Category: Cat Doors

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How do I install your energy efficient wall mount pet door?

There are many things to consider when explaining how to install a pet door. If I addressed this question like a window installer that was asked to frame a window into a wall I would need to know how the outside wall of your home was constructed, ie location and supporting wall stud configuration, the outside (vinyl siding, brick veneer)and inside (dry wall, lap plaster) building materials attached to the inside and outside of that wall.

Is the location clear of utilities (electric, plumbing, cable etc.). The size of the window or in this case pet door to be installed. Lets not forget the elevation difference between the inside floor and the outside ground level the pet would traverse or the depth of the wall and tools necessary to safely finish this project with.

Our medium wall mount can be framed into walls like a vinyl replacement window or exterior door with out having to add a header. Our large wall mount pet door with a outside frame width of 16 inches wide can be attached directly to the outside side of 16 inch on center standard wall studs, This would give a recessed look with the exterior (siding etc.).

If the wall studs are wider than 16 inch on center then once again our pet door can be framed in between the studs and trimmed off in the same fashion your existing windows and doors have been trimmed on both the interior and exterior sides of your wall.

We don’t offer an aluminum wall tunnel kit because they are energy inefficient and still need to be framed in. We do offer a versatile energy efficient Pet door product at a price when compared to other wall mount products gives you a monetary difference that can be applied to the cost of installation, leaving you with a custom built draft free pet door application.

If the first two paragraphs seem a bit overwhelming, to summarize your question it may be better to ask who should install rather than how to install a freedom pet pass wall mount pet door. The answer to the second question “what is the difference in the two doors available”, one wall mount is 1 inch thick and houses both our flap system and security door. The other wall mount is a 1/2 inch thick and houses only the draft free, wind resistant flap system.

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Will cats pass through your air tight pet flap?

Will cats pass through your pet flap? Yes, our pet flap sells regularly to cat owners who are now comfortably enjoying a draft free home.

Our product when originally introduced to the market with a magnet to magnet in line design provided a weather barrier that satisfied both an easy access for dogs and still handle the wind commonly associated with inclement weather. Since then I have found that by offsetting the bridge (the one way flexible magnetic jam) slightly lower, the amount of magnetic energy can be reduced to accommodate our feline friends.

The flap system still produces a draft proof seal for energy efficient homes located in climates that regularly create a difference in outdoor and indoor air presser. The trade off is the amount of wind the flap system is exposed to and the amount of magnetic energy the cat will push against to pass through. Watch this video to learn more.

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What should I consider when buying a pet door?

What to consider when buying a pet door has changed. It used to be pet doors were considered nothing more than a mud flap covering a hole in the house the pet passed through. Features such as security doors to help prevent unwanted guests from entering and multiple flaps to reduce Mother Nature’s intrusion into the home have become the norm.

Energy efficient pet doors today require additional features. One such feature a quality pet flap requires is the ability to create and maintain an air seal.

Air Sealing an Existing Home

Air sealing is one of the most significant energy efficiency improvements you can make to your home. Air sealing will not just reduce energy costs; it will also improve your home’s comfort and durability.”  -DOE website

On  August  4 2009 a professional home energy auditor conducted among other tests, an air leakage blower door test, These were the results; The Freedom Pet Pass door did not have any detectable air leakage while performing the air leakage test.  As a bench mark we also tested the “World’s Best Selling Pet Door” in the same air leakage test, these were the results; The “World’s Best Selling Pet Door” door had significant air leakage while performing the air leakage test. A difference of Nineteen cubic feet of air draft per minute. This alone suggested The energy savings payback when comparing the Freedom Pet Pass and the “World’s Best Selling Pet Door” pet door would pay for the cost difference in approximately 60 months in air leakage alone.* Click here for full report

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Freedom Pet Pass Aces Air Leakage Test

Air leakage tests and thermal imaging were conducted on the Freedom Pet Pass and the “World’s Best Selling Pet Door”. The temperature and air leakage test conditions were identical for the dog doors tested. Ambient air was 65.7° F and test pressure was +50Pa.

 

The Freedom Pet Pass dog door did 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 with a total R-value of approximately of 0.35 did provide a decent thermal barrier.

 

The “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door” had significant air leakage while performing the air leakage test and the single layer of plastic with an approximate R-value of .25 did not provide a good thermal barrier.

Preliminary Test Results

Air leakage tests and thermal imaging were conducted on the Freedom Pet Pass, and the “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door”. The temperature and air leakage test conditions were identical for the dog doors tested. Ambient air was 65.7o F and test pressure was +50pa.
The Freedom Pet Pass dog door did 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 with a total R-value of approximately of 0.35 did provide a decent thermal barrier. The “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door”  had significant air leakage while performing the air leakage test and the single layer of plastic with an approximate R-value of 0.25 did not provide a good thermal barrier.

The preliminary test results indicate that the Freedom Pet Pass out preformed the competitive “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door” in air leakage test.

The main goals of air leakage control are to:

♦ Save energy.

♦ Increase comfort.

♦ Protect insulation’s thermal integrity.

♦ Reduce direct cooling or heating of people and building components by outdoor air.

♦ Avoid moisture migration into building cavities.

♦ Reduce vermin’s access to indoors.

♦ Reduce flow of air pollution from external sources.

♦ Reduce rainwater leakage.

♦ Enhance fire safety.
The energy savings through infiltration when comparing the Freedom Pet Pass to the “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door”; the unique magnetic seal of the Freedom Pet Pass  design reduces the infiltration by 190% when compared to the “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door”. Air leakage in buildings represents from 5% to 40% of the space-conditioning costs. Controlling air leakage is one of the most important functions.
The Freedom Pet Pass pet flap multi- layer design incorporating SBR rubber and two layers of marine grade canvas with a total R-value of approximately of 0.35 did provide a decent thermal barrier. The Freedom Pet Pass design reduces the thermal loses by 25-30% when compared to the “Worlds Best Selling Pet Door”.

Some dog door manufactures make claims that a double movable flap provides additional R-value due to a dead air space between the door flaps. When you talk about “two flaps” being more effective than one flap by creating dead air space, there are many factors to consider. In the case of a pet door, heat will be lost or gained anytime the door is used. How well the door is sealed will affect how much air infiltrates around the edges while it is closed, and how well-insulated the pet flap is will affect how much heat is transferred by conduction through the door. How fast the wind is blowing, the temperature difference between warm and cool areas, and the frequency of use will impact how fast heat is transferred as well. If you have a pet that prefers to stand or lay in the doorway keeping it open, you are back to a “hole in the wall” regardless of how well it works when closed. Testing indicates that due to the air leakage around the flaps of a double flap pet door; a dead air space is not truly created and therefore additional R-value cannot be substantiated.