Services Provided
Test and Balance (TAB)
TAB - Test, Adjust, Balance. As TAB specialists, we perform air and hydronic measurements on commercial HVAC systems. We then adjust the flows as needed to put those systems into a mode to achieve optimal performance from the mechanical equipment. Next, we balance the system and set it to the design flow values required by the Mechanical Engineer for the project. Finally, we produced a report that summarized the testing and balancing. This report exemplifies all the work that went into the project, from the original design team to the tinner, the welder, the foreman on site, and everyone in between.
The mechanical engineer designs the air and hydronic heating, air conditioning, ventilation, and pressure control systems. The mechanical contractor builds those systems. Controls wires them up to operate. We test it, adjust it, and set it to work as the engineer initially intended. Our work and report prove whether the system designed will work in the real world. It is our goal with every project to work with each entity in this line to produce a finished product we are all happy with.
Energy Balance is comprised of individuals who have made TAB their life's works and understand air and water systems inside and out. With almost 50 years of experience in the business, our company has seen almost every kind of system. We have troubleshot the most complicated systems in the Southwest and balanced systems of all sizes, including all major hospitals in the State, schools, labs, hotels, resorts, and more.
We don't just test pieces... We provide system-wide balance and solutions.
Indoor Air Quality Ventilation Assessment (IAQ)
With the challenges faced through 2020 and the pandemic, Indoor Air Quality has come to the forefront of importance for the health of the inhabitants of a building. Ventilation Verification and Energy Optimization (IAQ) is a physical assessment of the existing HVAC infrastructure. The importance of skilled, trained, and certified technicians working on HVAC systems allows for the highest indoor air quality, the best opportunity for clean air, and the overall best health of those breathing it. Through our assessments, EB&I technicians can make suggestions and adjustments that change the level of health in the air we breathe. What could be more important? To read more about IAQ, read here.
Fire, Life Safety Testing
Fire life safety systems provide safety and security to all the individuals in a commercial building. The spreading of fire, smoke, and oxygen to feed a fire through duct systems could often be the determining factor as to whether a fire can be contained and keep people safe. Spreading through the HVAC systems could have disastrous results for those inhabiting the building if a fire were to start. Measures have been put in place to prevent the spread through duct systems. Dampers that close off the airways are tripped in the presence of fire or smoke, preventing anything from getting by and saving lives.
Energy Balance provides testing of these dampers and certifies their operation. Our company has been at the forefront of bringing the state together to produce a formal process to ensure that commercial buildings are properly tested. We have worked with legislation, Fire Marshal, and state representatives to make this happen and keep New Mexicans safe.
Audits and Pressure Gradient Testing
Any sensitive environment is set up to maintain that environment. To do that, the pressure between spaces can mean the difference between safety and exposure. Isolation rooms, for instance, must maintain an environment of their own and be isolated from their surroundings. This is set up, and the invisible wall between that area and the outside world is held with an invisible curtain of pressure differentials in the air from one space to another.
This is one of our specialties.
Hospitals, labs, casinos, or any area where this invisible curtain is necessary, we can help set up those invisible curtains. Whether through quarterly audits of hospital Isolation and OR rooms or the initial setup of smoke control systems on a casino floor, we can set up positive and negative relationships to measure air exchanges. We also produce a detailed and clear report needed to show these figures.
Room Tightness Testing
How efficient is a space? How isolated is an isolation room? These are questions engineers and architects are asking. We can tell them. Utilizing the latest in blower door technology, our team can measure the exact amount of leakage in a space. Imagine a balloon. Imagine a bunch of pinpricks in that balloon. We can tell you collectively how big of a hole those pinpricks add up to. Air tightness is a group effort of all those on-site. We work with contractors, mechanical contractors, engineers, and everyone in between to bring a room into a passing state of very little leakage.
Blower door testing has become a requirement today in many specs. It is essential to determine how efficiently a room operates. The more leakage a room has, the more airflow is required to operate correctly and the less efficient it is. This affects our indoor air quality, our energy consumption, our wallets, and our health.
This includes Room Pressure Monitor Calibration.
We have worked at all major hospitals in the Albuquerque area as well as Santa Fe and Espanola and have helped set the bar here in New Mexico as to what is expected with room tightness testing and reporting.
Duct Leakage Testing
Air is only effective when it gets to where it is supposed to go.
If the ducts are not sealed, the efficiency of the entire system takes a drastic hit. We work with the mechanical contractor to simulate airflow through the duct to determine the leakage rate of the duct and thus, the efficiency of the system. Utilizing the best tools available, we can determine the smallest leakage and produce a report to show precisely how the duct will perform.
Troubleshooting
Have a space in need of work? Are you looking to make your building more efficient, safe, and balanced?
Are you looking to produce an accurate idea of what is happening in your space?
With well over 40 years of experience under our belts, we have seen almost everything and can determine what happens in almost every scenario.
We would be happy to work with you to investigate your system and what needs to be done to improve it.
Some of the Many Projects We Have Worked On Recently…
