Testing & Balancing — Interior BC
Airflow and Hydronic Systems Balanced to Specification.
Inland Technical Services provides independent testing and balancing for HVAC systems across Interior BC — healthcare facilities, institutional buildings, LEED projects, and commercial developments. Serving Kamloops and Kelowna since 1986.
At a Glance
38+
years TAB services in BC Interior
100%
independent — no affiliation with installing contractors
10+
full hospital towers commissioned and balanced
2
BC offices — Kamloops and Kelowna
NEBB Procedural Standards
ASHRAE 111
CSA Z317.2
LEED EQ Credit
BC Hydro COP
AScT Certified Technicians
What Is Testing & Balancing
Ensuring Every Room Gets Exactly the Air It’s Designed To.
Technical Definition
Testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB) is the systematic process of checking, adjusting, and documenting the performance of HVAC air and hydronic distribution systems to meet the design engineer’s specifications — ensuring correct airflow, water flow, temperature, pressure, and sound levels throughout a building.
A mechanical contractor installs ductwork, diffusers, fans, and pumps. But installation alone does not guarantee that air reaches each space in the quantities the engineer specified. TAB is the verification and adjustment process that proves systems deliver the intended flows — and corrects them when they don’t.
Without independent TAB, buildings routinely experience hot and cold spots, inadequate ventilation in critical areas, excessive noise from unbalanced fan systems, and energy waste from oversupplied zones. In healthcare environments, incorrect pressurization relationships between rooms can directly compromise infection control protocols.
ITSL provides independent TAB — meaning our technicians have no relationship with the mechanical contractor who installed the systems we’re testing. That independence is the foundation of reliable, unbiased results. Our TAB reports are accepted by engineers, building owners, healthcare authorities, and LEED certification bodies across BC.
TAB and commissioning are related but distinct. TAB is the adjustment and documentation of airflow and hydronic flows — it’s a construction deliverable. Commissioning is the broader independent verification process that includes TAB results as one input among many. ITSL performs both, which means seamless coordination and a single point of accountability for mechanical system verification.
TAB Services
What ITSL Tests, Adjusts, and Documents
Our TAB scope is adapted to each system type and project — from straightforward commercial HVAC to complex healthcare pressurization.
Air Distribution TAB
Systematic measurement and adjustment of supply, return, and exhaust airflows at every terminal device. Fan performance verification. Static pressure traverses at duct cross-sections. VAV box calibration and flow verification. Outside air measurement and adjustment.
Hydronic System TAB
Chilled water, heating water, and condenser water flow balancing at all terminal units — coils, fan coils, heat exchangers, and radiant panels. Pump curve verification. Control valve authority testing. System delta-T optimization for energy efficiency.
Healthcare Pressurization
Room-by-room pressure differential measurement and airflow direction verification for isolation rooms, operating rooms, clean rooms, and negative-pressure spaces. CSA Z317.2 compliance documentation. AII and PE environment verification.
Sound & Vibration Testing
HVAC noise level measurement at occupied spaces against NC/RC design criteria. Equipment vibration measurement for fans, pumps, and AHUs. Duct-borne sound testing. Results compared against ASHRAE acoustic guidelines and project specifications.
Existing Building Re-Balancing
Re-balancing of existing HVAC systems following renovation, tenant improvement, or occupancy changes. Identifying and correcting airflow drift caused by duct modifications, diffuser changes, or BAS control issues. BC Hydro Continuous Optimization Program approved vendor.
Certified TAB Report
Complete TAB report documenting design values, measured values, and percentage deviation for every tested point. Signed and certified by ITSL’s senior TAB technicians. Formatted for engineer review, LEED credit submission, BC Health Authority acceptance, and building permit closeout.
Why Independence Matters
The Mechanical Contractor Can’t Independently Verify Their Own Work.
On most projects, the mechanical contractor performs their own air balancing as part of their scope. This is contractor-led balancing — not independent TAB. The contractor has a financial incentive to report that systems are performing to spec, and no obligation to escalate discrepancies that would require additional work.
Independent TAB — performed by a firm with no contract relationship to the mechanical installer — is a fundamentally different service. ITSL’s technicians report to the owner and engineer, not to the contractor. When we find that a fan isn’t performing to its curve, or that airflows are significantly off-spec in critical spaces, we document it and require correction — regardless of whose work caused the deficiency.
This independence is why engineers specify independent TAB on institutional projects, why BC Health Authorities require it on healthcare facilities, and why LEED commissioning pathways require a qualified independent Commissioning Authority who oversees TAB as part of the verification process.
Independent
No contract with the mechanical contractor — our obligation is to the owner and engineer
Certified
AScT-credentialled technicians — Applied Science Technologists registered with ASTTBC
Documented
Every reading, every adjustment, every deviation from design — recorded and certified
Interior BC
Field-based in Kamloops and Kelowna — not flying in for milestone visits
Healthcare Specialization
TAB for BC’s Most Demanding HVAC Environments.
Healthcare HVAC systems are categorically different from commercial HVAC. Airborne infection control, clean room standards, sterile processing ventilation, medical gas supply air, and pharmacy pressurization all require TAB results that can be directly linked to patient safety outcomes.
ITSL has performed TAB on over 10 full hospital towers and dozens of phased healthcare renovations across BC, including operating suites, intensive care units, neonatal units, sterile processing departments, and pharmacy clean rooms — all environments where pressurization and airflow direction are regulated by CSA Z317.2 and BC Health Authority infection control standards.
Our TAB technicians understand the clinical context of the spaces they’re testing. An incorrectly pressurized isolation room isn’t a construction deficiency to be noted in a report — it’s a patient safety issue to be corrected before occupancy. That understanding shapes how we approach every healthcare TAB engagement.
Healthcare TAB Standards
CSA Z317.2 — Healthcare HVAC
CSA Z8001 — Healthcare Cx
ASHRAE 170
BC Health Authority Standards
Infection Control Protocols
PHSA Requirements
TAB vs. Commissioning
Two Distinct Scopes — Better Together
TAB and commissioning are frequently confused. Understanding the difference helps owners get the right scope at the right project stage.
Testing & Balancing
Adjust and document system flows
What it does
Measures and adjusts airflows and water flows at every terminal device to match the design engineer’s specified values. Produces a certified TAB report.
When it happens
After mechanical installation is substantially complete, before building handover. Can be phased to match construction progress on large projects.
Who requires it
Engineers of record via project specification. BC Building Code on certain occupancy types. BC Health Authorities on healthcare facilities. Required as input to the commissioning process.
Commissioning
Verify systems perform as designed
What it does
Independently verifies that all building systems — mechanical, electrical, controls, and life safety — are installed and operating to the Owner’s Project Requirements. TAB is one input to commissioning.
When it happens
Ideally starts at design phase and continues through handover and post-occupancy. The commissioning process encompasses TAB as a deliverable.
Who requires it
LEED certification (Fundamental and Enhanced Commissioning credits). CSA Z320 and Z8001 on institutional and healthcare projects. BC Health Authorities. Increasingly, sophisticated building owners on all institutional projects.
When ITSL performs both TAB and commissioning on the same project, there is a single point of accountability for mechanical system verification, seamless coordination between scopes, and no risk of gaps or contradictions between the TAB report and the commissioning documentation. Most of ITSL’s institutional and healthcare clients engage us for both.
TAB Projects
Testing & Balancing Across Interior BC and Beyond
A selection of projects where ITSL has delivered certified TAB services across healthcare, education, civic, and commercial sectors.
Healthcare · Kamloops
Royal Inland Hospital Patient Care Tower
Full air and hydronic TAB for the new acute care tower. Pressurization verification for isolation rooms, ORs, and sterile processing. Coordinated with commissioning and IST scopes under single ITSL engagement.
Education · LEED Gold
UBCO Health Sciences Building
Air and hydronic TAB for LEED Gold laboratory and academic building at UBC Okanagan. Complex fume hood exhaust balancing, pressurization hierarchy between laboratory and support spaces, and BAS setpoint verification.
Civic · Kamloops
Thompson Rivers University — Multiple Buildings
TAB across multiple TRU campus buildings including the Library and Old Main Retrofit. Phased delivery alongside active academic operations — requiring careful scheduling to avoid disruption to university functions.
Healthcare · Kelowna
Kelowna General Hospital — Phased Renovations
Ongoing TAB relationship across cardiac, OR, MRI, and cath lab renovations at KGH. Extensive experience managing TAB access in a live hospital environment with strict infection control and operational requirements.
Commercial · Okanagan
Mission Hill & Burrowing Owl Wineries
TAB for specialized winery HVAC systems including barrel storage temperature control, production facility ventilation, and hospitality space conditioning. Temperature and humidity precision critical to wine production quality.
Residential · BC Housing
BC Housing Projects — Interior BC
TAB for BC Housing social housing developments across Quesnel, Prince George, Nelson, Cranbrook, Fernie, and Powell River. LEED-certified buildings requiring certified TAB reports for both building permit closeout and LEED submission.
Why Inland Technical
What Sets ITSL’s TAB Work Apart
Field-Based in the BC Interior — Not Flying in for Visits
Our Kamloops and Kelowna offices mean our TAB technicians are on-site consistently — not arriving for milestone visits and billing travel days. We know the projects, the contractors, and the buildings because we’re there throughout construction.
Healthcare TAB Expertise No Other Interior BC Firm Matches
CSA Z317.2 pressurization requirements, BC Health Authority infection control standards, occupied hospital TAB protocols — our technicians have delivered this work on over 10 full hospital towers. The learning curve was paid for on earlier projects, not yours.
Integrated TAB + Commissioning — One Firm, Zero Gaps
When the same firm performs both TAB and commissioning, the TAB report feeds directly into the commissioning process with no handoff risk. Deficiencies found during TAB are tracked through the commissioning issues log to resolution — not siloed in a separate report.
38 Years of Interior BC Project Relationships
Since 1986, ITSL has worked alongside every major mechanical engineering firm and contractor in the BC Interior. Those relationships translate into efficient project delivery — fewer surprises, faster issue resolution, and TAB reports that engineers can count on.
TAB Reports Accepted Across BC Without Revision
Our TAB reports are formatted to the requirements of engineers of record, BC Health Authorities, LEED reviewers, and building authorities. They are complete, defensible, and accepted without the back-and-forth revisions that cost time at project closeout.
BC Hydro COP — Energy Optimization Re-Balancing
As a BC Hydro Continuous Optimization Program approved vendor, ITSL can perform funded re-balancing investigations on existing buildings where energy performance has degraded. Often the most cost-effective energy improvement available — no capital equipment required.
Falcon Engineering has worked with Inland Technical Services on both tendered and design build projects with great success. ITS brings strong technical expertise with regards to the balancing and commissioning services required to bring a project to a successful conclusion.
Andrew Stringer, P.Eng, Principal — Falcon Engineering
TAB Credentials & Affiliations
AScT — ASTTBC
NEBB Standards
ASHRAE 111
CSA Z317.2
LEED EQ Credit
BC Hydro COP
BCxA Member
Building Types We Balance
Acute Care Hospitals
Long-Term Care
University & College
K–12 Schools
LEED Commercial
Civic & Aquatic
Multi-Unit Residential
BC Housing
Labs & Research
Wineries & Industrial
Common Questions
Testing & Balancing — Answered
When should TAB be scheduled on a project?
TAB should begin after mechanical installation is substantially complete and systems are operational — typically 4–8 weeks before substantial completion of the building. Engaging ITSL early in the project, at tender or design stage, allows us to review specifications, attend pre-construction meetings, and plan access that won’t delay TAB when systems are ready.
What’s the difference between independent TAB and contractor self-balancing?
Contractor-led balancing is performed by the mechanical contractor as part of their installation scope. Independent TAB is performed by a separate firm with no contract relationship to the installer — reporting directly to the owner and engineer. The independence of the TAB firm is what gives engineers, building owners, and health authorities confidence that reported flows reflect actual system performance.
How long does a TAB engagement take?
Duration depends entirely on project size and system complexity. A simple commercial office floor might be balanced in 2–3 days. A full hospital tower TAB scope can run 3–6 months, particularly where phased construction requires multiple site mobilizations. ITSL provides a detailed TAB schedule at the start of each engagement.
Does ITSL work in occupied buildings?
Yes. Many of our healthcare TAB projects involve occupied hospitals where access must be scheduled around clinical operations, infection control requirements, and patient care priorities. We coordinate directly with facilities management to develop access plans that meet project deadlines without disrupting building operations.
What is BC Hydro COP and can it fund TAB work?
The BC Hydro Continuous Optimization Program provides funding for energy investigations and optimization work on existing commercial and institutional buildings. ITSL is an approved COP vendor. For eligible buildings, the program can partially or fully fund re-balancing investigations — making independent TAB on existing systems essentially cost-neutral.
Can ITSL perform TAB on projects outside Kamloops and Kelowna?
Yes. While our Interior BC offices are our operational base, ITSL has delivered TAB services across BC — including Vancouver Island, the Peace Region, and the Lower Mainland — and into the Yukon. We evaluate project-by-project based on scope, schedule, and resource availability.
Our Offices
Interior BC’s Independent TAB Specialists — Two Locations.
Field-based in Kamloops and Kelowna, serving the full BC Interior from Thompson-Okanagan to the Kootenays, Peace Country, and beyond.
Kamloops
Thompson-Okanagan · Shuswap · Northern Interior · Peace Region
✉️ estimating@inlandtechnical.ca
Royal Inland Hospital · Thompson Rivers University · Interior Health
Kelowna
Okanagan · Kootenays · South Interior · Vancouver Island
✉️ estimating@inlandtechnical.ca
UBCO · Kelowna General Hospital · Penticton Regional · Okanagan College
Get in Touch
Ready to Discuss TAB for Your Project?
Send us the project type, building size, system type, and schedule — and we’ll respond with how ITSL can support your testing and balancing scope.