When you own a building and start to notice certain areas becoming colder, hotter or more humid than the rest of the building, you may need to consider having your HVAC system tested using air and water balancing. This type of HVAC test will be performed by a professional technician of commercial systems. They will use the air and water balancing test to check the current water and air flow going through the system. Additional testing will be done to determine other problems in the system which may be causing the imbalance of water and air and create a plan to fix them.
Understanding Air and Water Balancing Tests
TAB testing stands for the testing, adjusting and then balancing of commercial and rooftop HVAC systems. Contractors will often refer to this test as air and water balancing because their goal is to optimize through balancing the airflow going through a customer’s system. They will also balance the water flow going through the condenser coils and the evaporator. This is done to calibrate the entire system for an increase in effectiveness and efficiency.
The TAB testing process often involves the use of specialized equipment that can accurately measure the water and air flowing through the HVAC system and will closely monitor the pressure and temperatures throughout the building. Once the technicians are aware of the specific numbers of both, they can recalibrate the system to help increase overall indoor comfort and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.
Why Perform Air And Water Balancing Testing?
Not all types of HVAC systems will need to have TAB testing completed, especially if your system is newer or has recently had recalibration completed in the last few years. However, when you begin to notice an increase in complaints due to uncomfortable conditions, allergy symptoms or a sudden increase in utility bills, it may be time to call a professional for air and water balance testing on your commercial HVAC system.
1. Poor Air Quality Indoors
The HVAC system is responsible for keeping your indoor air filtered. The filtering is done to allow fresh air into all spaces and prevent stale air. When your system is no longer optimized, you may begin to notice the air quality decreasing. This can lead to an increase in allergy symptoms for sufferers. Other symptoms of a decrease in indoor air quality can include seeing excess amounts of dust on your flat surfaces and strange odors coming from the HVAC registers.
2. Complaints Of Uncomfortable Conditions
When the water flowing through your HVAC system’s coils is not optimized efficiently, you may begin getting complaints from people that they are too hot, too cold or feeling excess humidity in certain areas. TAB testing for air and water balancing will help find the culprit and recalibrate the system to ensure all areas of the building are comfortable.
3. System Getting Increasingly Inefficient
As a building owner, you may notice your energy bills going up unexpectedly. Your employees may be constantly adjusting their office thermostats to try and remain comfortable. When your energy bills go up without a reason, it is usually caused by your HVAC system having to work longer and harder than normal. This can be exasperated by your employees overriding the thermostat’s present temperatures in order to stay comfortable. They may be complaining that their work area is becoming consistently too hold or too cold. Air and water balance testing will help find the culprits behind your HVAC system failing to work as efficiently as it used to.
Getting TAB testing can help you save energy and money heating and cooling your building. Hiring the help of a qualified HVAC technician to test your system can save you costly repairs and maintenance down the road. They will test the water flow through the coils, the airflow through the system and the localized temperatures. They will take their findings and make any necessary adjustments to the moving parts and all electrical components to improve the indoor air quality.
When you notice changes to the heating and cooling in your building, don’t delay getting it checked by a professional. Keeping everyone comfortable and happy is an important part of owning a building and business.
