HVAC Commissioning and Why Its Important

HVAC commissioning is a comprehensive and systematic process that ensures the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system in a building operates as intended and meets the building owner’s operational needs. This process involves checking and testing every HVAC system component, from design and installation to troubleshooting and maintenance. The importance of HVAC commissioning lies in its potential to enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, extend equipment lifespan, and improve indoor air quality. A well-commissioned HVAC system ultimately contributes to a healthier, more comfortable, and more sustainable environment. 

So, What is HVAC Commissioning, and Why is it Important?

Although a lot of homeowners fail to realize this, there is a startup process for every newly installed piece of HVAC equipment. This process is known as commissioning. If you have an older piece of HVAC equipment, there’s a decent chance your system wasn’t commissioned when it was originally installed. 

No worries, though! Your friends at Five Star Home Services are here to help! At Five Star, we commission all the equipment we have installed because we know it’s the right thing to do. Hands down! No question! We commission all our newly installed equipment on the day of installation. Our friendly and professional installation teams are set up and prepared to commission this equipment for you to make sure that it’s operating safely and within the manufacturer’s specifications before we leave. This is the standard we set, and we never deviate from it because it is the right thing to do for you. Having said that, we plan to go over the importance of commissioning in the following.  

What is Commissioning?

In short, HVAC commissioning is a comprehensive and systematic process that ensures the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system in a home operates as intended and meets the building owner’s operational needs. This process includes checking and testing every component of the HVAC system, from design and installation to troubleshooting and maintenance. The importance of HVAC commissioning lies in its potential to enhance energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, extend equipment lifespan, and improve indoor air quality. Ultimately, a well-commissioned HVAC system contributes to a healthier, more comfortable, and more sustainable environment. 

HVAC Equipment vs. Appliances

Some people may say: “Hey, home comfort equipment is just an appliance. You only need to plug it and unplug it.” And they would be wrong! This is a huge misconception about HVAC equipment. Home comfort systems aren’t anything like other appliances. Refrigerators you can move in and plug in. Washers and dryers don’t have a lot of complicated set up. Nevertheless, these are all vastly different compared to HVAC equipment, which is permanently fixed into your home. There are several factors that go into the whole commissioning process that need to be checked and adjusted.   

We want to know how the system is performing under your home under the situation that exists in your home because you’re going to have different venting, refrigeration lengths, sides of the equipment, ductwork, airflow, the layout of the house, and all kinds of stuff. 

In order for us to do our job properly, to make sure that you can get a long-lasting, efficient, comfortable system that runs properly within manufacturer specifications because that’s what you deserve, and that is what you pay for. 

Why Is HVAC Commissioning So Important?

In the following, we will now discuss why commissioning is so important. Previously, we have touched on this a bit. We’ve looked at the overall efficiency and longevity of the equipment. We have discussed that doing this is what’s right for you, the customer, to ensure everything falls within the manufacturer’s specifications. Despite this fact, there is a grim reality and harsh truth to what is supposed to be happening and what is actually happening. In fact, tons of evidence from third parties that have tested licensed contractors on all major brands. They found that nine out of ten systems newly installed by licensed contractors have comfort-robbing or energy-wasting deficiencies. Air duct leakage was one of the highest at 93 percent. 

Other deficiencies that were found were airflow settings. The study found that 7 out of 10 HVAC contractors did not set the furnace up properly for the airflow required for their home and the size of their air conditioner. And then there was also sizing of the equipment. Nearly 50%, which is half, were not sized correctly. To make matters worse, there was also an incorrect refrigerant charge of 74%. 

This is completely unacceptable. Let’s compare it to, for instance, your vehicle. If you were to go to a professional place to get new tires on your car, and when they say they’re done and they give you your car, you find that three out of the four tires are not inflated properly. Would you consider this a good value? Is that what you paid for? Is this what you deserve that? What happens if they’re not inflated properly? In short, it’s going to wear the tire off. You could end up losing gas mileage. It’s going to cost you more money in the long run. 

Now, let’s compare this to HVAC equipment. If we don’t perform a professional commission and we fail to take these readings to ensure it’s running properly, you might have to replace it within a shorter period of time than necessary. You also might experience higher energy bills. Overall, it’s going to cost you more time and money. It’s not going to give you the comfort that you deserve.  

The best part about HVAC commission is that it only takes a few minutes at the end of the job to ensure all these things are checked and properly adjusted within the manufacturer’s specifications. 

And this is why commissioning is so important. We want to remain in the top 10% of the contractors doing the right things to make sure our amazing customers are always getting the best value out of their newly installed equipment. We take pride in our work and stop at nothing to ensure our customers are happy! 

Why Doesn’t Everyone Do Commissioning?

So why doesn’t everybody do HVAC commissioning like their supposed to? The quickest answer comes down to costs. We have also found that other heating and air conditioning contractors ignore the commissioning process sometimes because it takes them too long. They’re in too much of a hurry to get to the next job than to take the necessary time for commissioning, which ensures the proper functionality of their equipment. That’s really the biggest difference between paying somebody to do it right or paying someone second rate. At Five Star Home Services, we use special tools, multiple tools that require digital gauges and manifolds and meters. We perform this commissioning process properly and to record the actual data that is required to make sure this equipment is running properly. We leave no stone unturned. 

Digital manifolds set with the hoses retail anywhere between $700 and $800. This gives us the most precise readings to set up and commission your new equipment properly. It also gives you the best chance for the best performance and the most energy savings that you deserve from your new system. On the other hand, the old-school analog sets are inexpensive. They cost about $120 to $140. They’re less accurate than our digital manifold and require extra steps and equipment that the technician may or may not have with them. All of this is included in the digital manifold set. 

By using the older analog set, however, if an installer doesn’t have the right training and equipment, it could spell trouble. This makes it harder to check the pressure and temperature charts that are required. In short, you’re doing a disservice to the HVAC system because you cannot properly commission it without this information. 

Additionally, there’s more training. We’re talking 57 points on a full system. If we’re all out and you have all the bells and whistles of everything that can be offered. Well, not all HVAC installers are trained properly or at all. The best training that they have is often very basic. It. Or they might solely be going from the word of the guy who’s been doing it a little bit longer. Additional training is always needed to make sure that commissioning is done properly. Last but not least, this also requires more labor, which is a higher cost.  

Some companies will meet this commissioning process because it gives lower estimates. It’s an extra step. It’s an extra cost. We believe that it’s in your best interest overall to make sure we are doing the right things. We commission every unit that we install on the day of installation. Here at Five Star Home Services, we train all of our technicians on our up-to-57-point commissioning process in our training center. With this, they can then use the information they’ve learned when they’re in your home to perform your maintenance or installation. 

We do this because we believe in doing what’s best for our customers. Always. One hundred percent. No exceptions. We know what’s best for your new HVAC equipment. So we do the right thing. It’s merely a matter of integrity and never compromising the values that this amazing company was founded on — family values. There’s no need to ever worry about it costing any extra money because it’s included in our installation process. 

So, What Next?

So now that you’ve learned more about HVAC commissioning is? Download our HVAC contractor checklist on our website and arm yourself with the knowledge to ask the right questions during your HVAC installation. If you have any questions or would like a free estimate, give us a call right away. We are always more than happy to talk to you and walk you through our full process to ensure your home is getting the attention that it deserves. At Five Star Home Services, we stop at nothing to ensure your comfort and satisfaction! Nevertheless, we hope you don’t merely take our word for it. Give us a call today at (833) 405-8009!