Frequently Asked Questions

For homes built after 2004 that already have a star rating, the cost is $695 including GST. This includes the detailed assessment of your home's original plan, so that we can accurately assess what Star Rating your home should perform to. It also includes the on-site test and a performance report.

For established homes that do not already have a star rating, the equivalent test costs $395 including GST. We can also provide a quotation to rectify the problems in your home.

The test itself takes up to two hours, and is done at a time that's convenient for you.

Yes - we encourage that you are present while the test is being carried out. Then our qualified tester can point out to you where leaks are occurring, and tell you on the spot what your home's true star performance is.

Your plans show us how your home was intended to be built. We then use this to assess what star rating your home should be able to achieve if it has been built to actually deliver its designed air infiltration rate. This assessment gives us the benchmark performance rating.

If your home is not star rated, then we measure your home instead and conduct a similar test.

Without the plans to work from we cannot access how the house was supposed to be built or what it was built from, so it's not possible to conform to the BCA accreditation requirements for testing.

We then perform our standard test for established homes, and calculate your home's AIr (Air Infiltration rating) level. This is a very similar performance rating system specifically designed for existing homes which gives you a performance rating based on air infiltration, building design and climatic zone.

If your building contract stipulates that your home is to be tested for air leakage as part of your acceptance, then it is already part of the cost. If the test is not part of the contract's original requirement you will need to approach the builder concerned directly.

This is impossible to state in advance of the test and report. It depends on your lifestyle, your current energy costs, the level of improvement you want to achieve and how bad the leaks are to start with. It also depends on how your energy supply company bills you. Remember that part of your bill consists of a fixed service charge, the balance being for energy consumption.

Including corrective work, your payback period could range from a few months to several years. One thing's for certain though - your comfort level will immediately increase.

There are two parts to the answer. The first is to include the requirement to test your home in your contract with the builder. The second is the knowledge and expertise of the builder in avoiding air leakage problems that he might unknowingly incorporate into the home during the building phase.

If in doubt please ring Air Genius on 1300 951 954 or contact us here.

Possibly, but we strongly recommend against doing so for these important reasons:

Any work you undertake yourself or through any unlicensed person cannot be guaranteed and will prevent you from receiving official performance certification for your home.

• Unqualified sealing of your home can lead to a decidedly unhealthy, even dangerous home to live in. You might even make your home more uncomfortable.
• You will not be using approved consumables and materials.
• Lack of certification means that your home will not improve in value as a result of work that you've done.

You cannot get a FirstRate5 rating, because it takes into account the way your home has been built as well as the construction materials used.

However, you can receive an AIr (Air Infiltration rating) certification, which closely matches the Star Rating in terms of energy efficiency.

FirstRate5 is a home energy efficiency calculation system originally adopted by Victoria and now used by other states. It takes into account a variety of building characteristics, including climate zone, building design and the thermal characteristics of its building materials. Its main focus is on energy consumption that relates to occupants' comfort.

Some states rely on equivalent systems such as BERS and AccuRate, and generally accept FirstRate5 ratings as well. All such systems need to be accredited in accordance with the Australian Building Codes Board Protocol for House Energy Rating Software for Residential Buildings cited by The Building Code of Australia on www.abcb.gov.au.

Additional information is available on www.nathers.gov.au.

FirstRate5 certification results from a theoretical rather than actual rate of air leakage, and is based on your home's design before it's built. Only by measuring the actual leakage rate after it's built, and using the science of AirMonics, can you be sure that you're getting the energy efficiency that you've paid for.

FirstRate5 Star Ratings are a valid statement of home performance only after they've been tested in real life. That's why a mere 5% of homes tested actually reach their certified performance levels.

AirMonics and the Air Genius testing process is 100% compatible with FirstRate5, but deals specifically with the air infiltration component. It brings a practical test and real world measurement to what is otherwise just a theoretical set of assumptions.

AIr is a scientific energy efficiency rating system for homes that weren't originally designed to meet BCA building requirements for star rated homes.

A 5-AIr home will deliver similar energy efficiency to a properly built 5-star home.