Manitoba · Energy · checked September 28, 2026

Blower door testing in Winnipeg

A blower door test measures how leaky a house is and shows where the leaks are. In Winnipeg, with about 5,542 heating degree-days a year, every leak runs up the heating bill for most of the year.

Get matched in Winnipeg → 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

$400 rebate

Licensed organizations

12

Companies NRCan licenses to do EnerGuide evaluations

Houses built before 1961

37%

Older houses usually leak more and have less insulation

How Winnipeg is built

Winnipeg's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Winnipeg's 202,915 houses. Before 1961: 37%, 1961–1990: 40%, 1991–2000: 6%, 2001 or later: 17%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 37%
  • 1961–1990 40%
  • 1991–2000 6%
  • 2001 or later 17%
Each house stands for one in ten of Winnipeg's 202,915 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 Winnipeg

Winnipeg gets about 5,542 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 −31.3°C. Those figures come from the climate data for Winnipeg International in HOT2000, the home-energy software Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) gives energy advisors. That's the 6th-highest heating demand of the 70 cities we cover. Cold winters: heating is the biggest energy cost, so stopping leaks and insulating come first.

Winnipeg 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 Winnipeg 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 Winnipeg's 202,915 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses and duplexes), 37% were built before 1961 and 77% 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

  • Combustion safety. In the Winnipeg area, the main heating energy is natural gas for 56% of households. A tighter house changes how fuel-burning appliances vent, so the spillage check should be repeated after serious air sealing. Combustion safety testing in Winnipeg
  • Radon. Sealing shifts the pressure balance between the house and the soil. Health Canada's 2012 survey found 12.1% of 66 homes tested in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority health region above the guideline. The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports 37.4% (1 in 3) of houses at or above the guideline for the Winnipeg, MB (Winnipeg CMA) metro area. Test before and after big air-sealing jobs. Radon testing in Winnipeg

What it costs in Winnipeg

A blower door test is part of every EnerGuide evaluation rather than a separate purchase. Efficiency Manitoba rebates $400 on a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation if you own the home, it has Manitoba Hydro residential service and you plan at least one upgrade within 12 months. Apply within 90 days.

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 Winnipeg’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 Winnipeg need →

Sources for this climate guide · checked October 26, 2026

NRCan-licensed service organizations serving Winnipeg

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 Winnipeg. 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 Winnipeg

Provincial · needs an evaluation Efficiency Manitoba home rebates $400 back on your EnerGuide evaluation, $100 per triple-pane window or door, up to $2,000 for a cold-climate heat pump, and insulation rebates by R-value Open

Blower door test in Winnipeg: common questions

Where can I get a blower door test in Winnipeg?

Book an EnerGuide evaluation with any of the 12 NRCan-licensed organizations serving Winnipeg; the blower door test is part of every evaluation.

How much does a blower door test cost in Winnipeg?

It is included in an EnerGuide evaluation. Efficiency Manitoba rebates $400 on a pre-retrofit EnerGuide evaluation if you own the home, it has Manitoba Hydro residential service and you plan at least one upgrade within 12 months. Apply within 90 days.

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 Winnipeg

Blower door test in Regina533 kmBlower door test in Thunder Bay590 kmBlower door test in Saskatoon708 kmBlower door test in Lethbridge1121 kmBlower door test in Sherwood Park1172 km All 70 cities →

Sources

Checked September 28, 2026. Census figures are for the municipality (Manitoba); climate data is NRCan's HOT2000 station Winnipeg International (7 km away).

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