Alberta · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Blower door testing in Edmonton

A blower door test measures how leaky a house is and shows where the leaks are. In Edmonton, with about 5,668 heating degree-days a year, every leak runs up the heating bill for most of the year.

Get matched in Edmonton → The blower door test, step by step
A red blower-door panel with a large fan fitted into the front doorway of a brick bungalow, a pressure gauge on a stool inside

Cost

Included in an evaluation

Evaluation price

Expect $400+

Licensed organizations

27

Companies NRCan licenses to do EnerGuide evaluations

Houses built before 1961

15%

Older houses usually leak more and have less insulation

How Edmonton is built

Edmonton's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Edmonton's 275,750 houses. Before 1961: 15%, 1961–1990: 37%, 1991–2000: 10%, 2001 or later: 39%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 15%
  • 1961–1990 37%
  • 1991–2000 10%
  • 2001 or later 39%
Each house stands for one in ten of Edmonton's 275,750 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row and duplex), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. More snow in the drawing means more heating degree-days: a longer, colder heating season. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), NRCan HOT2000 climate data.

Why air leakage matters in Edmonton

Edmonton gets about 5,668 heating degree-days a year, a measure of how much heating its climate needs, and its winter design temperature, the cold day heating systems are sized for, is −30.8°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Edmonton International, the closest comparable location in that data set (26 km away) in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That's the 4th-highest heating demand of the 70 cities we cover. Cold winters: heating is the biggest energy cost, so stopping leaks and insulating come first.

Edmonton also gets hot spells and heat waves, so plan how the house will stay cool: air sealing, attic insulation and shading help, and a heat pump adds efficient cooling. Wildfire smoke reaches Edmonton in some summers. The Government of Canada's advice is to keep windows and doors closed, limit exhaust fans and use the best filter your system can handle, so ask the advisor what your furnace or HRV can take.

Of Edmonton's 275,750 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 15% were built before 1961 and 52% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. Older houses usually test leakier than newer ones, and an EnerGuide report compares your result with homes of the same era, so you can see whether your house is typical or a problem.

After you seal: two checks

What it costs in Edmonton

A blower door test is part of every EnerGuide evaluation rather than a separate purchase. There's no provincial rebate or price list; the City of Edmonton's guidance is to expect more than $400 and to get two or three quotes.

How the test works

  • A calibrated fan is fitted into an exterior door and pulls air out until the house is at 50 pascals, the standard test pressure.
  • The result is air changes per hour at 50 Pa (ACH50): how many times an hour the whole volume of air would leak out and be replaced at that pressure.
  • While the fan runs, you and the advisor walk the house and feel for leaks at the attic hatch, rim joists, pot lights, trim and plumbing and wiring penetrations.
  • A second test after the work shows what changed, and it is what most rebates pay on.

The blower door test in detail.

Prairies Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

What this means in Edmonton’s climate

Long, very cold, very dry winters: air sealing, radon testing and humidity balance lead.

Why it matters here: Measures leakage and, with a thermal scan, pinpoints attic bypasses and rim joist and window leaks.

Best timing: Any season; most revealing with a thermal scan on a cold, calm day.

  • Seal the top and bottom of the house. In deep cold, warm air rises and escapes through attic leaks while cold air is pulled in down low. Sealing both saves heat and helps prevent attic frost and ice dams. Ask: Ask the registered energy advisor to find attic bypasses, rim joist gaps and basement penetrations during the blower door test.
  • Insulate the basement and rim joists. Basements can account for about 20% of a home's heat loss. Check for cracks and water entry first; Manitoba's clay soils cracked some foundations during the 2021 drought. Ask: Ask whether the basement is dry enough to insulate from inside, and how much air leaks at the rim joist.

What else homes in Edmonton need →

Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Edmonton

A service organization is a company that Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) licenses to deliver EnerGuide evaluations; its registered energy advisors do the home visit. A blower door test is part of every EnerGuide evaluation, so any organization below can do one in Edmonton. Ask to walk the house with the advisor while the fan runs.

Source: NRCan list of licensed service organizations, checked September 28, 2026. Call to confirm your street is covered and ask about wait times.

Programs that include a blower door test in Edmonton

Provincial · needs an evaluation Clean Energy Improvement Program (Alberta) Property-tax financing in 27 Alberta municipalities, with an EnerGuide evaluation required; Calgary is closed until winter 2026/27 and Edmonton is waitlisting Open · deadline Municipal Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) City of Edmonton PACE-style financing (administered by Alberta Municipalities), repaid on the property tax bill: $3,000 to $50,000 at a 6.00% fixed rate for up to 20 years (or the upgrades' useful life). At least three upgrades are required; pre- and post-project EnerGuide evaluations are required. Air conditioners, gas furnaces (unless paired with a heat pump) and high-efficiency storage water heaters are not eligible. The City says it has no residential rebates at the moment.

Blower door test in Edmonton: common questions

Where can I get a blower door test in Edmonton?

Book an EnerGuide evaluation with any of the 27 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Edmonton; the blower door test is part of every evaluation.

How much does a blower door test cost in Edmonton?

It is included in an EnerGuide evaluation. There's no provincial rebate or price list; the City of Edmonton's guidance is to expect more than $400 and to get two or three quotes.

What is a good blower door result?

Lower is better. Your EnerGuide report compares your air changes per hour at 50 Pa with homes of the same era, which is more useful than a single target number.

Does air sealing affect radon?

It can. Tightening a house changes the pressure difference with the soil, so test for radon before and after major air sealing.

Blower door test near Edmonton

Blower door test in Sherwood Park21 kmBlower door test in Red Deer144 kmBlower door test in Calgary280 kmBlower door test in Lethbridge433 kmBlower door test in Saskatoon486 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Alberta); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Edmonton International (26 km away).

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