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A high performance pet door?

Do we offer a high performance pet door? Well, our pet door exceeded the Passive House air-tightness test requirements by a factor of 3. You don’t have to take my word. Below is a story written by Blake J. Bilyeu |SHP|CPHC.

He is an Oregon State graduate who earned a degree in Environmental Science, and specializes in maximizing the performance of new homes and reducing their ecological footprint both during and after construction. Blake has recently completed his certification as a “Sustainable Homes Professional”. We did not know that we were sending a pet door that was going to be installed into a Passive Home when we packaged a shipped a door mount pet door to Oregon… Anyways, below is his story.

As custom green homebuilders in Oregon, quality, high performance components are critical to what we do. Early discussions with our most recent customers made two things very apparent: they wanted a new home built with extreme energy efficiency in mind—an incredibly low energy home built to the Passive House Standard (www.passivehouse.us), but one that also held a place for their dog Pippen and had his needs in mind as well. Our initial research turned up a few options, but only one that had actually been tested for air tightness—the Freedom Pet Pass pet door.

We decided to give it a shot, knowing that to meet the strict Passive House certification requirements we would have to reach extremely low levels of air infiltration on our blower door test. Initially we planned to do our own testing on just the pet door before committing ourselves and cutting a hole in the door to the backyard.

However, upon opening up the freshly shipped package, it became quite apparent that the quality of construction and tenacity of the air seal were both very, very high. We installed the pet door without hesitation, and suffice it to say, the pet door did not disappoint–we exceeded the Passive House air tightness requirements by a factor of three!

Now, while the homeowners appreciate the incredible comfort and efficiency of their new home, Pippen is happily enjoying his access to backyard freedom.

Blake J. Bilyeu | SHP| CPHC |
Bilyeu Homes, Inc.
custom home design and construction”

 

To learn more about Passive Homes in North America click here

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5 ways it pays to install an insulated dog door that seals airtight

Heating and cooling accounts for 50-70% of the energy costs for the average home. Dog doors haven’t changed much over the years and an insulated dog door that seals airtight is long over due. Installing an insulated dog door is a simple way to save.

A dog door that is not insulated and leaking air will negatively affect the energy efficiency of your home. A leaky dog flap results in heat loss in the winter and heat entering your home in the summer. It pays off to install an insulated dog door and keeps paying off with better comfort and energy savings.

The top 5 reasons to install an insulated dog door include

  • Improved home comfort
  • Better energy efficiency
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Lifetime of savings
  • Lower energy bills

Where do I find the most insulated dog door?

It is very important to find an insulated dog door to reap the benefits. One factor that is even more important than insulation is air sealing. Properly air sealing such cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment. Read more about what the Department of Energy has to say about air sealing

Freedom Pet Pass pioneered the first dog flap that seals airtight using patent-pending air sealing technology for an airtight seal. The thermal pet flap is made entirely of thermal materials that reduce the flow of heat transfer. The stable thermal performance of these insulated materials can result in significantly lower heating and cooling costs – savings that really add up over the life of the dog door.

The first dog door to independently test its performance gives you peace of mind.

An independent Energy Star home sealing engineer performed an air leakage and thermal imaging test on the Freedom Pet Pass pet door. Their pet flaps do not have any detectable air leakage while performing the air leakage test, and the multi-layer of SBR rubber and two layers of marine grade canvas come in with a total R-value of approximately of 0.35.  R-value is an indication of how well a material insulates. Click here for complete test results performed by an independent Energy Star home sealing engineer

Freedom Pet Pass energy efficient dog doors have earned endorsements from energy experts.

Energy Star partners including, but not limited to, Energy Federation Incorporated, Battic Door, and Building Performance by Design recommend installing the Freedom Pet Pass brand pet door into your home. Recently this line of energy efficient dog doors qualified as a recommended home sealing product for the innovative passive homes that are very popular Europe and beginning to pop up here in the States. Passive homes are smarter homes that can reduce energy consumption upwards of 90%.

Passive House Arrives in North America: Could It Revolutionize the Way We Build?

A dog door that is insulated in combination with air sealing prevents air leakage into and out of the house. Pay attention to the little things and the big things will follow. A dog door may seem small in term of application; however, a leaky dog flap can have a severe impact on the energy efficiency of your home leaving you with big problems to solve. Learn more about Freedom Pet Pass insulated dog doors. See for yourself why Freedom Pet Pass is the leading energy efficient dog door.

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Wind no longer blows dog door open…another great pet door review

We really appreciate the feedback about the energy efficient dog door we manufacture and hopes this helps solve a very common problem of dog door pet flaps blowing open and leaking air. Maybe you can relate to the following pet door review. All she wants is a dog door that stops the wind.

“Hi Brian,

I just got my new dog door installed today and it is magnificent.  After years of a dog door that blew more wind into the house than you could believe, despite putting new magnets and trying everything we could to make it work, I finally have a dog door that keeps my bedroom warm and toasty.  Last week it was freezing in here, and today it is super warm (I have a woodstove in the next room, but with the old dog door, it didn’t have a chance.).  I worried when I ordered yours that it would not work any better than the old one, but the high quality is immediately clear just on seeing the door, and now that it is in the door, I am so grateful that you figured out how to make a dog door that actually stays closed.  And my dog immediately learned how to use it even though it is a bit different looking from the old one.  I don’t have a digital camera so I can’t post photos, but if anyone has an outside door that has panels in the lower half, my handyperson figured out a great way to install it and I’m sure he’d be willing to share that with anyone else.  I actually was so blown away by how good it was, that I wanted to write this review so others who discover your door via the web will know it’s as good as you promised.  Thanks so much!”
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Frustrated with other dog doors, finally found the solution

Here’s a review we recently received:

Hopefully you guys make a ton of money! After arriving yesterday, my dog door is installed and works flawlessly. No air infiltration, quieter and the design is better than anything else on the market.

After installing this one today, I counted the number of dog doors I have installed in my life [7 counting one I put in our barn and a total of 4 different brands] and  the Freedom Pet Pass door was the easiest to install. Pictures in your instructions or a video of an install would probably help some people. I did remove my house door to make the cut but reinstalled to fit the dog door into the door.
I’m also not convinced that your door is more expensive when you factor in heat loss of other brands, and the number of replacement flaps that I typically have had to install (on average, 2 a year). I have three German Short hairs and the door seems to be no challenge at all.

I was worried since they can see through the old door but not the Freedom Pet Pass Door. if you need a distributor or representative in the Mid Atlantic let me know what your terms/requirements are. You can also use me as a reference.

I own my own company so I know feedback is important and also nice to hear. Anyway, just wanted to report back and let you know how happy I am.  Sorry to be so long winded but my old dog door has frustrated me for years. I’ll send a picture of the inside as well. Thank you and Happy New Year.”

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My lab loves his new door mount dog door!

My six month old Labrador and retriever mix Dupree loves his new dog door! I installed the dog door this past Sunday into my exterior storm door. Dupree is the first dog I have owned and I am a first time dog door owner. I am going to tell you what I have noticed in just a few days.

Before installing the dog door I would keep my lab gated in the entrance while I was gone. Often times I am gone for more than 5 hours at a time and sometimes when I stopped home to let him out to go to the bathroom I would find that he already did. I know he is potty trained and he is very smart. I could tell this upset him more than it upset me. He just couldn’t hold it long enough to wait for me to come home.

After I let him out he then would go crazy wanting to play and was desperate for mental stimulation because he had been kenneled for many hours. I don’t blame him. I love giving him attention but boy was he wound up and full of energy. It would take a while to calm him down, even after a long walk.

Again, my lab is potty trained, but sometimes he would still pee in the house. Mainly because I would forget to let him out regularly. I could tell again that he felt bad because of it however he had to go. He would pee on the carpet and run right to bed.

I understand many of his accidents inside the house and crazy behavior is due to how busy and sometimes inattentive I am at times. Aren’t we all though? Aren’t we all extremely busy these days and if there is something that can solve a problem and add value to our livings aren’t we open to learning more? I am. Just as my lab wants to be a good dog, I want to be a good dog owner and provide for him a happy lifestyle because he sure makes me happy.

I new a dog door was the answer and I purposely lived with my dog for a few months before installing it to create my own story. My own testimonial. I wanted to put myself in the shoes of dog lovers and owners everywhere to see what it is like having a relationship with a dog. That’s kinda what it is right? I mean your living with your dog, spending time together, and taking care of eachother. Here is what I noticed right away after installing the dog door.

I was curious as to how long it would take my lab to learn how to use the dog door and wether or not he would understand its purpose. Took him about 10 minutes of training and it was fun! I’ll write about that later. It was so easy.

Since dog door installation not a single mess inside to clean up. He comes and goes on his terms and he loves it. I can tell. Sounds strange but I can.

When I come home from a long day. (I say long day because there is no longer a need to rush home mid day or twice a day to let my dog out.) He is suprisingly calm. Still very excited to see me. He just doesn’t go crazy like he used to. He seems very content.

I watch him sometimes when he is out there and he runs, plays, and digs and I know when I get home he is calm because he had a fun mentally stimulating day outdoors.

Didn’t mention this earlier, but my lab used to scratch the door to come indoors. Not anymore. So if you have a nice exterior door it is worth the investment because otherwise your dog will scratch up your exterior door.

Overall my lab is much happier now that he has a dog door and I am also. It sure is fun right now watching him get up off the couch to go outdoors and then come in when he is done. That just cracks me up.

I will keep you posted about what else I notice but I just had to tell everyone how happy my lab is with his new dog door.

Do you have a dog door story to share? I would love to hear it!