Convert a duct blaster CFM25 reading to total leakage, leakage to outside, and percent of system airflow, and check it against ENERGY STAR limits or your own target.
Convert a blower door CFM50 reading to ACH50, equivalent leakage area, and estimated natural infiltration, and compare against the NBC 2020 default, R-2000, CHBA Net Zero, and Passive House benchmarks.
Calculate airflow from pitot tube readings, flow hood readings, and temperature rise, with air density correction for elevation and temperature.
Calculate total duct airflow from a multi-point pitot tube traverse in round or rectangular ducts, with air density correction and the log-Tchebycheff point positions shown for reference.
Log smoke pencil and smoke stick observations for duct and building leak tracing, rank each point by severity, and flag results that contradict the pressure condition.
Correct a pressure decay test for temperature on gas piping, refrigerant circuits, or ducts, then compare the leak-driven drop with the allowable drop from your procedure.
Check refrigerant charge by superheat or subcooling against target, and log nameplate, recovered, and added weights for your service records.
Compile startup readings, test results, and design specifications into a formatted commissioning report ready for handover to the building owner or general contractor.
Compare measured and design airflow or water flow at each terminal, name the key terminal for proportional balancing, and generate summary tables for commissioning records.
Turn infrared surface and air temperatures into a surface differential and a screening severity index for insulation gaps, air leakage, and moisture checks.
Calculate gross and net efficiency, excess air, CO2, and air-free CO from combustion analyzer readings for natural gas and propane, with CO checked against common action levels.
Check a gas piping pressure test against the required test pressure and hold time from your CSA B149.1 table, then see the pressure drop and a pass or fail result.
Check voltage imbalance against NEMA limits, amp draw against nameplate, and insulation resistance against IEEE 43 minimums for HVAC motors and compressors.
Place a vibration velocity reading in severity zones A to D for its machine class, based on the legacy ISO 10816-1 chart, and flag equipment approaching bearing or alignment problems.
Convert a sound level meter dBA reading into an estimated NC rating and compare it with ASHRAE-based target ranges by space type.
Interpret CO2, PM2.5, and VOC meter readings against Health Canada's CO2 limit and common field thresholds, and flag zones needing more ventilation or filtration.
Compare a measured filter pressure drop with clean and final values for common MERV ratings, and estimate remaining filter life from how fast the filter has loaded.
Calculate sensible and total capacity delivered by a coil from measured entering and leaving air conditions and airflow. Compare field performance to rated capacity.
Find field COP for heat pumps and air conditioners, or steady-state efficiency for gas furnaces, from measured airflow, temperature split, and power or gas input.
Assemble field test data, including airflow, pressure, temperature, and electrical readings, into a formatted test report ready to attach to a commissioning package.
About HVAC Lab & Testing Tools
Design calculations tell you what an HVAC system should do. Field testing tells you what it actually does. The gap between those 2 numbers is where problems live. Blower door and duct blaster testing, combustion analysis, and airflow measurement are the core field skills that separate good HVAC work from guesswork.
Blower Door Testing in Canada
There is no single national airtightness pass mark. The NBC 2020 tiered path treats 3.2 ACH50 as the untested default, the R-2000 Standard requires 1.5 ACH50 or better, CHBA Net Zero uses 1.5 for detached and 2.0 for attached homes, and Passive House uses 0.6. A blower door test at 50 pascals pressure differential measures the building's total air leakage. The blower door calculator converts your CFM50 reading to ACH50, equivalent leakage area, and estimated natural infiltration rate. Pair it with the smoke test calculator and pressure decay test calculator to pinpoint specific leak locations.
Duct Blaster Testing: Where the Energy Goes
Older, unsealed duct systems can leak a large share of the air they move, and in an attic or crawlspace that is heating and cooling energy lost. The duct blaster test pressurizes the duct system to 25 pascals and measures leakage flow. ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes in the United States limits total leakage to the greater of 4 CFM25 per 100 square feet or 40 CFM25 at rough-in, or 8 per 100 square feet at final, while building codes such as Ontario's prescribe how ducts are sealed rather than a leakage rate. The duct blaster calculator turns the raw CFM25 reading into total leakage, leakage to outside, and percent of system airflow. Combine it with the airflow measurement calculator and pitot tube traverse calculator for a complete airflow picture.
Combustion Safety and Gas Testing
A combustion analyzer measures O2 or CO2, CO, and flue gas temperature in the exhaust stream. From those 3 numbers you can calculate steady-state efficiency, excess air percentage, and CO safety level. Common industry guidance is to keep flue CO below 100 ppm air-free, with 400 ppm air-free the commonly cited maximum. The combustion analyzer calculator reports efficiency on the gross basis used for AFUE and nameplate ratings and checks CO against those levels, and the gas leak test calculator checks a piping pressure test against the test pressure and hold time from your CSA B149.1 table.
Commissioning and Documentation
Every commissioning project needs a paper trail. The test, adjust, and balance calculator documents measured versus design airflows and temperatures, while the refrigerant charge verification tool checks charge by superheat or subcooling and logs refrigerant weights. Once testing wraps up, use the commissioning report generator or HVAC test report generator to compile everything into a formatted handover package.
Related Tools You May Need
- Before field testing, confirm design airflow with the duct sizing calculator and CFM calculator.
- For airtightness code compliance, check the airtightness calculator and duct leakage compliance checker.
- Verify ventilation rates with the ASHRAE 62.1 calculator.
- Diagnose ongoing issues with the refrigerant leak finder and static pressure test tool.
- Estimate energy savings from testing results with the energy efficiency blower door tool and air leakage calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
A blower door test uses a calibrated fan mounted in an exterior doorway to pressurize or depressurize a building to 50 pascals, then measures the airflow needed to hold that pressure difference. The result converts to ACH50, the airtightness metric used across Canada for targets in programs such as R-2000 and CHBA Net Zero. Our blower door calculator handles the conversion automatically.
A duct blaster test pressurizes the duct system to a set pressure, usually 25 pascals, and measures the airflow required to hold that pressure. The reading quantifies duct leakage as total leakage, leakage to outside, and percent of system airflow, which helps identify wasted heating and cooling energy before it shows up on a utility bill. Use the duct blaster calculator to turn your raw CFM25 reading into those metrics.
Design calculations predict what a system should deliver, but only field testing confirms what it actually delivers. Commissioning tests verify airflow, temperature split, static pressure, combustion safety, and electrical readings against design intent before a project is signed off. The test, adjust, and balance calculator and system efficiency test calculator document that verification for warranty and permit records.
Common industry guidance is to keep flue CO below 100 ppm air-free for gas appliances, and 400 ppm air-free is the commonly cited maximum, with manufacturer and local requirements governing. Readings above those levels point to incomplete combustion and a potential safety hazard. The combustion analyzer calculator compares your readings against these levels and flags results outside them.
Yes. All AskHVAC.ca tools are fully responsive and work on any smartphone or tablet without an app install. They run entirely in your browser, so you can enter field readings directly from the mechanical room, log rooftop unit data, or complete a commissioning checklist without carrying a laptop. Results can be exported for your commissioning report or test documentation.