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Overview
Houses are made of many interrelated components and small systems that, hopefully, are carefully designed, installed, maintained, and operating correctly as a cohesive larger system. Original design intents may never have been achieved or may have been modified or neglected beyond proper function. Some interactions may not be apparent and must be tested to verify proper operation.
For more detailed information, please visit BPI's web page about "House as a System"
Why it's Important
Aside from energy efficiency, comfort, and durability, safety is a primary concern. An annoying drip can blossom into a mold problem. Improperly venting appliances can create serious health and safety issues including carbon monoxide poisoning, flame roll-out, and moisture issues
BPI recognizes the importance of testing for these and other issues and dangers. BPI's motto is, "First, do no harm...to life, limb, or property." It doesn't matter how energy efficient, comfortable, durable, or new a house may be; if it's not safe, it's not worth it.
Test-In and Test-Out
In order to asses whether a house is functioning properly as a system, there are a variety of tests that can be performed. A " comprehensive" assessment of a home may be called an energy audit or something similar and may or may not include the appropriate tests according to BPI. Different contractors may have different standards that they follow. BPI creates and enforces standards for the minimum procedures required by BPI certified and accredited contractors to assess the functionality of a house as a system.
It is imperative that a contractor perform a Test-In assessment (before any modifications or improvements) and a Test-Out assessment (after any modifications or improvements) to verify that a house's systems are functioning properly. If you're not testing, you're just guessing.