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What is The Difference Between Residential Air Testing & Commercial Air Testing?

Written by ATSPACE | Aug 10, 2022 11:22:32 AM

Air testing is our bread & butter! Here at ATSPACE, we have been doing this since day one and have vast knowledge and experience on all things air, for residential and commercial.  Our engineers can test anything from a single fan bungalow to a multi-fan warehouse, a simple traditional home to a modern Passivhaus grand design. Put simply, if it has 4 walls and a roof, we can test it!  

Is there a difference between a commercial air test and a residential air test?  

Honestly, there is very little difference between air testing for commercial and residential buildings. Actually, the testing process itself is almost identical. The only key difference is the preparation of the buildings, along with the number of fans needed to test. 

Both types will have similar common leakage areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens, blockwork, junctions and service inlets. The only difference is that a commercial may have significantly more of these areas that need to be sealed. Also, with a larger building, it may require more than the typical 1 fan a residential home usually needs. We have done up to 20 fans on a large commercial warehouse. This depends on how well the building is sealed and the air tightness target it needs to achieve, which is set by the SAP or SBEM. (We also provide this service 😉) 

Do I require an Air Test? 

Under the new building regulations, all new construction requires an air test regardless of size. And the only additional testing that may be needed on a non-dwelling (commercial) is if there is an extension to a building with a usable area greater than 1,000 m2 and the extension is greater than 100 m2 and provides an increase in area greater than 25%, this will be considered a new building. 

If you are unsure whether you need an air test, ATSPACE offers a site or office-based survey, which will allow us to determine if you require a test. In addition, we can let you know if we can see any potential leakage issues when it comes to testing. Giving you peace of mind that all boxes are ticked prior to our visit.