1.5  D.R.Wastchak Technical Assistance

Subcontractor D.R.Wastchak provided builder design and testing services primarily in the Phoenix, Arizona area to build, rate, and certify Building America homes.  To date, this partner certified 2,614 Energy Star homes and tested 57 new homes for Building America/Energy Star data collection.  Ductblaster tests have been conducted on 427 homes and another 418 with a blower door.

• "Air Flow" Model Air Conditioning Unit Leakage

Air leakage tests showed that the "Air Flow" model air conditioning units are leaking more than other models tested.  Results of this leakage found greater numbers of homes with Air Flow systems which exceeded the maximum six percent leakage allowed by Energy Star.

• Attic Ventilation Research

In 2001, D.R. Wastchak instrumented two Beazer model homes at Avalan del Lago to evaluate the effects of ventilation on attic temperatures.  FSEC monitoring began on two additional Beazer homes, and a fifth home with an unvented attic.

Beazer:  Initial data recorded for the two FSEC models revealed gas fireplace operation in both units and slightly different heating and cooling thermostat settings between the units.  Sales staff in all five homes were instructed about the importance of maintaining consistent thermostat settings so that data between the models could be compared.

BAIHP learned that the two model homes would be available for data collection into August and perhaps September 2002.  Since data was to be collected over an entire year originally, the research plan was modified to accommodate this accelerated schedule. The new strategy which was completed in 2002,  included repair of the data acquisition system, the addition of instrumentation to monitor heating data, and duct system testing.  Once data collection was completed at the two test homes, the test equipment was disassembled and the homes returned the homes to their original condition. FSEC will complete the final phase of data analysis during the next reporting period.