A duct blaster combines a small fan and a pressure gauge to pressurize a house’s duct system and accurately measure air leakage of theductwork. This test is similiar to a pressure test of a plumbing system. Duct leakage can increase heating and cooling costs over 30% and contribute to comfort, health and safety problems.

The Duct Blaster tests the leakiness of a duct system. The Duct Blaster is attached to one entry into the duct system, with all other vents and intakes temporarily sealed. The Duct Blaster uses a fan to force air into the system until a standard pressure is reached. Subsequent measurements reveal how much air is leaking from the ductwork. This indicates the amount of conditioned air, hot or cold, that is not being delivered to the areas of the home for which it was intended. In other words, the energy used to heat or cool the conditioned air leaked out of the system and was wasted. Decreasing the leakiness of ductwork improves the energy-efficiency of a home.

To see some nice video footage of the duct blaster test take a look at the following link at the
California Energy Commission

Ductblaster Video