What is Air Balancing?

Simply put, an air balance measures the performance of your HVAC system. There are two different types of air balancing inspections that a Phoenix HVAC tech can perform: Comfort Balance and AABC Certified Air Balance.

Comfort Balance – This determines how comfortable a room’s conditioning is. An HVAC professional will check how much air is coming out of the registers, and possibly adjust or remove them. During this process, give the technician an idea of your home’s air circulation: too much or too little could indicate a problem.

Certified Air Balance – This is a more detailed inspection of all your HVAC components, and is most often used on larger projects and prior to building occupation. Its purpose is to ensure your entire system is working compatibly and at its optimal capacity. An AABC Certified Air Balance has many steps:

• A mechanical engineer creates a set of drawings and specifications based on your desires, local codes, AHRAE standards, and years of training; details such as air flow, registers, ducting, ventilation requirements, exhaust needs and unit performance are all considered
• Opposed blade dampers are placed at all branch locations of the duct system, behind the face of each intake and exhaust opening
• A certified air balance technician changes system filters and ensures all dampers are open; readings are taken at every opening inside and on the roof
• One by one, techs open, close, and readjust the dampers until they meet the requirements set by the mechanical engineer
• Once the building is in tune, the air balance tech locks down all dampers and devices so settings don’t change
• Dirty filters, renovations/remodeling, and other acts of a building’s occupants can alter these locked-in settings

If you have questions about comfort or air balancing, contact the Phoenix HVAC professionals at Precision A/C. We will provide you with a comprehensive inspection and evaluation to help determine the tune-ups and air conditioning repairs you need. If replacement is required, our top-of-the-line Precision Plus air conditioners are competitively priced and guaranteed to last. Schedule an appointment with a Phoenix HVAC specialist online, or to speak with a Precision A/C representative about air conditioning repair, call 602-fix-my-ac today!