Comfort issues with your office space? Air balance may be the solution

By: Tyler Richeson

Have you ever been faced with solving office comfort issues? One of the most frequent complaints among employees is comfort in the office. Think about it…Over the years how many maintenance personnel have made tweaks or blocked off diffusers completely due to complaints? It may not be an issue with your current system rather that the system is no longer operating according to its original design. Whether its temperature related or lack/excess of air flow this problem can usually be remedied with a certified air balance.

An independent certified air balance is performed by a company or individual that is usually not affiliated with any mechanical contractor and possess a certification from one of the following agencies: NEBB (National Environmental Balancing Bureau), TABB (Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing Bureau), or NCI (National Comfort Institute, Inc.). The air balancing company will adjust economizers, belts, and dampers to make sure the adequate air flow is reaching the proper diffusers in the space. They will not fix problems with equipment or install dampers if they are not present, but will report and note anything that needs to be addressed. We find it best to have the mechanical contractor onsite while the air balance is happening, so they can eliminate any issues that would keep the air balance from being completed while they are onsite.

For more information regarding air balancing or comfort issues please contact your Kiesland representative.

More information is available at http://www.modular.org/HtmlPage.aspx?name=comfort2_03