one side of the house barely cools — and high utlitity bills. 

The following videos step through the intial diagnosis.

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Completely disconnected air handler in our attic found by REEis during our home energy audit. This is one of the big reasons one side of our house barely cools - 140 degree air is trying to be cooled and recirculated rather than 80 degree air from the house.

The final determination was that we needed some serious work done in the attic to seal penetrations and reconnect the air handler. All services which REEis can handle directly. They also help with getting rebates and tax incentives — ours was around $730.

Our construction is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, August 17, so I will follow up with a final report. So far I am super impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail.