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BPI Written Exam - Section 2 Buildings and Their Systems

  1. 3. Identify Duct Sealing Opportunities and Applications 

Duct sealing is an energy auditors and home performance contractor's bread and butter. It is the upgrade most often done and one of the most cost-effective upgrade in homes with the ductwork in the attic or crawlspace (for homes with ductwork in conditioned space, the most cost-effective upgrade is air sealing).
Duct sealing should be done at all:
Inside the house for flex ductwork
  1. Boot to sheetrock (at drywall gap when you take off a register). This includes the return grille that needs to come off.
  2. Inner flex-to collar connection.
  3. Seal the collar teeth, metal-to-metal connections (coat with a thick layer of mastic so you can't see the collar teeth anymore)
  4. Register box at the seems and nail penetrations.
Inside the house for metal ductwork (round rigid and rectangular)
  1. All the seems and metal straps and any T-connections. For rectangular ductwork use a PVC pipe and attached a brush to the end to reach as far back as you can.
  2. Boot to sheetrock (at drywall gap when you take off a register). This includes the return grille that needs to come off.
  3. If you see flex tying into sheet metal ductwork, seal the flex as you would regularly (flex to collar connections)
In the attic for flex ductwork
  1. At the plenum to collar connections
  2. Collar to flex connections
  3. Flex-to-flex splices
  4. Wye's
  5. Mixing or triangle boxes
  6. Terminals (optional if you are doing inside sealing and can seal the ductwork from the inside)
In the attic for sheet metal ductwork
  1. For round rigid sheet metal, metal screws need to be drilled into all the connections to secure the ductwork
  2. The run of the seem
  3. The metal strapping around the rectangular ductwork
  4. Wrap the ductwork in insulation
For plenums, AHU and elbows - this leakage is the most important because it is closest to the blower motor and under the highest pressure. If you are doing a time a materials contract, always start duct sealing at the unit then work your way out. A 1" hole closer to the unit is not the same as a 1" hole 20 feet downstream.
  1. On AHU, seal the AHU to the plenum on all four sides (the bottom is sometimes hard to reach or gets missed). You can access the bottom side from the inside of the plenum by popping a flex duct off and reaching inside.
  2. On roof mounted package units seal the elbow seams and the folds close to the shingles. On the underside of the elbow there are TWO folds that need to be sealed. You can access half from each side of the elbow or the entire thing by crawling under the package unit. This is another item that commonly gets missed.
  3. For package units you can access the return collar connection in the attic from the roof. Unscrew and remove the access panel on the package unit and you can crawl into the elbow on the return side. Sometimes this is preferable because the return collar in the attic is usually inaccessible because it is so close to the roof studs.
The methods I listed above are the locations that duct sealing should be done. The most common approach is manual hand sealing. I prefer this method because the sealant (Pookie) can be applied thick. Another method is Aeroseal which is ideal for inaccessible ducts and a flat roof home. You can read more about Aeroseal at our review here.

Next Section

2a. Building Components
  1. Identify basic duct configurations and components
  2. Identify basic hydronic distribution configurations and components
  3. Identify basic structural components of residential construction 
  4. Thermal boundaries and insulation applications 
  5. Basic electrical components and safety considerations 
  6. Basic fuel delivery systems and safety considerations
  7. Basic bulk water management components (drainage plumbing gutters sumps etc) 
  8. Vapor barriers/retarders 
  9. Radiant barrier principles and installations 
  10. Understand fenestration types and efficiencies 
  11. Understand issues involved with basements, crawlspaces, slabs, attics, attached garages, interstitial cavities, and bypasses 
  12. Understand issues involved with ventilation equipment 
  13. Understand basic heating / cooling equipment components controls and operation 
  14. Understand basic DHW equipment components controls and operation 
  15. Identify common mechanical safety controls 
  16. Identify insulation types and R-Values 
  17. Understand various mechanical ventilation equipment and strategies: spot, ERV, HRV 
2b. Conservation Strategies
  1. Appropriate insulation applications and installation based on existing conditions 
  2. Opportunity for ENERGY STAR lighting and appliances 
  3. Identify duct sealing opportunities and applications 
  4. Understand importance of air leakage control and remediation procedures 
  5. Blower door-guided air sealing techniques 
  6. Water conservation devices and strategies 
  7. Domestic Hot Water (DHW) conservation strategies 
  8. Heating & cooling efficiency applications 
  9. Proper use of modeling to determine heating and cooling equipment sizing and appropriate energy use
  10. Understand the use of utility history analysis in conservation strategies 
  11. Appropriate applications for sealed crawlspaces basements and attics 
  12. Identify/understand high density cellulose 
  13. Appropriate applications for fenestration upgrades including modification or replacement 
2c. Comprehensive Building Assessment Process
  1. Determine areas of customer complaints/concerns in interview
  2. Understand / recognize need for conducting appropriate diagnostic procedures including when to refer to a specialist for further investigation
  3. Interaction between mechanical systems, envelope systems and occupant behavior
2d. Design considerations
  1. Appropriate insulation applications based on existing conditions
  2. Understand fire codes as necessary to apply home performance in a code-approved manner.
  3. Understand/recognize building locations where opportunities for retrofit materials and processes are needed to correct problems and/or enhance performance
  4. Understand climate specific concerns
  5. Understand indoor environment considerations for the environmentally sensitive
  6. Understand impact of building orientation, landscape drainage, and grading
  7. Opportunity potential renewable energy applications: geothermal , photovoltaic, wind
  8. Understand impact of shading on heating / cooling loads
  9. Awareness for solar gain reduction in cooling climate/solar gain opportunities in heating climates
  10. Understand need for modeling various options for heating, cooling and DHW applications, as well as other efficiency upgrades