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Prescot - Air Testing - 0161 403 0129

Do I Need An Air Leakage Test?

Domestic properties and commercial buildings over a certain size must have a passing air leakage certificate before the property can be handed over following a sale. All new buildings in England and Wales have had this requirement since 2006 and in Scotland this has been mandatory since 2010.

On a large plot of new houses that are built to a similar specification, only a sample of the houses will need to be air tested. This was outlined in Part L of the aforementioned regulations.

We offer air leakage testing throughout Prescot and the surrounding areas where our experienced assessors will be happy to offer advice on the best ways to gain your air permeability rating. Planning your test in advance will help us determine how many test you'll need ahead of time per property and we always ensure we agree with the Building Control air testing regime.

When Should The Test Take Place?

For obvious reasons, an air pressure test is generally one of the last surveys to be undertaken once all the walls, windows, doors etc. are complete and sealed to stop any air escaping and prevent drafts through the property. The building envelope will also need to be completed.

The resulting air permeability rating will resemble the amount of uncontrolled air that's leaking from the dwelling. A passing score in Prescot is 10 m³/(h.m²). If the air test fails we will help you identify where these leakage areas occur in the hope that a passing rate will be achieved following a re-test.

The number of properties to be tested should be in accordance with the following table.

No. of Dwelling Type Instances No. of Tests Per Type
4 or less One test of each type
Greater than 4, but equal or less than 40 Two tests of each type
More than 40 At least 5% of each type, unless the first 5 units pass, when the frequency can be reduced to 2%

Our accredited consultants can help you comply with EPBD Article 9 and the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations. We have expert consultants in Prescot that will undertake an assessment of the efficiency of your air conditioning system, reviewing sizing / capacity and offering advice on any improvements or alternative solutions. These solutions, if implemented, can in many instances reduce costs and thus pays for the inspection in the first year.

We will seal all of the intentional leakage areas in the house prior to testing. These include:

  • Fireplaces
  • Extractor fans
  • Exhaust fans
  • Trickle vents
  • The odd uninstalled component

Everything else will have to stay 'as is' in the property.

To carry out such a test with accurate results, we require some general requirements to be made available at the time of the test: SAP Design air pressure test figure, an electricity supply and a water supply to enable traps to be filled.

Envelope

Area (m2)

Leakage Rates (m3/hr at 50Pa)
5 7.5 10 15 20 25
2000 0.51 0.76 1.01 1.52 2.03 2.54
5000 1.27 1.90 2.54 3.80 5.07 6.34
7500 90 2.85 3.80 5.71 7.61 9.51
10000 2.54 3.80 5.07 7.61 10.14 12.68
12500 3.17 4.75 6.34 9.51 12.68 15.85
15000 3.80 5.71 7.61 11.41 15.21 19.02
20000 5.07 7.61 10.14 15.21 20.29 25.36

It is a requirement under the Building Regulations 2006 Part L that new dwellings in Prescot must pass an air test prior to occupation; this test certificate must be produced for the dwelling to be signed off by local Prescot building control.

The report has all the details required by the regulations to indicate that a valid test has been performed.

For a quote or for more information, call our Prescot air tightness / pressure testing consultant on 0161 403 0129 or email query@air-testing-manchester.co.uk.

 
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