Tag: HVAC

We are less than 12 months from the R-22 refrigerant phase-out: How can companies prepare?

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

What is R-22?

R-22 is an HCFC (Hydrochlorofluorocarbon) refrigerant found in older commercial and residential HVAC equipment, such as RTUs (roof top units), split systems and other equipment.  R-22 and other HCFC refrigerants are known to deplete the Earth’s protective ozone layer and contribute to harmful climate change.

The US has slowly been phasing out the use of R-22 per the following phase-out schedule:

  • 1/1/2010: The US government banned the use of R-22 in new HVAC equipment.
  • 1/1/2015: The US government bans the production and import of all R-22
  • 1/1/2020: The US government will ban the use of all R-22 (with a few exceptions).  This will be the end of the road for R-22 use in the US.

NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) estimates 40 million commercial RTUs (roof top units) were installed in the US, in the decade prior to 2010.  The US Department of Energy also estimates that are at least 1.6 million old, low-efficiency RTUs in operation in the US.  This means there is a huge tidal wave of R-22 equipment in operation that will need to be replaced in the very near future.

How does the 2020 ban affect me?  R-22 costs have skyrocketed and are already more than 4X the cost/lb. of R410A. Older R-22 units have much lower EER ratings and are as much as 50% less efficient than current-day high-efficiency units.  In most cases, older R-22 RTUs cannot be converted to R410A refrigerant, and the older units will need to be replaced with a new, more energy efficient, more environmentally friendly RTUs.  It is already cost prohibitive to repair older R22 units, and the “fix-on-fail”, emergency replacement philosophy will be MUCH more expensive than a pro-active roof-sweep or planned equipment replacement program.

How can I best prepare for the phase-out, and where should I start?  I recommend companies start with an HVAC inventory of their older equipment, in addition to a detailed survey of all their facilities to verify the age and condition of all HVAC equipment, including newer and older HVAC equipment.  I also recommend involving a national or regional HVAC installation partner, and an independent, national testing, balancing and commissioning partner such as Melink Corporation to provide the unit data and a complete assessment of the entire mechanical system.  The survey should include duct-work inspections, inspection of the RTUs and exhaust fans.  Additionally, air-flow measurements should be recorded to verify proper building airflows and identify existing air-balance issues.  If the entire HVAC system is not inspected, the building will often continue to have comfort problems and building balance issues, even after the new equipment is installed.  The positive effects of the new, energy efficient HVAC equipment will not be fully realized, resulting in a lower-than-expected ROI.

  • For further information on HVAC surveys and other custom scopes of work, please e-mail [email protected] or call us at 513.965.7300.

Top 3 Points to Consider Before Scheduling a Balance

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee
  • HVAC equipment is installed and operational.

This one seems like a no-brainer, but there are always occurrences when Melink arrives to perform a balance and necessary equipment either hasn’t been installed or isn’t properly operational. Examples might include VAV’s or dampers that haven’t been installed, or a RTU that isn’t operational.

Ensuring that all ductwork has been completed, balancing dampers are properly installed, any grilles, registers and diffusers are installed, and the RTUs have clean filters helps make sure that Melink can provide a proper air balance, as well as mitigate any potential return service costs. Making sure that all equipment (especially RTUs) has undergone a proper start-up to confirm power should always be completed ahead of Melink’s arrival.

  • All HVAC equipment can be easily accessed.

Another hindrance to any proper test & balance is not being able to access the necessary equipment. This includes equipment installed inside the building, as well as equipment on the roof. When working with a customer located inside a mall or shopping center, security and approved roof access becomes another added component that must be considered.

Melink typically requires assured access to all applicable HVAC system equipment, including RTUs, VAVs, Exhaust Fans, dampers, etc. Access to fully open dampers, ceiling-height diffusers, and thermostats that may be in an office is necessary to properly complete the balance. Our Account Coordinators will also discuss roof access, security measures, and accessibility to ladders or lifts.

  • Allotting adequate time (2-3 weeks) to schedule and complete the balance.

Though some seasons are busier (or slower) than others, our goal at Melink is to provide every customer the same level of service excellence no matter the time of year. This includes communication with the customer, scheduling the site visit with one of our National Network technicians, performing the balance and working with the customer on any punch-list items, and finally, providing a certified test & balance report.

Our team of National Account representatives and technicians work with the customer through each step of the process. Scheduling service with Melink approximately 2-3 weeks out from turnover will help to ensure a proper and complete balance, and enough time to work through any punch-list items or lingering comfort issues for the customer.

Want to learn more? Contact us today!

Considerations for a Successful HVAC Equipment Upgrade Program

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Have you ever replaced old HVAC equipment just to find that, after spending a lot of money, the comfort issues you were experiencing previously are still there?  Or you now have new problems that weren’t there before?  Your HVAC operates as a complete system, and the new equipment is only as good as its installation quality and the existing system it is connected with.  Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your HVAC equipment upgrade program.

  1. First, be proactive.  Get ahead of HVAC issues before they get worse or before they occur at all.  The more proactive you are, the lesser the negative impacts to your facilities operating budget, revenue, customer relations, and human resources.  On the flip side, with a fix-on-fail approach, you deal with costly emergency repairs, you have high energy costs from inefficient equipment, your revenue and customer relations suffer as uncomfortable customers take their business elsewhere, and your human resources incur lost productivity and even turnover of employees due to uncomfortable/unhealthy working conditions.  Not to mention the effect on your stress level when you have to deal with HVAC breakdowns!
  2. Start with a site survey.  You need an accurate inventory of your existing HVAC equipment, so you can make decisions on what to do with it.  Be clear about what information you need to have collected from the field, information that will enable you to make a thorough evaluation and meaningful recommendations.  Examples include equipment age, condition, features, operating measures, and so on.  Remember that your HVAC is a system, made up of many components all working together.  The focus can tend to be limited to the heating/cooling equipment, but there are also other pieces of the system that are very important, such as exhaust fans, ductwork, air grilles, and controls, to name a few.  Issues with these other components could limit the effectiveness of any new heating/cooling equipment.  The system is only as good as its weakest member.
  3. Assess the data.  Review the data returned from the site surveys to assess the overall scale and scope of your upgrade program.  Determine your trigger points for repair versus replacement, such as equipment age, condition, and efficiency.  This is the methodology that will help you to objectively decide whether you will continue to invest in a piece of equipment or replace it altogether.  In grading the equipment, this could be a simple, Green – Yellow – Red system of classification.  Green meaning ‘do nothing’, the equipment is good as-is.  Yellow meaning ‘repair’, the equipment has some issues that can be corrected at relatively low cost.  Red meaning ‘replace’, the equipment has completely failed or is no longer worth investing in.
  4. Prepare a scope of work.  Apply the previously prepared methodology to your entire equipment inventory.  This then becomes your scope of work for each site.  Put the scope in writing and be clear about your expectations.  Your equipment suppliers and installation contractors will need this scope in order to provide you with accurate estimates of cost and lead time.  This advanced planning, budgeting, and coordination will help to ensure the subsequent execution of the work goes smoothly.
  5. Consider the timing.  Equipment suppliers and installation contractors tend to be busiest in the summer and early fall months when construction activity peaks.  Avoiding these times helps to ensure you have the support you need, and your costs may be lower.  Plus, upgrading before summer helps to prepare your facilities to handle the hot/humid weather ahead.  Any temporary outages of heating/cooling that may occur while equipment is being repaired or replaced is less impactful on the facility operations during times of milder weather.
  6. Vet your partners.  Working with the right people makes a world of difference.  Partner with suppliers and contractors who are trustworthy and reputable.  Make sure they have experience with your type of facility and HVAC system, and are qualified for the services to be performed.  With the right team, you can accomplish most anything.
  7. Inspect the work.  After the equipment is repaired or replaced, it is imperative that it be inspected, tested, balanced, and commissioned in order to receive the full benefit of your capital investment.  This is your final assurance that you get the quality and performance expected out of your HVAC system.  When issues are uncovered during this process, be sure to have them corrected by the suppliers and contractors while they are still under warranty.  If left unaddressed, those issues will become headaches and costs to your facilities and operations teams later.

Managing an HVAC equipment upgrade program can be a daunting job.  When it is handled in a proactive and organized fashion, and includes the right partners, the results can be extraordinary.

The 3 Most Common HVAC Problems During Winter

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

To quote a critically acclaimed HBO television series, “winter is coming, and we know what’s coming with it.” While it may not be as bad as the army of the dead, we can expect winter to bring about a variety of HVAC issues that can cost more pennies than shivers. Here are the top three most preventable winter mishaps, and how they can be avoided with a little DIY maintenance.

  1. Frozen Pipes

Besides fire, a building’s biggest enemy is water. Only this time of year, unwelcomed water doesn’t come in the form of humidity or a leaky roof, rather, in the form of solid icy pipes. Many building owners will try to cut costs by not heating their buildings at all times while completely unaware that above ceiling and sub-floor spaces can fall below zero in extreme cold weather. These spaces are home to water pipes that can freeze and burst causing un-flushable toilets, compromised showers, inaccessible tap water, and not mention, outrageous repair costs. The residual heat from the livable spaces above or below these pipes help to keep temperatures above freezing, so setting the thermostat to at least 65 °F throughout the day and night should keep the water flowing. In addition, be particularly aware of areas that are unheated or are constantly exposed to the elements like garages, loading docks, and basement storage rooms. Insulated pipes and walls will help to seal the deal.

  1. Uneven Airflow and Temperatures

Depending on the season, air is circulated throughout a building in different ways. Cold air falls which is why in the summer months, closing floor vents to allow more air to diffuse from ceiling vents is most effective in cooling a space. The opposite is true in the winter months where rising warm air is best circulated from floor diffusers and baseboard radiators. Knowing these trivial properties about air temperature can best optimize how your building is heated or cooled, so let the cool air fall and the warm air rise!

  1. Dirty Furnace Filters

While problems that arise from dirty or clogged filters are not unique to the winter, it’s still one of the most common culprits for defective air conditioning. A unit’s air filter removes particulates from the pre-conditioned air and allows the clean air to be conditioned and distributed. If a filter is clogged, airflow is reduced, and the terminal units will have to run longer to achieve desirable space temperatures. In the colder months, the air becomes dry which can dehydrate a person’s skin as a result. With dead skin cells making up 70 to 80 percent of dust content, it’s no wonder that the winter sees some pretty dirty filters. Changing an air filter is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to ensure maximum heating outputs which is why new filters should be installed before every season.

These winter mishaps are snow laughing matter, but just like bad puns, they’re easy to spot. Keeping these three common maintenance issues in mind will allow you to brave the cold and keep cozy all winter long.

The Test and Balance Professional

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The HVAC industry is vast; there are many products and services that make up the build of any one system. Test and Balance is a very important niche of the large HVAC industry. Many HVAC companies have offered test and balance services throughout the years, but very few of them have employed technicians dedicated specifically to Testing and Balancing. Enter Steve Melink, circa 1987. Steve knew there was a service gap in the HVAC industry and addressed it. Does it really make sense for an owner to allow an installing contractor to verify the HVAC system they installed is correct? Would it not make more sense if an INDEPENDENT, CERTIFIED and SELF PERFORMING entity verified that the mechanical engineer’s design was met? Of course, it would!

Fast forward 31 years and Melink Test & Balance is still going strong thanks to our dedicated team of technicians. These Balancing Professionals are dedicated to Melink Corporation’s core values of Integrity, Innovation, and Service Excellence.

What is a Test & Balance Technician and What Do They Do??

Our National Network consists of more than 30 professionals across 19 states. Our technician tenure’s range from 15 years to less than a month! 100% of Melink balancers are NEBB trained with more than half of the network being NEBB Certified Technicians. Our technician’s experience prior to Melink varies from HVAC service technicians to general contractors to aircraft systems mechanics. Our team currently services more than 50 major accounts and we are adding more every year. As you can imagine, Melink Technicians have seen nearly every type of commercial HVAC unit utilized by the commercial retail market. There is no typical ‘day in the life’ for our T&B technicians. Between the location, business type, and scope of work, every week is a new adventure!

The lifestyle of our techs is unique, but very rewarding and profitable. All techs are road warriors, traveling across the United States each week to different jobs. Melink covers all travel expenses and supplies each tech with a company vehicle. Not only does this allow the team to see the U.S. on the company dollar, but their personal expenses decrease since most of the week they are being covered by the company. Food, gas, and vehicle expenses add up!!

This position is also very independent and needs a disciplined self-starter. With most projects only needing one tech, most of the travel and work is done alone. Even so, the Melink National Network is a family. Each tech knows that a fellow balancer or office support is only a phone call or an email away if they are ever in a tight spot. Even after hours, our technicians constantly interact with one another to help each other grow and support our customers. This is not just a career or a steady job, this is a lifestyle.

On top of it all, our technicians are also partial owners of the company. Melink Corporation is now an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), which gives all Melink employees even more incentive to push the envelope with innovation and succeed as a business. Thanks to our National Network Technician team, Melink Corporation has been listed as a Best Place to Work for 3 consecutive years. Melink Corporation encourages input and recommendations for improving the business and improving the lives of the technicians. Melink works hard to address everything to better the position and the experience, for our employees. Striving for the best possible work/life balance is something very important to Melink Corporation.

One can find challenges in any profession they choose. But Melink’s National Network chooses to be challenged on a daily basis and to thrive in it! Their dedication and their commitment to service excellence is the backbone of Melink T&B!

Click here to learn more about Melink T&B.

Committed to You: A Customer-Centered Focus

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Customer Service Excellence is not only our responsibility, it is the cornerstone of our values at Melink. Since 1987, we have made a conscious effort to make the customer our sole focus each and every day, working to create the absolute best customer experience possible.

This year, in an effort to provide a greater experience for our Test & Balance customers, we restructured our internal account teams. Our decision to revamp our customer service team’s layout was in response to our ever-growing business, and the continually changing nature of what it means to provide a first-class experience. We choose not to be complacent, but rather question daily whether we are utilizing the most efficient customer service tactics in executing our goals and serving customer’s needs.

The new teams are made up of a dynamic group of skillsets to ensure a well-rounded support system, with the customer as the center focus. There is an Account Manager that acts as the point-person in daily communications; an Account Coordinator or Specialist who works directly with customer site contacts to effectively and efficiently schedule our National Network; and an Account Engineer offering specialized technical support for their team’s customers.

We even restructured our office space and customized our email system to provide a more cohesive and resourceful team environment. By rearranging our internal office space, our team members can better communicate proactively and at the speed of business. By providing account-specific email addresses, our customers have the comfort of knowing they are communicating directly with a dedicated team focused on their needs. By scheduling our National Network more effectively, we increase productivity and meet our customer’s needs in a timely and efficient manner.

To most, our Test & Balance division is known for providing first-class HVAC services. We go beyond what others in the industry do. We offer more than just a balance – a hands-on support system providing a full customer service experience from order to invoice!

A Balancing Act: Air Balance is an important part of HVAC maintenance

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

When it comes to HVAC, no news is good news for restaurant facility managers. When you start hearing chatter about the building being hot and humid, drafty, smoky or uncomfortable, you know a problem has already taken root. It’s like a piano being out of tune. In addition to unhappy customers and employees, comfort issues are indicators of energy inefficiency within a system and air balance issues. So, what can facility managers do to prevent comfort and energy threats?

Identifying Common Problems

“Facility managers need to be trained on air balance and push it to their service contractors,” recommends Jeff Dover, resource manager at RFMA.

A good place to start is to gain a foundational understanding of building pressure and common HVAC deficiencies along with following seven easy steps to bring your restaurant back into tune. Most importantly, learn how to look for negative building pressure. Remember, the goal is to stay slightly positive in building pressure.

There are three methods to identify negative building pressure. The first and most reactive method is to monitor signals that your building is negative. These signs are hot/cold spots, entry doors that are hard to open, poor smoke capture, humidity, condensation dripping from diffusers and drafts.
Second, you can measure the building pressure yourself or with the help of your service contractor by using a pressure reading tool such as an anemometer to get a ballpark pressure reading. The third and most accurate method is to hire an air balance firm to check the facility’s building balance once a year. If comfort-related issues or a negative building pressure reading are observed, then an air balance needs to be scheduled.

Investigating the Cause

What causes a building to become negative or unbalanced? The usual offenders are equipment deficiencies, improper preventative maintenance programs, and adjustment errors such as kitchen staff fiddling with thermostats or service contractors opening or closing dampers.

 Here are 10 example deficiencies you or your service contractors should be on the lookout for:
  1. Exhaust fans in poor condition
  1. Supply air leaking above ceiling
  1. OA dampers improperly installed
  1. Exhaust fans not sealed to curb or hinged correctly
  1. Dirty compartment/coil in the RTU
  1. Tops of diffuser not insulated
  1. Filters improperly sized for hoods
  1. MUA not operating properly
  1. Dirty indoor/outdoor filters
  1. Worn/broken belts

Achieving Air Balance in HVAC

Once you’re ready to bring a facility back into tune, there are seven easy steps to complete. These steps may be completed by the facility manager alone, but are more likely in partnership with a service contractor. To get started, pull out the facility’s previous balance report to use as a base line for data.

One Principal Engineer at a hamburger fast food chain overseeing thousands of locations explains how her team uses the air balance report to get started with troubleshooting comfort issues.

“The reports really are my first line of defense when someone says ‘Hey, my store is cold/hot/humid,’ she points out. “The first thing I do is pull out the TAB report and see what it says. I look at the punch list and ask was anything wrong? Not fixed? It helps when I have to remotely assess or diagnose problems.”

7 Steps to HVAC Balance

Whether the previous air balance report has been reviewed or not, proceed to the following steps:

  1. Ask the onsite restaurant managers what the complaints are from employees and customers.
  1. Turn on all HVAC equipment.
    • Verify thermostats are set to “FAN ON”
  1. Check building pressure with the flame test in different areas around the restaurant (Figure 3)
  1. Observe smoke capture
    • Is the hood in the correct overhang position?
    • Are there drafts along the cook line?
  1. Check for common comfort issues (hot/cold spots, entry doors that are hard to open, poor smoke capture, humidity, condensation dripping from diffusers and drafts).
  1. Inspect the equipment.
    • Are the filters clean?
    • Are the belts in good condition?
    • Are the exhaust fan wheels clean?
  1. Determine an intervention plan.
    • If some preventative maintenance actions and/or repairs need to happen, start with the service contractor.
    • If equipment is inoperable, have it repaired or replaced.
    1. If the preventative maintenance actions are in order and the problems persist, call in a certified air balance company that has experience with restaurants like yours.
Facility managers need to trust that their service contractors will notify them of airflow-related issues. Those technicians are out on the roofs and looking at the HVAC system components more than anyone else. If the restaurant has negative pressure or other out-of-tune symptoms, the service contractor needs to inform the facility manager right away. After all, you want your customers and employees to continue singing your praises. 

Using An Air Balance Report for HVAC Upkeep

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

There is much hype these days in the facilities management industry about the importance of preventative maintenance, especially for critically important HVAC systems. In our experience,  we are often urgently called out to a facility because the site’s HVAC hasn’t been well maintained. While we’re happy to help, we also want to share insights so you don’t have preventable crises.

In a recent FER magazine article  – Realizing ROI on Planned Maintenance – author Michael Sherer quotes David Pogach, LEED GA, Longhorn Steakhouse Facilities Manager, as saying:

“We look at planned maintenance as a way of making sure equipment lasts its expected life cycle. … We know these programs work. They save money, so for us it’s not a debate of whether to spend the money now or later. We maintain our equipment.

“Planned maintenance makes the most sense for equipment that in-house staff doesn’t have the expertise or time to maintain. Most operators who have programs in place start with HVAC because putting people on the roof is a liability issue, and most foodservice employees don’t have the expertise to service HVAC systems.”

Following are ways you can use your air balance report to help start a new preventative maintenance program or audit the effectiveness of an existing one:

1)    In your report, you’ll have a list of deficiencies and recommendations for optimal operation (figure 1). First and foremost, you should schedule completion of these tasks as part of your quarterly or semi-annual preventative maintenance program.

 

2)   Another great use of a test and balance report is using the unit inspection checklists to see what should be monitored by your HVAC contractor (figure 2).

figure 2
Rooftop inspection checklist

 

3)   The report will also include unit3)  A third way to make the most of your air balance report is to use the HVAC system layout drawings to locate and inventory all equipment that needs to be maintained (figure 3). Please note that not all test and balance contractors provide this. manufacturers, model numbers, serial numbers, pulley sizes, belts sizes, motor horsepower ratings, and a large amount of other useful data which would aid in the implementation or upkeep of any preventative maintenance program.

figure 3
Building and rooftop layout

 4)   Finally, make sure your preventative maintenance programs include all of the items below. Omitting regular service on these is a leading causes of problem stores.

  • Change belts when damaged and verify proper belt tension
  • Replace filters quarterly
  • Clean outside air filters
  • Clean kitchen hood filters
  • Clean fan blower wheels
  • Clean grease traps
  • Clean evaporator and condenser coils
  • Verify thermostat settings are correct and someone onsite is trained how to adjust programming

Additional Reading

1. Realizing ROI On Planned Maintenance, Foodservice Equipment Reports Magazine, Michael Sherer, Aug 3, 2015

2. How To Read A T&B Report,  Fresh Air Blog, Derick Ramos, Aug 27, 2015

3. Planned HVAC Maintenance Adds Up to Big Savings for Retailers, Energy Manager Today, Karen Henry, May 11, 2015

How to implement air balance data in 5 easy steps

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

The goal of a good facility manager is to balance the customer’s brand experience with the company’s budget allocation and facility lifetime. The goal of a good air balancer is to objectively
restore the facility’s HVAC health. The air balance report is the bridge between the two parties’ goals. Once the balance report is in your hands, we suggest the following steps to enable you to take facility management from good to great:

1. Take time to go through the report and see what problems were uncovered as well as proposed solutions.

2. Prioritize the list. Use specific criteria to determine which tasks you’ll tackle and in what order. You might start with facility goals, severity, effect on occupant comfort, effect on efficiency, budget and estimated interruption to business. This would also be a good time to consult a trusted colleague on his or her opinion. If design prints were provided, you will find punch list items of discrepancies with those prints. Punch list items are typically the most urgent. In addition to punch list items or in the absence of design prints, many air balance contractors will provide recommendations. These are a combination of urgent items and best practices. If you want the best-run stores in your market, you’ll schedule execution of all the recommendations. If you’re constrained by budget, you might pick and choose the most important.

2 examples of urgent recommendations:

  • Mold inside the rooftop units. Get those puppies cleaned ASAP!
  • Leaks in the rooftop units. Not taking care of the leaks immediately will waste your money in patching membrane and/or replacing ductwork.

3. Use the report to evaluate whether your mechanical contractor or maintenance contractor is fulfilling your expectations. We often find facility managers using air balance reports to audit performance of HVAC management.

4. Assign the punch list items and/or recommendations to your qualified mechanical contractor.

5.  Tie up loose ends by having the air balance contractor revisit your site within 30 or 60 days to verify the assignments were completed. Do not assume the fixes will be made just by
passing it off to a maintenance contractor. At the very least, inspect completion yourself. If things weren’t fixed, that voids the entire effort and wastes your hard-earned dollars. Further, you’ll keep experiencing the problems.

Note: If your tasks include replacing equipment or major layout changes, you’ll need a balancer to tune the HVAC system to near design airflow so you can maintain a healthy building.

If there’s only one step you take away from this article, it needs to be No. 5. This advice is most often overlooked but distinguishes good facility managers from great ones.

What to know about choosing an air balance contractor

Posted on by Lindsey Burbee

Due to the skill level required and equipment needed, facility managers and mechanical contractors hire professional test and balance contractors to bring buildings into balance at the end of construction, remodels, rebalances for existing buildings and equipment changes. When HVAC equipment is installed and started up, it may not function according to design specification and eventually will delineate from proper operation if not corrected. 

Facility managers and mechanical contractors also bring in TAB contractors to investigate HVAC comfort problems. Are you aware that most HVAC problems stem from poorly maintained HVAC equipment or performance assumptions?

Selecting a balancing firm can be tricky business, but it doesn’t need to be. Following are criteria for choosing a balancing contractor, based on our experience during the past 30 years. We hope our perspective will serve you.

  • Use a certified firm
  • There are two main certification organizations:
  • Look for thoroughness. Like any service, you want to be sure your vendor is concerned about the details.
  • Look for integrity. Since most of the value of an air balance is invisible, you need a vendor you can trust.
  • Experience with your industry. HVAC systems differ among restaurants, retail stores, hotels and hospitals. Make sure your balancing partner is familiar with your type of facility needs.
  • Maintain objectivity. Have a third party firm balance your HVAC system to prevent shortcuts and misreporting.
  • Hire directly. Avoid conflicts of interest by hiring the balance partner yourself.
 Air balance report necessities
  1. Air flow measurements and adjustments
  2. Punch list with images
  • Punch list items refer to discrepancies with the design prints. For example, the prints might show there is a diffuser in the rest room, but the facility does not have it.
  • HVAC equipment data
    • Make, model, serial number, fan/motor data, voltage, belt size, equipment condition, amperage, pulley size, etc.
  • Building pressurization
    • Reading of the balanced building pressure

The above list includes the basic deliverables you should expect from an air balance report. You can read our article  How to read a Melink Test & Balance Report for a visual example of an air balance report.

To prepare for the service, a balancing firm will request the design prints of the facility and inspect any previous balance reports. In many cases with existing buildings, prints and reports are unavailable. If that happens, the air balance technician will have to work from best practice measurements. This is one of many situations where having an experienced and certified balancer is an asset because of the knowledge required to do this well.

Once onsite, the balance technician will briefly talk to your management staff and ask about any HVAC-related issues they are experiencing. A common complaint of restaurant facilities is a hot kitchen, which can be indicative of a rooftop unit with dirty blower wheels or filters, as well as loose belts on a failed compressor. These complaints give the balance technician an idea of where to begin.

Next, the balancer will spend time inspecting and measuring the equipment on the roof. He or she will record RPMs and amps, check exhaust fans and look for basic adjustments. Then the balancer will go back inside to check building pressure and take measurements of the airflow. All of this data will tell the technician what he or she needs to do. After more adjusting, such as dampers or RTU belt tightness, and measuring the effects, the technician will bring the HVAC ecosystem back to design standard.

At that point, pressures and measurements are then documented in a report. In the case of a Melink balance, the technician will also check thermostats and train staff on the proper settings, if requested by the manager. Findings will be explained to the manager as well. Finally, the facility manager or project manager will receive the report after it has gone through quality inspection.

ADDITIONAL READING:
Sources:
  • DuChane, Greg. “Optimizing Air Balance Report Data.” Trane Tracks (Apr.2015): n. pag. Trane. Web.
  • “NEBB.” International Certification, High Performance Building Systems. N.p., n.d. Web. Sept.1, 2015.
  • Prager, Ron. “Demystifying HVAC: Why Test and Balance?” (n.d.): n. pag. Web. Sept. 1, 2015.