Residential HERS Testing

RESIDENTIAL ALTERATIONS HERS TESTING AND VERIFICATION

We are a highly trained company offering Residential HERS Testing and Verification to homeowners in San Diego and Riverside County.

Retro-fit, another name for Residential Alterations, is the most common HERS test and verifications in the industry. In 2019 approximately 5.4 million Air Conditioners and 3.5 million furnaces were shipped in the United States alone. Every mechanical permit pulled in California to retro-fit the space conditioning system will require a third party HERS Testing and Verification. Our experienced technicians using the scope of every project set by the California Energy Commission will determine what tests and verifications will be applied.

Each project’s testing will be scheduled by equipment installation and the location’s climate zone. Our trained HERS Raters will take all necessary information, perform all required testing and verifications. Once testing has been completed, we will provide certified alteration HERS documents once the project is complete.

Our Residential HERS Testing Certifications

Our approach is to provide permanent energy solutions by using state of the art performance equipment such as:

The Energy Conservatory (TEC) Duct Blaster, Blower Door
DG 700 Manometer, and Exhaust Fan Flow Meter
Alnor Flow Capture Hood with Micromanometer
Testo and Fieldpiece Refrigerant Gauges & Thermometers
Bacharach Fyrite InTech Residential Combustion Analyzer

On top of using state of the art testing equipment, Grizzly HERS Testing is also certified in the following:

Cheers - Alterations, New Construction, Commercial
CalCERTS - Alterations, New Construction
National Comfort Institute (NCI) - Residential Air Balancing, Duct System Optimization
Building Performance Institute - Building Analyst Professional
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Refrigerant Handling Certification

Residential Alterations and Field Verifications:

Residential Field Verifications

The below mechanical acceptance tests vary from job to job-based on the type of equipment installed.

We perform the tests best suited for your home

Duct Test (DB)

The duct test verification is the most common field test. With a couple of exemptions, there will almost always be a duct test with an HVAC change-out. According to the Energy Star, an average home may lose up to 30% of conditioned air because of a leaky duct system. Leaky ducts will increase electric bills, reduce equipment performance, and may result in potentially dangerous indoor air quality problems. The only way to determine how much a system is leaking is by running a duct test.

Cooling Coil Airflow (CCA)

The primary purpose of testing the airflow across an evaporator coil is to verify the cooling system has an adequate flow to maintain system design. This is important because system performance can be affected by too much or too little airflow. Low airflow can reduce the equipment’s life, cause the system’s coil to freeze, or damage the compressor. High airflow will lead to high energy use, low subcooling, and may cause discomfort because the supply air is not properly conditioned

Duct Leakage to Outside (LTO)

Duct Leakage to Outside is a test used to measure how much duct leakage goes outside the air barrier. This verification will be set up to perform a Duct Test but will include a Blower Door Test. The Blower Door is used in this test to create a positive pressure in the home with respect to outside. Both the Blower Door and Duct Test must be run together to accomplish Leakage to Outside.

Refrigerant Charge Airflow (RCA)

The refrigerant charge is vital in how the system consumes energy and conditions the building. An improperly charged system can cause various problems such as cooling issues, energy spikes, and equipment failure. When testing the system, the HERS Rater compares the data to equipment specs to verify the charge is within the manufacturer’s specifications. Airflow refers to the actual flow of cold air created by the air conditioning system. Refrigerant Charge Airflow must always be done in conjunction with the Cooling Coil Airflow but is only required in climate zones 2, and 8-15 with a replacement of a refrigerant containing component.

Fan Watt Draw (FWD)

Fan Watt Draw required for new installations or any modification that requires over 75% of the accessible duct system to be replaced. This relatively simple and straightforward test determines how many watts your fan uses to power the system. We then take the total watts used and divide it by the total measured airflow to determine precisely how much energy it takes to run the fan. This can help identify problems associated with poor efficiencies such as dirty air filter, clogged coil, or restricted airflow in the system.

Here are some helpful links related to HERS. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, reach out to us, we’re here to help.

Energy code Ace is a simplified website that helps us navigate through the complicated process of Title 24 part 6.

The Energy Code Ace suite of tools is designed to help you identify the forms, installation techniques and standards relevant to building projects in California.

Energy Code Ace Training Courses target a wide range of “hot topic” measures and audience groups, and are provided in a variety of formats.

Energy code Ace Resources provides resources to help facilitate effective implementation of California’s building and appliance energy efficiency standards.

The California Energy Commission plays a critical role in creating the energy system of the future – one that is clean, is modern, and ensures the fifth largest economy in the world continues to thrive.

Here is where you can find current, past and future standards for both residential and commercial buildings.

Energy.gov has excellent resources when it comes to saving energy and money while creating building comfort.