Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) is the process of evaluating temperature and environmental control systems to ensure they’re heating or cooling according to design specifications and the equipment’s best level of efficiency. The process involves using test instruments, sensors and monitors to verify proper temperatures, airflow and other characteristics of the HVAC system.
- Testing establishes the quantitative aspects of the HVAC system, such as the volume of airflow that’s being produced or the heat transfer rate
- Adjusting makes changes and alterations to system components so that the heating or cooling unit is operating properly and according to design requirements and indoor comfort demands. Adjusting may involve changing temperature settings, opening or closing a damper, increasing or reducing fan or blower speeds or making other changes that affect system function
- Balancing ensures that proportional airflow, heat transfer and other characteristics are equalized among all terminals, branches and subsystems. Balancing could involve making sure that equal amounts of heated air are distributed down to two branches of a ductwork system
TAB will address such factors as:
- Airflow quantities from the HVAC unit
- Amount of air flowing through the ductwork and existing into the building from registers, vents and grilles
- Pressure levels, including air velocity, barometric pressure, static pressure, differential pressure and total pressure
- Mixture levels and temperatures of air in plenums
- Air turbulence and stratification within the system
- Fan and blower operation, including motor amperage and voltage
- Fan speed and rotation
- Proper operation and sequencing of automatic control systems
At SEA, our goal is to help educate our customers about all energy and mechanical settings to increase indoor comfort.