DOE Weatherization Installer,
Part 1 - Fundamentals

Course Outline

Gain historical perspective of the Weatherization Assistance Program.
Understand characteristics of the client base served by the program.
Recognize that building science guides the selection of measures installed with program dollars.
Understand the principles of cost-effectiveness and the savings-to-investment ratio (SIR).
Recognize modern weatherization measures.

Understand the basic interrelation of home components.
Understand that changes made now can create issues that emerge as damage years later.

Understand the difference between thermal and air barriers.
Know the proper location of thermal and air barriers.
Recognize the driving forces of air leakage.
Understand the connection between air leakage, energy waste, and moisture problems.
Understand how air ducts affect pressure balances within the home.
Understand the principle behind the blower door as a tool for measuring air leakage.

Name and understand the natural driving forces that cause pressure differences.
Understand units of pressure and the measurement of air leakage.
Be able to set up and operate a blower door to measure air leakage and conduct zonal pressure diagnostics.
Understand the meaning and importance of minimum ventilation requirements (MVR).
Be able to convert blower door readings to the total size of opening in square inches, and to cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air leakage under natural conditions.
Understand the relationship between CFM50, CFMnatural, and air changes per hour (ACH).

Understand the difference between the thermal boundary and the air or pressure boundary, and the behavior and function of each.
Know the proper location of the pressure and thermal boundaries.
Know common sites for breaks in the pressure and thermal boundaries.
Understand what is meant by inside and outside in terms of an air barrier, and how a blower door is used to determine that.

Understand the health and safety issues related to combustion equipment.
Know the basics of combustion equipment inspection.
Recognize that different vent pipe materials are required for different appliances.
Understand worst case combustion appliance zone (CAZ) testing.
Understand and be able to conduct duct inspection.

Understand the purpose of OSHA regulations.
Know where to find guidelines for working with lead, mold, and asbestos.
Know which homes require Lead Safe Weatherization practices and Certified Renovators.
Know what a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is and why it is important to keep nearby.

Recognize the various tools and equipment associated with typical weatherization measures.
Understand the importance of equipment maintenance and its effect on production.
Understand the importance of a well-organized trailer and job site for productivity and safety.

Recognize typical weatherization measures and associated guidelines.
Know where to find a list of all measures approved in the program.
Be able to name various building shell and mechanical measures, the tools required, and the purpose of those measures.
Understand when incidental repairs are allowed.
Understand the connection between pressure diagnostics and duct modifications.
Know the guidelines for insulating gas and electric water heaters.
Understand what is meant by base load measures.

Discuss construction details and materials related to mobile homes.
Learn the differences in pre- and post-1976 mobile homes.
Explore standard weatherization priorities and order of operations for mobile homes.
Discuss the design of mobile home forced air distribution systems.
Hear about duct belly return modification.
Learn about belly, wall, and roof insulation retrofit methods.
Discuss diagnostic techniques to assess the integrity of ducts.
See duct sealing and repair techniques.
Explore where mobile home appliances differ from single-family versions.

Understand what qualifies as multifamily (MF) housing.
Be introduced to basic differences in diagnostics and modeling compared to single-family homes.
Learn about differences in energy use between single-family (SF) and MF housing.
Be introduced to common, cost-effective multifamily weatherization measures.