The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) has announced that its “HVAC Quality Installation Specification,” which was developed with a broad coalition of industry stakeholders, has been formally recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a national standard.

With the publication of the QI Specification, for the first time there is a set of nationally recognized objective requirements for the quality installation of residential and commercial HVAC systems.

The QI Specification identifies consensus requirements associated with quality installations, acceptable procedures for measuring or verifying the attainment of those requirements, and acceptable forms of documentation to show compliance to the requirements.

Skip Snyder, president of the Snyder Co. and chairman of the Quality Installation Specification Development Committee, said, “Installation of quality HVAC systems is more than just using high-efficiency products and equipment. The QI Specification focuses on elements associated with ensuring that HVAC equipment is properly sized, selected, and installed for residential and commercial applications. These elements have a large impact on occupant satisfaction and energy savings.”

The QI Specification characterizes several core areas, including equipment aspects, equipment installation aspects, duct distribution aspects, and system documentation and owner education aspects. The standard was written with the intent to meet the needs of many different groups.

•Contractors: to demonstrate their ability to install residential and commercial HVAC systems that maximize occupant comfort, find green solutions, and provide energy savings to consumers.

•Equipment manufacturers: to highlight and encourage quality installation practices, resulting in better equipment performance and durability.

•Building owners/operators:to identify quality contractor practices and to ensure that quality installations are received.

•HVAC trainers:to assist in the ongoing development of appropriate course curricula and training programs.

•Utilities:to integrate the recommendations into their incentive programs, reduce CO2 emissions, and assist a stretched electric grid during extreme usage periods.

A version of the standard is available for download as a service to the industry from ACCA at www.acca.org/tech/. A printed version of the QI Specification is also available for purchase from the ACCA bookstore at www.acca.org.store/.

Send questions about the specification to ACCA’s Glenn Hourahan, at glenn.hourahan@acca.org.

Publication date:05/07/2007