Testing, Adjusting & Balancing (TAB)

Testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) is the engineering step that makes a system deliver what it was designed to deliver. A system can be installed perfectly and still leave some rooms warm and others freezing, simply because the air and water were never distributed to the figures on the drawings. TAB measures what each branch, diffuser and terminal is actually doing, adjusts dampers, valves and fan or pump settings, and re-measures until the whole system matches design.

It matters most on handover of a new building, after a fit-out or retrofit, or when occupants complain that comfort is uneven despite the units running constantly. It is also what consultants and landlords ask for as documented proof that a system performs — a balancing report is often a condition of sign-off. Without it, you are relying on a system being right by chance.

AGEC carries out TAB on air and water systems: supply and extract airflow at diffusers and grilles, fresh-air quantities, and chilled-water flow through coils and terminals. We use calibrated instruments, record the readings area by area, and compare them against the design before and after adjustment. The deliverable is a clear balancing report — measured versus design, the adjustments made, and any shortfall that points to a sizing, leakage or equipment issue rather than a balancing one. For wider handover testing see our testing & commissioning and air-balancing pages, linked below.