What is DIYLoadCalcs.com? 

DIYLoadCalcs.com is a brand-new website that helps homeowners calculate the heating and cooling loads on their own homes.  New technology and software have made this possible just in the last few years.  Previously, to do a load calculation on an existing home an expert had to visit the house and create an accurate floor plan of the house using a tape measure and pad of graph paper.  They then had to transfer all that information, including wall, floor, ceiling and window areas, plus all of the efficiency information about the house into complicated software program that could perform the load calculations.  Even simple “block loads” normally took hours and could only be done by an expert.  Now we can do very detailed room-by-room load calculations in a fraction of the time and the data can even be collected and uploaded by the homeowner.

Kwik Model 3D has teamed with CubiCasa to create a system that allows a homeowner to scan their house with their phone and complete an online survey.  This information is sent to Kwik Model 3D, a cutting-edge load calculation and energy modeling software.  A real live load-calculation expert double checks and fine tunes the inputs and provides a detailed load calculation report back to the homeowner, along with the input file containing the 3D model of the home that, if desired, can be used later for final HVAC design and energy modeling.  The cost of this service is much less than hiring someone to do it for you.  Plus, you own your load calcs and they are not “fudged” in favor of the contractor trying to sell you equipment.

Why should a homeowner do their own load calculations?

Heating and cooling load calculations are critical to understanding exactly how much heating and cooling a house needs.  Bigger is not better!  This cannot be over-emphasized.  An oversized heating and/or cooling system will cause more comfort complaints than an undersized system, use more energy, and shorten the lifespan of equipment.  Because of the time and energy needed to do load calculations the old way, they were rarely done.  Instead, contractors just guessed and they always oversized the equipment, thinking that bigger equipment was “playing it safe”.  They were wrong and homeowners have suffered for it.  Room-by-room load calculations are very valuable for diagnosing airflow problems in homes, typically caused by undersized ducts and poor air balance.  Now YOU own these load calculations and you can require that contractors take them into account when sizing equipment for your home.

Why don’t HVAC contractors do the load calculations?

Simply put, because load calcs are time-consuming and no one wants to pay contractors to do it.  Ideally, contractors should do a load calculation when they bid on a system installation job.  Homeowners have gotten so used to “free estimates” that it is difficult for contractors to justify load calcs on a project that they may not win.  This has gone on for so many years that most contractors have either forgotten how to do proper load calculations or never bothered to learn, with the exception of a few very good HVAC contracts out there who provide excellent design services. Note: There are other fancy scanning load calculation programs out there that contractors can use, but then you are stuck with that contractor.

Can HVAC contractors use this service too?

Absolutely!  It doesn’t matter who collects the information or who pays for the service.  Plus, contractors who use Kwik Model 3D for full design work will get the 3D house file so they can continue the equipment selection process and final duct design and layout. 

How much does it cost?

The base price is $0.05 per square foot of conditioned floor area of the home.  There are small additional fees for extra floors, conditioned basements, and homes with multiple HVAC systems. The minimum price is $100.  We will give you a final price before we charge you anything.  A $100 deposit is required prior to starting work.  You will have the opportunity to review and approve the report before it is finalized.  Once finalized, you will receive a detailed room-by-room load calculation report with guidance on how to interpret them, and some suggestions on how to cost effectively reduce your heating and cooling loads, which will make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.

CubiCasa (www.cubi.casa) is free to use and you get a free detailed floor plan of the home as part of the scan.

We only provide load calculations.  If you want additional design services (equipment specification and duct design), we can happily refer you to one of our Kwik Model 3D Users.

How do I start?

Visit www.diyloadcalcs.com and follow the instructions!

For more information contact orders@kwikmodel.com