Air Balancing (TAB) Toolkit: From Site Readings to a Clear Report
The readings are only part of an air-balancing job. You also need to know which instrument was used, whether its calibration was current, which tolerance applies, what still needs attention and how the final report will be issued.
When those details live in separate files and handwritten notes, reporting becomes another job at the end of the day. Nexora’s Air Balancing (TAB) Toolkit brings the workbook and field reference together, giving commissioning teams a consistent place to record results and follow them through to close-out.
The pack combines a macro-free Excel workbook with a full-colour, 20-page A6 pocket handbook. It is designed for air-side testing, adjusting and balancing, with project-specific acceptance limits and a structured reporting workflow.
One workbook for the whole reporting trail
The eight sheets follow the way information builds up on a job: Read Me, Project, Settings, Instruments, AHU-Fans, Airflow, Deficiencies and Summary Report. That structure gives the site team a common format to work from instead of rebuilding a spreadsheet for each project.
The public preview shows yellow input cells, grey calculation cells and drop-downs for consistent entries. Worked example rows demonstrate the expected format. Before using the file for a live project, save a working copy, review the instructions and replace the example data with your own.
Set the project and its acceptance limits
Start with project details, a systems list and the tolerance bands from the agreed specification. The Settings sheet provides separate categories for plant, branches, terminals and low-flow terminals, plus two spare categories.
This matters because a PASS or FAIL label is only meaningful when the comparison uses the correct requirement. The supplied default bands are placeholders. Confirm both the lower and upper limits for your project before relying on the results.
Keep the instrument record connected
The instrument register includes calibration intervals and due dates. The listing describes red flags for expired or withdrawn instruments and an amber warning for instruments due within 30 days. The airflow records also include a calibration check against the instrument register.
That makes instrument status visible alongside the readings. The team still needs to verify the instrument details, calibration evidence, test date and suitability of the chosen measurement method. A spreadsheet flag helps organise that check; it does not replace it.
Record plant, branch and terminal results
The AHU-Fans sheet brings together the main duct-traverse result, external static pressure, filter pressure drop, fan speed and motor current as a percentage of full-load current. The Airflow sheet covers branch and terminal readings, correction factors, percentage of design, deviation and comparison with the selected tolerance band.
The supplied capacity is 300 branch or terminal rows, 30 AHUs and fans, 30 instruments, 150 deficiencies and 20 systems. The product listing describes these as extendable. If you extend a working file, check the formulas, validation, report ranges and print areas before issuing it.
A field handbook that sits beside the readings
The companion handbook is a 20-page A6 PDF, sized at 105 × 148 mm and laid out for pocket use and booklet printing. It gives the team a practical reference to use alongside the workbook.
Before testing: readiness checks, instrument selection, care, calibration and measurement uncertainty
During measurement: duct traverse, flow hood, Ak-factor methods, pressure readings and fan-law guidance
During balancing: a proportional-balancing sequence, including VAV, with notes on tolerances and acceptance
At close-out: a seven-symptom fault finder, sheet-by-sheet workbook guidance, formulas, unit conversions and daily checklists
Together, the two files connect the field method with the record you will eventually submit. An engineer can refer to the handbook while reviewing the information that belongs in the workbook, then return to the same structure for the next system.
See how one reading becomes a useful record
The public preview includes a worked meeting-room example. It uses a design airflow of 120 l/s, a hood reading of 98 l/s and an illustrative manufacturer correction factor of 1.05.
Corrected airflow: 98 × 1.05 = 102.9 l/s Percentage of design: 102.9 ÷ 120 × 100 = 85.75%, shown as 85.8% Deviation from design: (102.9 − 120) ÷ 120 × 100 = −14.25%, approximately −14.3%
Against the example’s assumed −10% to +10% band, that reading falls outside tolerance. The preview shows the failing result highlighted and included in the report’s exceptions, with a corresponding deficiency tracked for investigation and retesting.
These are sample values, not a recommended universal tolerance or correction factor. Use the applicable equipment information, measurement method and project requirements for a real test. The example illustrates the reporting logic; it is not evidence of actual site performance or an independent validation of the workbook.
Give deficiencies a place to reach close-out
A low reading needs more than a coloured cell. Someone has to investigate it, record the action and confirm what happened after retesting. The Deficiencies sheet provides fields for category, severity, owner, target date, status, days open and close-out notes.
This helps the team keep the result and the follow-up together. A reviewer can see the outstanding item, who owns it and whether there is a documented close-out, rather than having to reconstruct the history from a separate email chain.
The Summary Report is designed to pull together the overall result, pass rates, results by system, items outside tolerance and open deficiencies. The preview shows a three-page A4 portrait summary with a sign-off block, supported by landscape data sheets with repeated headings.
Review the report and supporting records before signing or submitting them. A workbook’s overall status should always be checked against the actual scope tested, the evidence collected and the project’s acceptance process.
A practical way to start your next job
Prepare the file. Read the guidance, save a project copy, replace the worked examples and enter the current project and system information.
Set the basis. Confirm the contract requirements, tolerance categories and measurement units, then populate the instrument register from the relevant records.
Record the work. Enter the design and measured values with the method, instrument and applicable correction factor. Investigate flagged results and document the follow-up.
Review and issue. Check the final readings, calibration flags, open deficiencies and summary. Inspect the print preview before sending the report through your normal review and sign-off process.
The workbook uses l/s, Pa and m/s, with conversion guidance for m³/h, cfm and in wg. The listing states that the .xlsx file opens in Microsoft Excel and also works in LibreOffice. It notes a printing difference in LibreOffice: every table row prints, including blank rows, so allow for that when preparing the final pack.
Who will get the most from it?
The toolkit is aimed at commissioning and site engineers, air-balancing contractors, M&E contractors and consultants who witness or review air-balancing results. It is a useful starting point when the team wants an established workbook structure, a compact field reference and a consistent way to assemble the report.
It is practical guidance and a reporting aid. The handbook is not affiliated with or endorsed by CIBSE, BSRIA or ASHRAE, and it does not reproduce their published codes. Where a contract names a commissioning code, follow that requirement. Project-specific judgement, competent testing and the agreed acceptance procedure remain essential.
Bring your next TAB report into one clear workflow
Start with a workbook that already has a place for the project basis, instruments, measured results, exceptions and close-out. Keep the pocket handbook alongside it so the field reference and the report stay connected.
See the current product details and download options on Gumroad, including the Excel workbook and complete 20-page handbook.
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