If your building exceeds a certain size, or is a domestic property, you can't hand it over to the client without a valid air leakage test certificate.

Part L of the Buildings Regulations requires that all non domestic buildings which have a gross floor area greater than 500m2, be subject to a mandatory air permeability test.
For domestic dwellings a representative sample of houses (in a development) must be tested.

The air-tightness of a building is known as its 'air permeability' or leakage rate. Air leakage can occur through gaps, holes and cracks in the fabric of the building envelope (service penetrations, wall/roof junctions etc), which are not always visible.

The air leakage affects the building's performance and is one of the key areas in meeting Building Regulations Part L or exceeding these standards for low carbon buildings, Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM. Making a building air tight reduces the amount of fuel needed to heat it, which in turn reduces the CO2 produced, reduces your carbon footprint and your energy bills.

The air tighness strategy should be developed in line with the fabric and ventilation proposals. We are experienced in delivering air leakage rates of less than 3m3/(h.m2), which is a requirement on many Code 4, 5 and 6 dwellings.

Energy Council provide BindT accredited air testing services to complement our SAP and SBEM As Built Certification Air permeability testing is a mandatory requirement under Building Regulations Part L for all new houses and large extensions (25%+ of existing). The air permeability rate that a dwelling requires is determined by the SAP evaluation but should be less than 10a/c at 50pa.

2010 Regulations

An air test is not required for every dwelling on a site, however under the 2010 regulations the amount of pressure testing will roughly double (compared to 2006 regs).
An pressure test is required on three units of each dwelling type or 50% of the instances of the dwelling type, whichever is smaller. 

A confidence factor will apply to dwellings not pressure tested. Where a dwelling has been pressure tested, this value is used in the SAP DER calcualtion.
Where the dwelling has not been pressure tested, the value used in the SAP DER calculation is the average of the measured values for this dwelling type, but with the addition of a confidence factor of 2m3/(h.m2) at 50Pa.

This means that for building regs a design air permeability of 8.0 is the maximum in order to meet the maximum of 10 at completion stage, and for Code 3 or 4 schemes the air leakage rate will typically need to be significantly better than this (3 and below).

Air Leakage Testing when it suits you

Energy Council will fit in the test around you, advise on how to prepare, provide advice on how to pass and provide feedback directly after the tests have been completed.

Energy Council have been in business for 17 years, specialising in low energy/emission buildings. Our experience extend to Passivhaus design, Thermal bridging and modeling, Code and BREEAM assessments, which complement the air testing services. We understand the principles and our technical capability provides a complete service.

Thermal imaging and infrared surveys

We can carry out thermal imaging of buildings with our own test equipment. A comprehensive thermal imaging survey and consultation service is provided. Infrared thermography (thermal imaging) is ideal for non-invasive assessment of areas such as flat roofs, walls and pipework. It will also quickly identify defects such as missing or damaged insulation and render, as well as condensation problems.

All work is carried out with minimal disruption and can be scheduled around your site requirements.

Call 0161 761 2299 to book your air test or get a quote.

We cover the whole of the UK.