New Construction Commissioning
The system was installed. That is not the same as verified.
A new system is commissioned when someone has measured it operating and compared those numbers to what the design called for. Installation is the plumbing and the wiring. Commissioning is the proof.
Most new homes skip the second step. The equipment turns on, the inspection passes, and the first real test of the system is the first hot week after the family moves in.
What commissioning actually covers
We put the system through its operating conditions and record what it does. Total airflow. Static pressure across the air handler and the filter. Temperature rise or split across the coil. Refrigerant conditions at the service ports. The condition and connection of the distribution system where it is accessible.
Then we compare those numbers to the design. A system moving substantially less air than it was sized for is not a future problem, it is a present one that has not been noticed yet.
What it catches
Undersized or crushed returns. Filter racks that were never going to pass the required airflow. Ducts terminated but not connected. A charge set by gauge pressure alone on a day that did not support it. Equipment installed correctly and then defeated by the box it sits in.
None of these show up on a walkthrough. All of them show up on a meter.
When to schedule it
Before closing is best, because the correction is still the installing contractor's obligation and the house is empty. After closing still works and still produces a useful record. Before the first seasonal changeover is the practical deadline, because that is when the complaints start.
What you get
A written evaluation with the measurements, what they mean, and what if anything needs correction. Written so a homeowner can read it and a mechanical contractor cannot argue with it.
Common questions
Common questions
- Is this the same as the SystemIQ Evaluation?
- No. The SystemIQ Evaluation is a homeowner product and is not available to builders. Commissioning is the builder path. It rests on the same measurement work and adds comparison against the design intent for the house, and it is scoped and quoted per project rather than sold at a set price. Scope is agreed before the visit.
- Do you test duct leakage?
- Duct leakage testing is separate, approved work. It is not included by default. We will tell you when the other measurements suggest it is worth doing.
- What if the system measures fine?
- Then you have a document saying so, with numbers behind it, before anyone files a complaint.
- Do you commission systems in occupied homes?
- Yes, though access to the distribution system is usually more limited.