Do It Yourself HVAC Load Calculations Made Easy
It's your comfort.
Own it.
Do It Yourself HVAC Load Calculations Made Easy
It's your comfort.
Own it.
About Our Service
Our Mission
Our Services
Our Services
Our mission is for every house to have its own HVAC load calculations.
Proper load calculations are critical to the comfort and energy efficiency of your home.
Most homes have oversized equipment. This can cause more comfort complaints, higher energy bills, and reduced equipment life compared to undersized equipment. Bigger is NOT better.
Load calculations are a code requirement in many jurisdictions, but it is poorly enforced.
HVAC contractors are supposed to do load calculations, but few do. Many will charge you for them, but not give you access to those files.
We provide those files to you.
Our Services
Our Services
Our Services
We empower homeowners to determine what size heating and cooling equipment should be on their house to best serve their needs.
Our experts will help you do your own load calculations. You own these load calculations and can give them to other contractors to get better bids and even do complete designs. With over 35 years of HVAC design and energy modeling experience, our team follows the highest standards based on Air Conditioning Contractors of America's (ACCA) ANSI-approved design manuals.
We use Kwik Model with EnergyGauge Loads, an award-winning 3D HVAC design software.
Note: We currently only serve US residences.
How It Works
Our Services
How It Works
You scan your house with a special app on your phone and answer some questions about your home's energy features. We convert that information into a 3D model that then performs accurate, code-approved room-by-room heating and cooling load calculations. You get back a detailed report and the electronic 3D model that can be used for additional duct design and energy modeling.
Click here to download a sample report.
Our services cost less than what it would cost you to buy load calculation software and certainly much less than what a contractor would charge you to do room-by-room load calculations.
Start Now!
Download Instructions
Click the button below to download printable detailed instructions. They will explain the entire process, including how to scan your house to create a floor plan, how to measure windows, and how to estimate insulation levels. They will also help you estimate the cost.
Download the Free CubiCasa App to Your Phone
Search for CubiCasa in your phone's app store. Install it on your phone and follow the instructions for scanning your house. Also, take photos of the entire outside of your house on all sides as best as you can. Be sure to capture any and all windows. You will get a free professional-looking floor plan from CubiCasa just for scanning your home.
Answer Some Questions About Your House.
Click on the link below and complete the survey about your house. We will ask you about the age of your house, the direction it faces, the kind of HVAC system you want to install, the type of construction, etc. You can take your best guess on the wall, floor and ceiling insulation R-values. There are plenty of resources on-line to help you do this. It does not need to be super accurate.
Send the Information to Us
Send all that information to us and we will give you a final cost proposal to create the 3D model of your home and perform the heating and cooling load calculations. We require a 50% deposit before starting work.
We Will Send You a Draft Report for Approval.
Usually within one business day, we will send you back a draft report with 3D screen shots of your home's 3D model to approve or make edits to. Upon approval we will send you the final report electronically along with a Kwik Model 3D project folder. This allows any Kwik Model 3D user to modify the loads, perform a complete duct design, or even run energy simulation models. Some of the best HVAC contractors and energy consultants in the country use Kwik Model 3D. If yours doesn't, tell them to check it out at www.kwikmodel.com
Then What?
These load calculations and the Kwik Model 3D project file belong to you. You can share them with any contractors bidding on the HVAC system in your house. You can share them with energy consultants to help you improve the energy efficiency of your home. Many rebate programs require load calculations. Anyone who has a licensed copy of Kwik Model 3D software can use the project file for additional HVAC Design and Energy Modeling services.
Note that room-by-room load calculations allow you to determine target airflows to each room, as opposed to a "block load" which only helps size equipment. We provide room-by-room loads at no extra charge.
Recommendations
Now is the best time to consider improving your house by reducing infiltration, adding insulation, replacing windows, etc. For a small additional fee, we can provide you with an evaluation of how these improvements can reduce your heating and cooling loads and rank them in the most likely cost-effective order.
Just request our "Improvements Assessment".
Note: We do not recommend that you install your own equipment, unless you are properly qualified to do so.
We always recommend pulling the appropriate permits for whatever work you have done on your house.
Testimonial
"DIYLoadCalcs.com is fantastic! They'll help you calculate what your house's heating & cooling needs are, then you can give it to a contractor to get the right equipment. This fills an info gap that too many contractors sadly ignore. Ideally your HVAC contractor would calculate your house's heating and cooling needs, design a system to meet them, and make sure it's performing as well as possible. But in reality many HVAC contractors just guess! DIY Load Calcs fixes this by helping you do the calculations for yourself. The Kwik Model 3D software they use is amazing.
Highly recommended!
-- Joel Rosenberg, author of "Electrify Everything In Your Home"
Consumer Resources
Introduction to Residential HVAC Systems (Book)
This is a great book about residential HVAC systems for the non-technician. Informative and entertaining. Finally, an HVAC reference book for the average person to help you cut through the jargon and smoke screens.
DIY Home Energy Assessments
This website provides excellent advice on how to evaluate the energy features in your own home.
Financing and Incentives for Upgrading Your HVAC
This website provides some excellent links to many other websites for information on financing and incentives.
Home Improvement Expert (TM)
This Building America's Home Improvement Expert website has some excellent resources for consumers, including checklists and advice on hiring contractors.
HVAC Installation Best Practices
The most widely referenced best practices for installation of residential HVAC systems is written by the same organization that publishes the industry standards for HVAC design: Air Conditioning Contractors or America (ACCA) . These are a free downloadable PDF. If an HVAC contractor bidding on your project has never heard of them, you may want to keep shopping.