Duct Testing by Certified HERS Testers
Need a duct leakage test to close out a permit? A CAZ combustion safety test before sign-off? ECC Guys’ Certified HERS Testers handle duct testing and diagnostics across all of Southern California for HVAC contractors, builders, and homeowners who need results registered and inspectors satisfied.
We show up when we say we will and run the test to Title 24 protocol, and you know on the spot whether the system passed. Passing results are registered through the CHEERS registry so your CF3R certificate is ready for your building department.
Call us any time. Our phones are answered around the clock. You can also request a free quote with the form on this page and we’ll get you on the schedule. Open 7am to 9pm, seven days a week.
Get My Free Quote Call Now: (818) 518-8555
What Is Duct Testing?
Duct testing measures how much conditioned air your duct system leaks before it ever reaches a room. A Certified HERS Tester seals the registers, pressurizes the duct system with a calibrated fan, and measures leakage as a percentage of the system’s airflow. Title 24, Part 6 of the California Energy Code sets the pass threshold, and only an independent third-party HERS rater can verify the result. Your installing contractor can’t sign off on their own work; independent verification is the entire purpose of the HERS program.
Leaky ducts are one of the most common reasons a home underperforms: rooms that won’t cool, equipment that runs long, and energy dollars blown into the attic. The same test that satisfies your permit also tells you where your comfort problems live, so we treat every duct test as a diagnostic visit.
ECC Guys is a HERS rating and energy consulting firm. Duct testing sits alongside our refrigerant charge verification, airflow and fan watt draw testing, air balancing, and full Title 24 compliance services, so if your project needs more than one measure verified, one visit covers it.
When California Requires a Duct Test
Under Title 24, HERS duct leakage verification is commonly triggered when:
- A new HVAC system is installed in new construction or an addition. New duct systems must meet the Energy Code’s low-leakage threshold.
- Ducts are replaced or extended on an existing home.
- You replace the furnace, air handler, condenser, or cooling coil on an existing system. In most Southern California climate zones, an equipment changeout triggers a duct leakage test on the existing ducts, even if you didn’t touch the ducts themselves.
- Your compliance documents call for it. If the CF1R for your permit lists duct sealing or leakage verification, the building department will expect a registered CF3R from a HERS rater before final.
Your installing contractor completes their CF2R; we perform the independent field verification and register the CF3R. Not sure whether your permit triggers a test? Send us the job details. We read Title 24 paperwork all day, and we’ll tell you exactly what’s required before you book anything.
CAZ Testing: Combustion Appliance Zone Safety
If your home has natural-draft gas appliances, like a furnace or water heater that vents through a flue, tightening the house or the ducts changes how those appliances breathe. CAZ (Combustion Appliance Zone) testing verifies they still vent safely under worst-case conditions.
Following BPI-style combustion safety protocol, we depressurize the combustion zone the way real life does, with exhaust fans running and doors positioned worst-case, then check spillage, draft, and carbon monoxide at each appliance. The result tells you whether the house is safe to tighten up.
CAZ testing is commonly required for whole-house energy upgrade and weatherization programs, and it’s smart practice any time air sealing, duct sealing, or insulation work happens in a home with atmospherically vented gas appliances. We can run it standalone or bundle it with your duct test in the same visit.
Our Process
1. Get your free quote. Call or send the form with your job address, scope, and permit details. We’ll confirm exactly which HERS measures your project needs.
2. Pick your window. We schedule around your job, not the other way around. We’re available 7am to 9pm, seven days a week, and our phone line is answered 24 hours. Contractors coordinating an inspection deadline: tell us the date and we’ll work to it.
3. We test on site. Our Certified HERS Tester runs the duct pressurization test, plus the CAZ combustion safety test if ordered, following protocol. You get the pass or fail result on the spot.
4. Results registered. Passing results are registered through the CHEERS registry, producing the CF3R certificate your building department needs for final inspection.
5. If it doesn’t pass, you get a diagnosis. We’ll show your contractor where the leakage is so it can be sealed and retested, and we’ll get the retest scheduled fast so your final doesn’t slip.
Coverage: All of Southern California
ECC Guys serves the entire Southern California region: Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Ventura County, and San Diego County. From a single condo changeout in Long Beach to a production tract in the Inland Empire, we cover the drive so your inspection date holds.
We work across Southern California’s climate zones every day, so we know what each building department expects to see on the CF3R and which triggers apply in your zone before we ever roll a truck.
Contractors and builders: we handle recurring HERS verification across your projects, including duct testing, refrigerant charge, airflow, fan watt draw, and acceptance testing, with one number to call for all of it.
Why Contractors and Homeowners Choose ECC Guys
- Certified HERS Testers performing every test. Independent third-party verification, the way Title 24 requires it.
- Credentialed across the board. Our team’s certifications span HERS, BPI, CHEERS, and CABEC-affiliated energy consulting.
- Diagnostics included. We’re an energy consulting firm, so a failed test comes with an explanation your contractor can act on.
- One call, full compliance. Duct testing, CAZ testing, refrigerant charge verification, air balancing, Manual J & D consulting, and acceptance testing under one roof.
- Reachable when you need us. Open 7am to 9pm, seven days a week, with 24-hour phone coverage and free quotes on every job.
Our customers keep using the same three words: professional, prompt, fast.
Contact Us Today! Get My Free Quote Call Now: (818) 518-8555
Duct Testing FAQ
What leakage rate does a duct test need to pass? It depends on the project type. Newly installed duct systems must meet Title 24’s low-leakage threshold, generally 5% of system airflow, while altered existing systems have a higher allowance and alternate compliance paths. Your CF1R states the target for your specific permit; send it to us and we’ll confirm before the visit.
Do I really need a duct test just to replace my furnace or AC? In most Southern California climate zones, yes. An equipment changeout on a system with ducts triggers HERS duct leakage verification even when the ducts weren’t touched. It’s one of the most common surprises on HVAC permits, and it’s why inspectors ask for the CF3R at final.
How long does the test take, and when do I get results? A typical residential duct test takes well under an hour on site, and you know pass or fail before we leave. Passing results are registered through the CHEERS registry to generate the CF3R your building department requires.
What happens if my ducts fail the test? Nothing gets registered against you. We show your contractor where the leakage is, they seal it, and we retest. We schedule retests quickly so a fail doesn’t cost you your inspection date.
What is CAZ testing, and is it part of a duct test? CAZ (Combustion Appliance Zone) testing is a combustion safety check covering spillage, draft, and carbon monoxide under worst-case depressurization, for homes with natural-draft gas appliances. It’s a separate protocol from duct leakage testing, but we can perform both in the same visit. Many energy upgrade and weatherization programs require it.
Schedule Your Duct Test Today
Whether you’re an HVAC contractor with a final inspection on the calendar, a builder closing out a phase, or a homeowner who wants rooms that actually cool, get your duct testing and CAZ testing handled by Certified HERS Testers who cover all of Southern California, seven days a week.
Contact Us Today! Call now, phones answered 24 hours, or send the quote form below and we’ll reach out with your free quote and the next available testing window.
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Tell us about your job and we’ll get back to you with a quote and the next available testing window.
