WASHINGTON — Effective Nov. 1, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added the Testing, Adjusting and Balancing Bureau (TABB) as a third standard for certifying TAB firms and personnel to perform TAB service for HVAC, water balancing, and sound and vibration testing of equipment.

TABB has secured endorsements from the VA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), and construction companies nationwide for HVAC testing, adjusting and balancing.

The decision was based, in part, on a white paper released last year by the UC Davis Western Cooling Efficiency Center (WCEC), titled “Testing, Adjusting and Balancing HVAC Systems: An Overview of Certification Agencies” which examined the benefits of using certified contractors, and positioned TABB favorably in relation to the other two certifying agencies.

As a credible third-party source, the UC Davis report, written by Frederick Meyers and Theresa Pistochini, focused on TABB as a personnel certifying body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and conforming to ISO/IEC 17024, an internationally recognized standard for personnel certification bodies. As the authors of the study state, “Competence in the subject matter is demonstrated through the ANSI-accredited certification process.”

In the report, the WCEC examines the question: “Why Certify?” The organization’s conclusion: “Certification provides assurance to building owners that a particular contractor will meet a specified level of quality.” 

As the WCEC points out, “The need for highly skilled technicians has increased with the complexity of HVAC systems.”

In response to that need, TABB has developed certifications to serve as verification that technicians and supervisors have the knowledge and experience needed to complete the job tasks at hand.

In addition, the relationship between SMACNA and TABB provides resources for continual upgrades for training and certification exams, subject matter experts, and access to technical publications. Conducting proper testing, adjusting, and balancing benefits building owner and occupants by ensuring the criteria specified in the building design are met. Beyond comfort, a balanced HVAC system will use less energy, and provide better IAQ and enhanced ventilation rates, particularly important in keeping occupants healthy and productive in today’s environment.