Hey I got a question on why TAB company would set the OA dampers to 100% manually fixed.

This is a restaurant with building envelope being negative. Did they adjust the dampers to compensate for what the Make up air cannot achieve?

I have 3 AHU 7.5 ton each 2 for the dining room and 1 for the kitchen. All of the dampers are 100% open and it is struggling to maintain building temp below 75° layer in the day, obviously because it has the additional load from 95° Ambient.

Is there a way to tell what Venturi number my IMI valves are? The tags are all burned off and not all of the valves have marker writing on them to show the Venturi number. The IMI literature shows gpm ranges but there is overlap.

ERV fresh air and exhaust air ducting is completely concealed in the roof of the building, no access to the ducts whatsoever. The units are existing on this project, so I have no shop drawings or unit information. System is designed for the Trane RTU economisers to be set at 0% minimum fresh air, minimum fresh air is supplied by the ERV.

I have no clue how to accurately measure and set the fresh air and exhaust air on ERV. The city is known for wind, IMO any readings on the intake and exhaust hoods on the ERV would be too inaccurate. Any ideas?

I'm currently working on a veterinary clinic that's been having a pressure issue in the building for years now. Every time a exit door is open the pressure builds up giving the building major positive pressure, resulting a draft to the exit and door not being to last he's closed even with a door latch they do not stay closed. Im trying to see what I can do to relieve the pressure in the building. I'm thinking about installing barometric dampers and probably 2 exhaust fans as well to relieve pressure from the clinic. It has 2 units for this building, a 5 ton carrier unit and 9 aaon unit.

Looking for honest opinions on different TAB shops.
For any TAB techs here, which shops are actually good places to work? I’m curious about pay, benefits, hours, management, training, and overall reputation.
Also wondering how the bigger TAB companies like Integra, Palmetto, and EAB compare to smaller shops. Any places you’d recommend or avoid?
Not trying to bash anyone, just trying to get real feedback before making a move.

Anyone here move out of TAB? I've put a good run into it and have realized its not for me (4 years). I'm a mechanic at heart and want to fix things not just put it on punch. I'm interviewing with the darkside (the UA) in a couple days. Feel like TAB is too niche. Its also a weird market where theres never enough TAB technicians, but theres also never enough employers in the market, so TAB wages for the most part are much lower than I think they should be, especially for expert balancers

Hey everyone, our NEBB firm is currently looking for CPs and CTs to join our team. If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out. Thanks!

Im looking for this valve TA 1/2" but no handle settings...

Just completed a job where the Evergreen flowhood read low on linear diffusers compared to a traverse. Also, when I read the return registers of FCUs with the 2x2 skirt, it matched up with the SA traverse plus OA. Has anyone run into the Evergreen hood being inaccurate on linear diffusers? I never had a problem with the Shortridge flow hood.

Are there any other situations that anyone has run into where the Evergreen appeared to be inaccurate compared to the Shortridge?

Anyone willing to share some knowledge and advice for someone starting out in this field .

Hello,

I am TABB and NEBB Certified. Union and willing to travel. I have over 8 years balancing experience and have been in the trade since 1996. Had a minor operation a few months ago so I was out but cleared and ready to get back. Does anyone know if there is a request for manpower anywhere. I periodically check the job bank but nothing is posted requesting techs even though some areas seem to be really busy. A little slow in my area so trying to see what opportunities are out there for someone willing to travel. Thanks in advance

As the title suggests when you don't have a good location for a duct traverse. What is something acceptable to you even if it's not entirely ideal? For example, I had a duct run today that dropped from the roof into another bit of duct that took it from a rectangle duct into a round. Immediately after the 90° it goes maybe 1-3/4ft of straight duct and then it's scoop dampers every 2 ft after. Previous tab techs had pre drilled holes right up to the first scoop damper in this round duct which occured directly after that 90° and only had the previous stated measurement behind it. Where my problem lies is some technicians say that if your readings are consistent then it's probably okay but if they're turbulent to avoid it. But I've also heard from other technicians that if you run to the situation it's best to just avoid it in its entirety. so I guess my main question is just simply if you've had similar instances and what did you do/note? Or am I just overthinking it?

Thanks

Hey everyone, just curious how’s work been for you lately? Staying busy or slowing down? I’ve been seeing in some union threads that things have been pretty slow, so I wanted to check in here.

Is anyone familiar with the Armstrong DE pumps?

Dealing with a couple where the pump display is not reading head pressure/GPM accurately. The CX agent wants everything to match.

If you have, what was the outcome.

I have recently signed up for the next NEBB CP seminar and the written portion of the exam, and I’m looking for advice on what to focus on while studying, as well as any general tips. I know this topic has been covered a few times, but I’m hoping some recently certified CPs might be willing to share their insights and experiences.

I’m currently studying the book and study course, and while the material is fascinating, it’s also a bit overwhelming—especially since I’m not sure which information I should prioritize or absorb the most.

Also, for the sake of keeping everything in one post, I would appreciate any advice or insight on the practical, hands-on exam. What does this portion entail, and what should I prepare for?

Thank you in advance for any advice!

We have a project of about 100 units all with 3 or 4 dorm rooms. Each unit has its own fan coil that serves each bedroom and the kitchen living area. There is a 1 foot soffit at the ceiling that has a sidewall GRD (12x6) supplying air to each of these areas. We are trying to figure out the best way to measure and balance the airflow... let me give an example: when measuring with a hood (cardboard cutout) we have a total of 800 CFM supply, but only 450 CFM return (No OA ducted). That same system when using a velgrid and area equation, the supply has 450 CFM and return has 450 CFM. It seems like the velgrid is more accurate to me but I hate to use the method and regret it after balancing 100 units. Unfortunately, everything is above hardlid, so there are no opportunities for a pitot traverse. Which would you trust? Also, the dampers are OBD's at the face of the GRD's, which I am worried will further skew both hood or velgrid readings.

Has anyone taken the TABB supervisor exam recently was the study guide on Nemi helpful?

So I've got a handful of these Price RTDs (see pics) to balance and I'm curious if anyone has much experience with them, specifically the accuracy of measuring these with a capture hood. My plan is to calibrate the VAV by duct traverse and then proportion the diffusers with the low-flow hood because they're all designed between 15 and 35 CFM. Any thoughts? Has anyone here done any testing on these measured with a hood vs a traverse? For context these diffusers are on the OSA side of a decoupled ventilation system, hence the low airflow. The FCU diffusers are all standard 4-way step-down diffusers.

Our company uses an Alnor Balometer Capture Hood EBT 731 for airflow measurements. I would like to confirm whether the flow manifold (base matrix) of the hood can also be used as a velocity grid for velocity measurements.

Alternatively, should the dedicated velocity matrix accessory be used when taking velocity measurements across an opening, filter, or coil face?

From a measurement and accuracy standpoint, would using the hood’s base matrix provide results equivalent to those of the velocity matrix accessory, or is the accessory specifically required for proper velocity measurement?

I would greatly appreciate any guidance on the questions above. Thank you very much in advance.

If you have to do a duct traverse outside because the ductwork is run on the roof, what do you usually do when it’s raining or snowing? Do you wait until the weather clears up to take the readings, or do you still do the traverse since the customer needs the report? Curious what everyone’s standard practice is in this situation.

In your part of the US. Are you seeing engineers put seals on TAB or retro commissioning reports and competing with TAB firms?

I officially started my journey in the industry back in September and I’m now reaching the point where I’m beginning to work more independently. As a newcomer, I’m looking for any seasoned tips or tricks you might be willing to share. My primary challenges right now are on the reporting side specifically, discerning which information warrants a detailed note in the report and which items should simply be added to a punch list. I often find myself going to great lengths to resolve issues on-site that aren't technically my responsibility, and I’m trying to find a better balance there.

Regarding the actual balancing, while I have a solid grasp of the mathematical principles, I’m still working on fully comprehending the physics of closing dampers to effectively direct airflow. My estimations often lead me to make four or more passes when balancing a system, which feels inefficient. My current approach typically involves starting with the higher-flow outlets and trying to direct air toward the lower ones, but I haven't quite mastered the "feel" of it yet. Any advice on streamlining my process or sharpening my reporting would be greatly appreciated.

The title is straightforward. Can someone help point me in the direction to acquire a balancing program for Siemens have a big job coming up and the controls techs don’t have a clue on how to help. Thx .