HVAC installation checklist: a commissioning sheet for split AC, heat pump and gas furnace installs, built on ACCA Standard 5 (free Google Docs, Word and PDF)

Published September 24, 2026 · Checked against ANSI/ACCA 5 QI-2015, ANSI/ACCA 9 QIvp-2016, the 2021 IRC, IMC and IFGC, and the Carrier, Goodman, Trane, Lennox and Mitsubishi installation manuals in September 2026

• Free. No signup and no email asked; the links below go straight to the file.
• Deepsel is our product. It tracks the maintenance agreement that gets sold on the last page of this sheet, and the last section says so.
• The checklist does not replace the installation instructions for the unit in front of you, the code in your jurisdiction, or the permit. Where a printed target and the manual disagree, the manual wins.

An HVAC installation checklist is the list a technician works through when a split air conditioner, heat pump or gas furnace goes in: the design and permit before the truck rolls, the placement, piping, pressure test, evacuation, electrical, condensate and duct work during the install, and the start-up readings at the end, each written next to a target. This one follows ANSI/ACCA Standard 5, the Quality Installation specification, and the start-up sheets in the Carrier, Goodman, Trane, Lennox and Mitsubishi manuals, and it is one form with a heat pump section and a gas furnace section instead of three forms.

Get it three ways: make your own copy in Google Docs (one click, lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. You can also read it in Google Docs first without copying anything. The PDF is ten pages: the job record and sections A to H that every install gets, then the heat pump section, the gas furnace section and the close-out sheet, each starting on its own page so you print only the pages the job needs. Sections A to H on their own cover a straight AC change-out. The maintenance side of the same equipment is the HVAC maintenance checklist, and every free checklist in the set is listed on the checklists page.

No form, no follow-up email. I built this because the two templates that rank first for this search are gated. ServiceTitan asks for your name, company, business email and industry before it emails you an eight-page PDF with about 55 checkboxes and no target values,¹ and Housecall Pro's sits behind an email form too.² Jobber's is free and the best of the bunch, a nine-page PDF with a measurement grid, but the grid is blanks, its static pressure line is labeled in psi, and its furnace section has no gas pressure, temperature rise or CO line.³ None of them prints a vacuum decay test, a static pressure limit, a CO limit or a warranty registration deadline. A homeowner asked for exactly those numbers on HVAC-Talk in 2009 (how to check temperature rise, what airflow is right, whether superheat and subcooling get written down), the contractors in the thread bristled at being checked, and the reply worth keeping pointed him at ACCA Standard 5.⁴ Seventeen years later the free templates still don't have the numbers.

What is ACCA Standard 5, and why build an installation checklist on it?

ANSI/ACCA 5 QI, the HVAC Quality Installation Specification, is the published minimum for how residential and light commercial heating and cooling equipment gets designed, installed and handed over. The 2015 edition is the current text; ACCA put it up for ANSI re-approval in October 2025 and said the content is "unchanged from ANSI/ACCA 5 QI – 2015."⁶ The PDF is free from ACCA.⁵ The standard is short, and the useful thing about it is that it puts a number on the items every other install checklist prints as a checkbox.

The line I see broken most often is in Section 4.1: "It is not acceptable to use the temperature rise method to determine cooling airflow over the indoor coil."⁵ Cooling airflow is a measurement (a flow plate, a hood, or the blower table read against measured static), and the charge check in 4.3 requires that it be done first. Skip it and the subcooling number describes the airflow problem, not the charge.

Standard 5 says what a good install is. ANSI/ACCA 9 QIvp is the protocol a third party uses to check one, and its checks are what I copied into section A of the sheet. A verifier compares the Manual J inputs to the house: floor area "must be within 10% of the field-measured values," window area within 10%, orientation "within 45 degrees."⁷ Its Appendix A form has the fields most templates lack: return and supply static with the test-port locations, design versus measured ESP, a subcooling and a superheat worksheet, manifold pressure, CO air-free, draft, and a line for the "orphaned" water heater left alone on the old chimney.⁷

Two ENERGY STAR pages sit on page 1 for this search, so one correction. The ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC Installation program, the utility-rebate scheme that certified QI installs, closed on August 31, 2025. EPA's notice tells contractors to "cease issuing ESVI certificates" and points them to ACCA's contractor accreditation instead.⁸ What is still live is the ENERGY STAR new-homes commissioning checklist (Rev. 14, January 2025), the form raters fill on new construction: run the system 15 minutes before testing, mark the charge section N/A below 55°F outdoor unless the unit has a TXV, subcooling within ±3°F or superheat within ±5°F, airflow within ±15% of design, keep the form three years.⁹ Same numbers as QI. This sheet uses them on retrofits too.

Section A: what is on paper before the truck rolls

A change-out sold off the old nameplate skips section A, and section A is where the callbacks come from. Manual J first. QI lets you use a block calculation on an existing house with unchanged ducts and requires room-by-room when ducts are new or modified.⁵ The IRC requires the calculation either way: M1401.3 says equipment "shall be sized in accordance with ACCA Manual S based on building loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J."¹⁰ So the sized-by-square-footage install that the homeowner articles on page 1 describe is a code violation before it is anything else.

Manual S sets how far off the load you may land. These are the limits in QI's Appendix B, reproduced from Manual S:⁵

Manual S was revised in 2023 and the change that matters for heat pumps is the bottom end: a variable-capacity heat pump has to meet at least 100% of the heating load, and its lowest compressor speed may be no more than 80% of it, so the unit modulates instead of cycling. ACCA's own explanation: "Manual S sets this new limit at 0.80 (80 percent) of the heat loss."¹¹ Mass Save and NYS Clean Heat run their own sizing bands, which are in the heat pump section below.

Then the AHRI reference. QI 3.5 wants "a copy of the AHRI or CEE-AHRI record/certificate, with appropriate reference number" in the installation file,⁵ and every rebate program asks for the same PDF. On ahridirectory.org you search the outdoor and indoor model numbers and click the PDF icon next to the reference number.¹² Sixty seconds. It is also the document the homeowner cannot produce two years later when the rebate audit letter arrives.

Permits. IRC R105.1 requires one to "install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system"; the mechanical exemptions are portable appliances, replacement of a minor part, and self-contained systems holding 10 lb of refrigerant or less.¹³ A furnace or condenser change-out is none of those. For the emergency replacement in January, R105.2.1 lets you do the work and apply "within the next working business day."¹³ The sheet has a line for the permit number and a line for the reason if you did not pull one, because "the customer declined the permit fee" written down on the day is a different conversation from the same thing discovered at resale.

One 2026-specific line: the refrigerant. New equipment is R-454B or R-32, the mildly flammable A2L refrigerants, and the A2L install items sit in sections C, D and F. R-410A equipment can still go in. EPA's final rule published May 26, 2026, effective July 27, removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for R-410A systems, provided the equipment was manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025.¹⁴ So the sheet asks for the manufacture date off the outdoor nameplate, next to the refrigerant type.

Sections B to H: the install and the cooling start-up

The middle of the sheet is the part every job gets: placement, piping, pressure test and evacuation, electrical, indoor unit and condensate, ducts and airflow, then the charge and the readings. Each row prints the target next to the blank, and where the manufacturers disagree it prints the spread, because "the manual says 500 microns" only settles an argument when you know which manual.

B. Outdoor unit placement

C. Refrigerant piping

Line length is where the factory charge stops being right. Every manufacturer has a length past which the standard rules end and the long-line rules start, and they differ. Carrier's R-454B guideline calls anything past 80 ft of equivalent length (or 20 ft of vertical separation) a long-line application, allows up to 250 ft, and requires a TXV, a crankcase heater, a hard-start kit on single-stage units and, on heat pumps, a bi-flow solenoid "within 2 ft" of the outdoor unit.²⁰ Goodman's threshold is 79 ft or 50 ft of lift, Trane's is 60 ft, Lennox sends anything over 50 ft to its piping guide, and Mitsubishi's wall-mounted units allow 65 to 100 ft depending on size.^17181621 The sheet has one row for length and lift and a box for "long line, kit fitted."

D. Pressure test and evacuation

This is the section no template on page 1 prints a number for, and the reason is that the number depends on whose unit it is. Here is the spread, from the current installation manuals:

Two things are the same in all of them. The gauge goes on the system, and the pump has to be able to get there. QI's contractor qualification appendix requires "evacuation equipment capable of maintaining a vacuum of at least 500 microns,"⁵ and Mitsubishi's manual says it flat: "System manifold gauges must not be used to measure vacuum. A micron gauge must be used at all times."²¹ The sheet asks for the number reached, the number after the hold, and which of the three outcomes you got. That is the row a warranty reviewer reads first when a compressor fails in year three. The micron gauge and the rest of the evacuation tools are on the HVAC technician tool list.

E. Electrical

F. Indoor unit and condensate

The A2L row is new this year and it changes the walkthrough on the last page. A homeowner who flips the air handler breaker to save power over a two-week vacation has switched off a safety device, and the sheet tells you to say so before you leave.

G. Ducts and airflow

Static is the one reading a change-out crew can take in five minutes that predicts the next five years. High static at start-up with a clean filter means the blower is being asked for what the ducts will not allow, and the charge check that follows will chase it around. So the sheet orders them: static, then airflow, then charge.

H. Refrigerant charge and start-up readings

The charge row on most templates is a blank. Here is what goes around it. QI: check the charge only after airflow is verified, by superheat on a fixed-orifice system (within ±5°F of the OEM target) or subcooling on a TXV or EEV system (within ±3°F), and those tolerances "are not additive to any OEM-specified tolerances."⁵ The outdoor temperature has to be high enough for the reading to mean anything: QI puts the superheat test at 55°F or above and subcooling at 60°F or above, ENERGY STAR's form runs the system 15 minutes first,⁹ Carrier says to check between 70 and 100°F outdoor and 70 to 80°F indoor and to "wait a minimum of 20 minutes for subcooling to stabilize,"¹⁵²⁸ and Goodman's air handler manual adds that total static has to be 0.5 in wc or less before its charge numbers count.²⁷ Goodman's own TXV target is tighter than QI: "Subcooling value of 6°F +/- 1°F."¹⁷ For the saturation temperatures, use the PT chart with R-454B's bubble and dew columns on the HVAC cheat sheet.

The heat pump section: what a heat pump installer checklist adds

A heat pump is a split AC with four extra ways to be wrong: the thermostat's reversing-valve output, defrost, the backup heat, and a charge check done in the wrong season. Appendix A of the sheet is those four plus the cold-climate and program lines.

Reversing valve. On Carrier equipment "circuit R-O energizes reversing valve, switching it to cooling position,"¹⁵ and a thermostat left on B does the opposite. The row asks for the setting and a check in both modes, and the next row asks for a heating-mode supply temperature so the file has a heating reading from day one.

Defrost. Force it and watch it end: Carrier's speed-up pins shorted for 5 seconds, Trane's FRC_DFT to TEST_COMMON for 2 seconds with termination at a 47°F coil by default.¹⁵¹⁸ Two minutes standing in the cold, and it is the one test that catches a defrost sensor left unplugged.

Backup heat. The IRC requires the lockout: N1103.1.2 says heat pumps "shall have controls that, except during defrost, prevent supplemental heat operation when the heat pump compressor can meet the heating load."²² The number to set is the temperature. Bonneville Power's best-practice spec puts the lockout "at, or 5°F above, the balance point," puts dual-fuel switchover at 35 to 40°F, and says outright "Heat pump compressor lockouts should not be set";³² the Northwest's PTCS program, which utilities inspect against, requires that backup heat "only come on at or below 35°F."³³ A thermostat left with aux heat on auto and no lockout is the install that comes back in February as a power bill.

Cold weather. Below 55°F the subcooling method is out. Trane's answer is to weigh in the charge for the line length, in heating mode;¹⁸ the sheet has a row to flag the job for a cooling-season recheck, which is the first maintenance visit. For cold-climate jobs it asks whether the unit is on the ENERGY STAR cold-climate or NEEP list. ENERGY STAR v6.2 requires "COP at 5°F ≥ 1.75" and capacity at 5°F of at least 70% of the 47°F rating,³⁴ and NEEP's v4.0 specification requires the same COP at maximum capacity plus a variable-speed compressor.³⁵

Tax credit and programs. The federal 25C credit that paid up to $2,000 on a heat pump is gone. The IRS's FAQ on the July 2025 law says "The credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025."³⁶ Leave it off the proposal. The state and utility programs are still running, and each one is a documentation list of its own. Mass Save requires ENERGY STAR cold-climate equipment, an installer in its network, and for its sizing bonus a system at "90-120% of the total heating load at the outdoor design temperature, per ACCA Manual J," with the load calculation submitted.³⁷ NYS Clean Heat sizes to at least 100% of the heating load per Manual S 2023 and wants a justification letter above 120%.³⁸ TECH Clean California wants the permit, before-and-after photos, HERS testing and a yes to "Were Manual-J/Manual-D calculations completed?"³⁹ Every one of them wants the AHRI certificate from section A.

The gas furnace section

Appendix B is the furnace installer's page and it is the longest, because a furnace has a gas side, a vent side, a combustion side and a condensate side, and the code has a section on each. The first three rows are the gas train.

Then the pressures, which is where the sheet earns its keep. Inlet pressure is read "with furnace and all other gas appliances running," which is how Carrier's own furnace checklist words it,³¹ because a water heater firing on a marginal supply is what drops a furnace out on low fire. Goodman's service manual gives the windows: natural gas inlet 4.5 to 10.0 in wc, propane 11.0 to 13.0; manifold 3.5 in wc on natural gas and 10.0 on propane, "must not vary more than ± 0.3," with two-stage propane at 10.0 high and 6.0 low.³⁰ Carrier's example for its two-stage furnace is 3.4 high and 1.4 low.³¹ QI then asks for the firing rate itself, clocked at the meter or by combustion analysis, "within ± 5% of nameplate input."⁵

CO. The code number is 400, and the maintenance checklists print the same three tiers. IFGC Appendix D, the safety inspection procedure for an existing appliance, says to "measure the CO in the vent after 5 minutes of main burner operation" and gives the central furnace limit as 400 ppm air-free;⁴³ BPI-1200's Table 1 uses the same 400.⁴⁴ The under-100-ppm figure techs use is the start-up target for a clean-burning furnace, and a good one. From 100 to 400, or a reading that keeps climbing through the five minutes, find the cause before you leave; over 400 is the ceiling that fails the appliance, and it stays off until repaired. Appendix D also carries the limit test most crews skip (block the return or pull the blower and watch the high limit open) and a check for flame disturbance when the blower starts, which is the cheapest heat exchanger test there is.⁴³ Goodman's flame signal window is "1 to 4 micro-amps."³⁰

Condensate and alarms. Carrier: slope the drain 1/4 in per foot away from the furnace and, where a pump is needed, use one "approved for use with acidic furnace condensate."³¹ Furnace condensate runs "typically between 3.0 and 5.0" pH,⁴⁵ which is why the neutralizer row is on the sheet even though no model code requires one everywhere; a cast-iron drain line will tell you in a few years. IRC M1411.5 requires the auxiliary pan where a clog would damage the building.¹⁰ And the permit itself triggers CO alarms: R315.2.2 says work that requires a permit brings the house up to the new-dwelling alarm rule, outside each sleeping area, unless the work is non-fuel-burning mechanical.⁴⁶ A furnace burns fuel. The row asks for the alarm and for an ambient CO reading in the mechanical room during the run.

Close-out: the final, the file, the deadline and the handoff

Appendix C is one page and it is the page the office cares about. Final inspection: IRC R109.1.6, "after the permitted work is complete."¹³ The installation file: QI Section 6 says the owner receives it, the contractor keeps copies "and a record of the model and serial numbers," and the owner training covers operation, maintenance and "warranty procedures and responsibilities," signed and dated.⁵

The registration deadline is the line on this sheet with the largest dollar value attached, and no competitor prints it. Here is where the manufacturers stand this month:

Registering from the driveway with the serial number and the customer's email takes three minutes. The sheet has a "registered" box and an "owner will, deadline" box, and the second one is a callback you can schedule. Goodman's warranty certificate also excludes "damage or repairs required as a consequence of faulty installation or application,"⁴⁷ and that sentence is what this whole sheet defends against: a signed page showing 480 microns, 10.5°F subcooling and 0.42 in wc static is what "not faulty installation" looks like on paper.

The walkthrough rows are short. Modes and schedule, filter size and interval (Lennox's owner section says check it monthly and have the dealer in before each heating and cooling season¹⁶), breaker and disconnect locations, the drain and float switch, what defrost looks like from the kitchen window, and for A2L units the line about never switching off the indoor unit. The walkthrough is also the moment to tell the owner what to keep: the installer's invoice with serial and date, the registration confirmation, every maintenance invoice from then on. That list is a page on this site, the records an owner should keep for the warranty, send it with the file.

The install visit is where the maintenance agreement gets sold

Every contractor template on page 1 ends its customer section with a maintenance-agreement checkbox: ServiceTitan's has it between the thermostat walkthrough and the review request,¹ Jobber's customer check-in has the maintenance plan,³ mitti's has it next to the warranty info.⁵³ They are right. The customer just paid for the equipment, the tech who installed it is standing in the kitchen, and the manufacturer's own literature says have it serviced before each season.¹⁶ The close rate on the plan never gets better than it is in that hour.

What the templates leave out is what the plan then does with this sheet. The first maintenance visit is a comparison: the static you wrote down at start-up against the static with a year-old filter, the subcooling against the subcooling, the temperature rise, the CO, the amps. Without the baseline the spring visit is "everything looks fine." With it, a subcooling that drifted from 10 to 6°F is a leak found at contract rates instead of a compressor found in August. That is why the last row of Appendix C is the plan and the first visit date, and why the sheet says to file it with the equipment record and not with the invoice.

The office side of that promise is where it breaks. A shop installing 150 systems a year and selling plans on half of them has 75 new agreements with a first visit due in six to nine months, on top of everything already on the books. The free maintenance agreement tracking spreadsheet is the starting point: one row per agreement, the equipment covered, the visits owed and delivered with dates, the renewal date and payment method, and how to track HVAC maintenance agreements explains each column. The HVAC maintenance agreement template is the contract the tech hands over with this sheet.

Above about 80 to 100 agreements the spreadsheet stops being the problem and the office's week does. That is the job Deepsel does (it is our product, so take this paragraph with a grain of salt): it keeps the ledger of visits owed versus delivered per system, schedules and invoices the visits on the plan's cadence, sends the booking requests the plan promises and logs them, and warns you before a paid visit expires unbooked. It works beside Jobber or Housecall Pro rather than replacing them, and it is built for the membership-style plans a residential install crew sells at the door. The visit itself runs on the maintenance checklists in this set: the HVAC maintenance checklist, the heat pump maintenance checklist and the tune-up checklist, each with the same targets as this sheet so the two pages line up.

Frequently asked questions

What should an HVAC installation checklist include?

Four parts. Before the job: a Manual J load calculation, Manual S sizing inside the ratio limits, the AHRI matched-system certificate, the permit and a duct design or duct assessment. During the job: outdoor unit level and clearances, line set length and lift against the manufacturer's limit, nitrogen purge and a filter drier, a nitrogen pressure test, evacuation with a micron gauge and a decay test, wire and breaker against the nameplate MCA and maximum overcurrent device, a disconnect within sight, condensate slope and overflow protection, duct sealing. At start-up: total external static, cooling airflow, subcooling or superheat against the manufacturer's target, coil temperature drop, voltage and amps, plus gas pressures, temperature rise and flue CO on a furnace and a defrost test and backup-heat lockout on a heat pump. At close-out: the final inspection, the installation file, warranty registration before the deadline, the walkthrough and the first maintenance date. Every reading gets a written value next to a printed target.

Do you need a permit to replace a furnace or air conditioner?

In any jurisdiction on the International Residential Code, yes. Section R105.1 requires a permit to install, alter, remove or replace any mechanical, gas or electrical system, and the only mechanical exemptions are portable appliances, replacement of a minor part, and self-contained systems holding 10 pounds of refrigerant or less. A furnace or condenser change-out is none of those. For an emergency replacement, R105.2.1 lets you do the work and apply for the permit by the next working business day. The permit is also what triggers the final inspection and, on a fuel-burning appliance, the carbon monoxide alarm requirement in R315.2.2. Local amendments vary, so the sheet has a line for the jurisdiction and the permit number.

What readings should be recorded at HVAC start-up?

Return and supply static with the total against the nameplate maximum and the design value; cooling airflow in CFM and CFM per ton (within 15 percent of design, typically 350 to 450 per ton); suction and liquid pressure with line temperatures; outdoor dry bulb and indoor dry and wet bulb; subcooling within 3 degrees F or superheat within 5 degrees F of the manufacturer's target; coil temperature drop; supply voltage and compressor, fan and blower amps against the nameplate; the microns reached and the decay-test result; the line set length and the ounces added; and the total charge written on the unit. A gas furnace adds inlet and manifold pressure, clocked firing rate, temperature rise at high and low fire, and flue CO air-free after five minutes of burner operation. A heat pump adds a heating-mode supply temperature, the defrost termination and the backup-heat lockout temperature.

Is the federal heat pump tax credit still available in 2026?

No. The Section 25C credit that paid up to 2,000 dollars on a qualifying heat pump ended with the July 2025 tax law. The IRS's own FAQ says the credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025. State and utility programs are still running (Mass Save, NYS Clean Heat, TECH Clean California and the Northwest's PTCS program among them), and each one asks for the AHRI certificate, the load calculation and usually the permit and photos, which is why those items are on the sheet.

Can R-410A equipment still be installed in 2026?

Yes, if it was manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025. EPA's final rule published May 26, 2026 and effective July 27, 2026 removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for R-410A systems built before that date. Record the manufacture date off the outdoor nameplate on the sheet. New equipment ships with R-454B or R-32, both mildly flammable A2L refrigerants, and those installs add the leak-detection sensor test, the minimum room area check, the matched A2L indoor unit and the instruction to the owner never to switch off power to the indoor unit.

Is there a separate furnace installation checklist or heat pump installer checklist?

Same form. Sections A to H run on every job and cover a straight split AC install on their own. Appendix A is the heat pump page (reversing valve, defrost, backup-heat lockout, cold-weather charge, cold-climate listing, program paperwork). Appendix B is the gas furnace page (gas train, pressures, temperature rise, combustion air, venting, combustion analysis, condensate, CO alarms). Appendix C is the close-out. Each appendix starts on its own page, so a furnace crew prints A to H plus B and a heat pump crew prints A to H plus A. One form means one file per house, which is what the first maintenance visit and the warranty claim both need.

Sources

1. ServiceTitan, "HVAC Installation Checklist" template page - the PDF is behind a form asking name, company, business email, industry and focus; 12 sections of checkboxes with blank measurement fields and no target values; the customer communication section lists "maintenance agreement." servicetitan.com, dated May 22, 2025, read September 24, 2026.
2. Housecall Pro, "Checklist for HVAC Installation Template" - the template is gated behind an email form; no checklist items are visible on the page. housecallpro.com, read September 24, 2026.
3. Jobber Academy, "HVAC Installation Checklist" and the linked nine-page PDF - separate AC, furnace and heat pump lists, a measurement grid of blanks with return and supply static labeled "psi," a customer check-in with the maintenance plan, no gas pressure, temperature rise or CO line in the furnace section. getjobber.com, updated June 23, 2026, read September 24, 2026.
4. HVAC-Talk, "Check list for furnace & A/C installation" - a homeowner's 15-item list asking how to check temperature rise, what airflow values are right and whether superheat and subcooling get recorded; contractors object to being checked; a reply recommends ACCA Standard 5. hvac-talk.com, 2009, read September 24, 2026.
5. ANSI/ACCA 5 QI-2015, "HVAC Quality Installation Specification" - Section 3.2 (Manual J, room-by-room versus block); 3.3 and Appendix B (Manual S ratios); 3.5 ("Copy of the AHRI or CEE-AHRI record/certificate, with appropriate reference number"); 4.1 ("within 15% of the design airflow," "typically between 350 to 450 CFM per ton," "Not more than 25% or 0.10 IWC (whichever is greater) over the calculated ESP," "It is not acceptable to use the temperature rise method to determine cooling airflow over the indoor coil"); 4.3 ("within ± 5°F of the OEM-specified superheat value," "within ± 3°F of the OEM-specified subcooling value," "not additive to any OEM-specified tolerances"); 4.4 ("GROUNDING/BONDING per NEC"); 4.5 ("Firing rate within ± 5% of nameplate input"); 5.1 (duct leakage 10%, 6%, 20% or a 50% improvement, UL 181A/B); 5.2 (±20% or 25 CFM); 6.1 and 6.2 ("a record of the model and serial numbers," "warranty procedures and responsibilities"); Appendix C ("evacuation equipment capable of maintaining a vacuum of at least 500 microns"). Free download from acca.org; public copy of the January 2016 reprint at rheiacomfort.com, read September 24, 2026.
6. ACCA, "ACCA Announces ANSI Public Review for Proposed ACCA 5 QI" - the proposed standard's content is "unchanged from ANSI/ACCA 5 QI – 2015." acca.org, October 10, 2025, read September 24, 2026.
7. ANSI/ACCA 9 QIvp-2016, "HVAC Quality Installation Verification Protocols" - Section 4.2.1 (floor area "must be within 10% of the field-measured values," window area within 10%, orientation "within 45 degrees"); sample form runs the system "a minimum of 10 minutes"; combustion analyzer required for oil and propane, recommended for natural gas; Appendix A installation checklist fields including static test-port locations, manifold pressure, CO air-free, draft and the "orphaned" appliance check. energystar.gov, read September 24, 2026.
8. U.S. EPA, "Final Notification of Sunsetting the ESVI Program" - "EPA has sunset the ENERGY STAR Verified HVAC Installation (ESVI) program effective August 31, 2025"; sponsors and contractors must "cease issuing ESVI certificates"; contractors are referred to ACCA accreditation. energystar.gov, August 31, 2025, read September 24, 2026.
9. ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes, "National HVAC Commissioning Checklist," Rev. 14 - "Run system for 15 minutes before testing"; charge section N/A below 55°F outdoor unless a TXV is fitted; pass at subcooling deviation ±3°F or superheat deviation ±5°F; airflow "± 15% of design"; test holes "well-marked and accessible"; form kept for 3 years. energystar.gov, revised January 15, 2025, read September 24, 2026.
10. 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 14, Heating and Cooling Equipment and Appliances - M1401.3 ("sized in accordance with ACCA Manual S based on building loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J"); M1411.3.1 (overflow protection methods; pan "not less than 1.5 inches deep" and 3 inches larger); M1411.4 (condensate pump failure shuts equipment off); M1411.5 (auxiliary pan for condensing furnaces); M1411.6 (suction line insulation R-3); M1411.8 (support within 6 feet); M1411.9 (locking-type tamper-resistant caps). codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
11. ACCA, "Correctly Sizing Variable Capacity Heat Pump Equipment" - "Manual S sets this new limit at 0.80 (80 percent) of the heat loss." hvac-blog.acca.org, read September 24, 2026.
12. AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance - search by model, then "click on the 'PDF' icon to the left of the reference number" or open the model and "Download Certificate." ahridirectory.org, read September 24, 2026.
13. 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 1, Scope and Administration - R105.1 ("install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system"); R105.2 mechanical exemptions (portable appliances, "Replacement of any minor part that does not alter approval," self-contained systems of 10 pounds of refrigerant or less); R105.2.1 ("within the next working business day"); R109.1.6 (final inspection "after the permitted work is complete"). codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
14. U.S. EPA, final rule, 91 FR 31284 (FR Doc. 2026-10387, RIN 2060-AW39), May 26, 2026 - revised 40 CFR 84.54(c)(1): new residential and light commercial air-conditioning and heat pump systems at 700 GWP or more "may continue to be installed where all specified components of that system are manufactured or imported prior to January 1, 2025"; the summary says the rule "Removes the installation deadline"; "This final rule is effective on July 27, 2026." govinfo.gov, read September 24, 2026. Reported by the National Association of Home Builders, "EPA Finalizes Rule on HVAC Refrigerants," nahb.org, May 2026, and ACHR News, "EPA Removes R-410A Installation Deadline," achrnews.com, both read September 24, 2026.
15. Carrier, 24SCA4 and PH5SAN5 (R-454B) Installation Instructions - level "within ±2° (±3/8 in/ft)"; clearances 24 in service end, 48 in above, 6 and 12 in sides, 24 in between units; "Always install the factory-supplied liquid-line filter drier"; nitrogen at "about 200psi" with no drop "for 1 hour"; vacuum to 500 microns, "shall not rise above 1500 microns in 10 minutes," "A tight dry system will hold a vacuum of 1000 microns after approximately 7 minutes"; "adjust charge by adding or removing 0.6 oz/ft of 3/8 liquid line" beyond 15 ft; charge check at 70 to 100°F outdoor, 70 to 80°F indoor, ±3°F; long-line threshold 80 ft or 20 ft of lift; total charge recorded on the outdoor label; "Circuit R–O energizes reversing valve, switching it to cooling position"; forced defrost by shorting the speed-up pins 5 seconds. shareddocs.com (24SCA4); shareddocs.com (PH5SAN5), read September 24, 2026.
16. Lennox, EL16KP1 (R-454B) Installation and Setup Guide, 508406-01 - Start-Up and Performance Checklist fields (rated versus actual amps and volts, suction and liquid pressure, "Indoor Coil Temperature Drop (18 to 22°F)"); clearances 48 in above, 24 in between units; pad slope no more than 2°; line sets over 50 ft to the piping guide; leak test at 160 psig with trace R-454B and a detector sensitive to 5 grams per year; evacuate to 23,000 microns, break with nitrogen, then "until the absolute pressure does not rise above 500 microns … within a 20-minute period"; total charge marked on the nameplate; service valve caps 8 ft-lb; nameplate MCA and "maximum fuse or circuit breaker (HACR per NEC)"; "24VAC - 40 VA minimum"; "Do not operate system until refrigerant detection system is verified to be in good working order"; owner section: filter and drain checked monthly, dealer inspection before each heating and cooling season. lennox.com, June 2025, read September 24, 2026.
17. Goodman, GSZC7 Heat Pump Installation and Operating Instructions, IOG-4009 - Start-Up Checklist fields (line voltage, R-C, compressor and fan amps, return and supply dry and wet bulb, suction and liquid pressure and temperature, superheat, subcooling, "Line set length in Feet," "Additional Refrigerant Charge Added over Factory Charge (Ounces)"); 60 in above the unit; long-line guide for "Lines greater than 79 feet in length or vertical elevation changes more than 50 feet"; nitrogen "450 PSIG … hold for 15 minutes"; vacuum below 500 microns then isolated 10 minutes, under 1000 and steady passes, 1000 to 2000 moisture or a small leak, over 2000 a leak; ".6 ounces per foot" beyond 15 ft; "Subcooling value of 6°F +/- 1°F"; wire for no more than 2% voltage drop; brazing alloy "2% minimum silver." hvacdirect.com, 2023, read September 24, 2026.
18. Trane, 4TWR5 Heat Pump Installer's Guide, 18-BC76D1-9-EN - eleven-item checkout list ("Leak check refrigerant lines," "Be sure that indoor coil drain line drains freely. Pour water into drain pan," "Operate complete system in each mode"); line set and lift maximum 60 ft; 5 ft above and 3 ft at the service side; raise the unit 3 to 12 in where snow collects; nitrogen at 150 psig with soap bubbles; evacuate to 350 microns or lower, pass "if the micron gauge does not rise above 500 microns in one (1) minute"; below 55°F weigh in the charge in heating mode; 20 minutes between charge adjustments; charge table for 3/8 in liquid line (20 ft 3 oz, 40 ft 14 oz, 60 ft 25 oz); forced defrost via FRC_DFT to TEST_COMMON for 2 seconds, termination 47°F by default. trane.com, read September 24, 2026.
19. Efficiency Maine, "Residential Heat Pump Installation Checklist" - outdoor unit 18 inches above the snow line, defrost water kept off walkways, protected from roof runoff; pressure test above 600 psig for 10 minutes and vacuum below 500 microns for 10 minutes "unless the manufacturer says otherwise"; line set length, refrigerant added, no coiled line sets. efficiencymaine.com, January 1, 2026, read September 24, 2026.
20. Carrier, "Long Line Guideline, R-454B Residential Split Systems" - long-line application beyond 80 ft equivalent length for a 3/8 in liquid line; maximum 250 ft; 0.60, 0.40 and 0.27 oz per foot for 3/8, 5/16 and 1/4 in liquid lines; TXV, crankcase heater, hard-start kit and, on heat pumps, a bi-flow solenoid "within 2 ft" of the outdoor unit. shareddocs.com, read September 24, 2026.
21. Mitsubishi Electric, MSZ-FS series Installation Manual - triple evacuation to 4000, 1500 and 500 microns with nitrogen breaks; "conduct a 30 minute rise test. System should hold 500 microns for a minimum of 1 hour"; "System manifold gauges must not be used to measure vacuum. A micron gauge must be used at all times"; line limits 65 or 100 ft and 40 or 50 ft of height by size; add 1.08 oz per 5 ft beyond 25 ft; flare torque 10 to 13, 25 to 30, 36 to 42 and 54 to 58 ft-lb for 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 and 5/8 in; 3 in wall hole with the outdoor side lower; drain hose below the refrigerant piping. build.com, read September 24, 2026.
22. 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 11, Energy Efficiency - N1103.1.2 (heat pumps "shall have controls that, except during defrost, prevent supplemental heat operation when the heat pump compressor can meet the heating load"); N1103.3.6 (duct leakage 4.0 CFM25 per 100 square feet); N1103.4.1 (insulation exposed to weather protected from sunlight; "Adhesive tape shall be prohibited"); N1103.7 (Manual S sizing). codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
23. NEC 440.4(B), Marking on Hermetic Refrigerant Motor-Compressors and Equipment - the nameplate must show "minimum supply circuit conductor ampacity, the maximum rating of the branch circuit short-circuit and ground-fault protective device." Text as reproduced by Electrical License Renewal, electricallicenserenewal.com, read September 24, 2026.
24. InterNACHI, "Inspecting Oversized Air-Conditioning Breakers and Small-Gauge Wires" - the wire must be rated at least the nameplate MCA and the breaker no larger than the nameplate maximum. nachi.org, read September 24, 2026.
25. New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, "Ductless Air Conditioning" electrical bulletin - quotes NEC 440.14 ("within sight from, and readily accessible from") and the Article 100 definition of within sight as visible and not more than 50 feet (15 m) away. oplc.nh.gov, read September 24, 2026.
26. NEC 210.63, Equipment Requiring Servicing - a 125-volt receptacle "within 7.5 m (25 ft)" of heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment, on the same level, not connected to the load side of the equipment disconnect. Text as reproduced by Electrical License Renewal, electricallicenserenewal.com, read September 24, 2026.
27. Goodman, AMST Series (R-32) Air Handler Installation Instructions - "A REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION SYSTEM IS INSTALLED. THE UNIT MUST BE POWERED ON AT ALL TIMES EXCEPT FOR SERVICE"; condensate line "positive slope … (1/4" per foot)"; charge check only when "Total static pressure is .5" WC or less" and outdoor temperature is at least 60°F; operating voltage 197 to 253 V; start-up checklist adds blower and heat strip amps, return and supply static, total ESP and temperature rise. Goodman AMST manual (mirror), read September 24, 2026.
28. Carrier, "Dealer Setup Checklist," R-454B split systems, catalog CLACHP-03 - "Apply high voltage to unit for 24 hours before attempting to operate"; check field wiring "support, termination, tightness, and grounding"; "Install proper wire size and fuse/circuit breaker"; "Evacuate line set and indoor coil"; "Verify factory authorized dissipation control board is installed"; "Wait a minimum of 20 minutes for subcooling to stabilize"; service valve caps "1/12th turn past finger tight"; leave the owner's manual and explain maintenance; file the checklist. shareddocs.com, July 2024, read September 24, 2026.
29. 2021 International Mechanical Code, Chapter 3, General Regulations - 307.2.1 (condensate drain slope "not less than 1/8 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (1-percent slope)"); 307.2.1.1 (no direct connection to a plumbing drain); 307.2.2 (3/4 inch minimum); 307.2.3.3 (concealed terminations marked); 307.2.4 (traps per the manufacturer); 307.2.4.1 ("Ductless mini-split equipment that produces condensate shall be provided with an inline check valve located in the drain line, or a trap"). codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
30. Goodman, GM9S and GC9S 90%+ Gas Furnace Service Manual - inlet pressure natural gas 4.5 to 10.0 in w.c., propane 11.0 to 13.0; manifold 3.5 in w.c. natural gas and 10.0 propane, "must not vary more than ± 0.3"; two-stage propane 10.0 high and 6.0 low; temperature rise ranges by model, 35 to 65°F on most; external static "approximately 0.5" water column"; flame signal "1 to 4 micro-amps." hvacdirect.com, read September 24, 2026.
31. Carrier, 59TP6C Two-Stage Condensing Gas Furnace Installation Instructions - Gas Furnace Checklist (Fig. 73) fields including inlet supply pressure "with furnace and all other gas appliances running," manifold pressure at high and low fire, clocked firing rate, temperature rise at both stages, vent diameter, length, elbows and termination; manifold example "3.4-in. w.c. for high heat, 1.4-in. w.c. for low heat"; "Recommended operation is at midpoint of rise range or slightly above"; maximum vent length table (80,000 Btuh, 0 to 2,000 ft: 2 in 55 ft, 2.5 in 130 ft, 3 in 175 ft, 4 in 200 ft); vent slope "a minimum of 1/4-in. per linear ft"; termination clearances (12 in above grade or snow, 12 in from an openable window above 50 kBtuh, 3 ft within 15 ft above a gas meter, 3 ft above a mechanical intake within 10 ft); leak check with soap or detector, never a flame; black pipe at least 2 in outside the cabinet and a 1/8 in test tap; condensate slope 1/4 in per ft; pump "approved for use with acidic furnace condensate"; end-of-job list ("Cycle test furnace with room thermostat," "Review User's Guide with owner"). shareddocs.com, read September 24, 2026.
32. Bonneville Power Administration, "Air Source and Variable Speed Heat Pump Specifications and Best Practices" - auxiliary heat lockout "at, or 5°F above, the balance point"; dual-fuel switchover "35°F - 40°F"; "Heat pump compressor lockouts should not be set"; external static no more than 0.8 in; 350 to 400 CFM per ton; charge within ±5% of the manufacturer's amount for the line length. bpa.gov, read September 24, 2026.
33. Bonneville Power Administration, "PTCS Program Requirements" (Performance Tested Comfort Systems) - backup heat must "only come on at or below 35°F"; inspection pass criteria include airflow of at least 325 CFM per ton and external static of 0.8 in or less. bpa.gov, read September 24, 2026.
34. ENERGY STAR, "Version 6.2 Heat Pump Specification," Rev. March 2025 - cold-climate designation requires "COP at 5°F ≥ 1.75" and capacity at 5°F of at least 70% of the capacity at 47°F; HSPF2 8.1 ducted and 8.5 ductless. energystar.gov, read September 24, 2026.
35. Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships, "Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump Specification," Version 4.0 - COP at 5°F of at least 1.75 at maximum capacity; variable-speed compressor; HSPF2 7.7 ducted and 8.5 ductless minimums. neep.org, read September 24, 2026.
36. Internal Revenue Service, "FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W and 179D under Public Law 119-21" - "The credit will not be allowed for any property placed in service after December 31, 2025." irs.gov, read September 24, 2026.
37. Mass Save, "Air Source Heat Pumps" rebate page - ENERGY STAR Cold Climate equipment required; installer must be in the Mass Save Heat Pump Installer Network; the sizing bonus requires a system at "90-120% of the total heating load at the outdoor design temperature, per ACCA Manual J" with the load calculation submitted. masssave.com, read September 24, 2026.
38. NYSERDA and the New York utilities, "NYS Clean Heat Program Manual," version 2 - Manual S (2023) sizing based on Manual J 8th edition at no less than 100% of the building heating load; a justification letter where heating capacity exceeds 120% of the heating load or cooling exceeds 115%; permits, time-stamped photos and the Manual J as a PDF. cleanheat.ny.gov, March 5, 2026, read September 24, 2026.
39. TECH Clean California, "Project Checklist," version 03.05.2024 - permit required; pre- and post-installation photos; HERS testing with form CF-3R where required; "Were Manual-J/Manual-D calculations completed?"; AHRI-matched equipment only. techcleanca.com (CDN copy), read September 24, 2026.
40. 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 24, Fuel Gas - G2407 (combustion air: "50 cubic feet per 1,000 Btu/h" of room volume; two outdoor openings at "1 square inch per 4,000 Btu/h" each, 1 per 2,000 through horizontal ducts; one opening at 1 per 3,000); G2417 (test pressure not less than 1.5 times the working pressure and not less than 3 psig, duration not less than 10 minutes); G2419.4 (sediment trap); G2420.5.1 (shutoff "within 6 feet (1829 mm) of the appliance," in the same room, upstream of the union or connector); G2422.1.2.1 (connector length not to exceed 6 feet). codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
41. City of Apple Valley, Minnesota, "Heating and A/C" inspection requirements - furnace final inspection list: vent connector rise of 1/4 inch per foot, 3 screws per joint, single-wall connector no more than 75% of the chimney height, 6 inch clearance for single-wall pipe and 1 inch for B-vent, 30 inches of clearance in front, gas lines strapped every 6 feet, shutoff and union at the furnace, drip tee; gas piping test at 25 psi for 30 minutes witnessed by the inspector; a mechanical permit for AC replacement. applevalleymn.gov, read September 24, 2026.
42. NFPA 54-2024, National Fuel Gas Code, Tentative Interim Amendment 24-1, paragraph 9.6.8.1 - "a sediment trap shall be installed downstream of the appliance shutoff valve as close to the inlet of the appliance as practical." nfpa.org, read September 24, 2026.
43. 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, Appendix D, "Recommended Procedure for Safety Inspection of an Existing Appliance Installation" - "Measure the CO in the vent after 5 minutes of main burner operation"; central furnace limit "400 ppm air free"; test the limit control by blocking return air or disconnecting the blower; check for flame disturbance when the blower starts; check for spillage at the draft hood. codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
44. ANSI/BPI-1200-S-2017, "Standard Practice for Basic Analysis of Buildings" - Table 1 combustion appliance CO thresholds, 400 ppm air-free for central furnaces. bpi.org, read September 24, 2026.
45. JLC (Journal of Light Construction), "Drain Pain: Furnace Condensate Proves Tricky to Manage" - furnace condensate pH is "typically between 3.0 and 5.0." jlconline.com, read September 24, 2026.
46. 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 3, Building Planning - R315.2.2, carbon monoxide alarms required "as required for new dwellings" where work requiring a permit occurs in a dwelling with a fuel-fired appliance, with an exception for work that does not involve fuel-burning appliances; alarms outside each sleeping area. codes.iccsafe.org, read September 24, 2026.
47. Goodman, "The Air Conditioner Limited Warranty: The Why, When, How" and the GSZ14 limited warranty certificate - register within 60 days for up to 10 years, otherwise "the air conditioner's applicable warranty period is 5 YEARS"; California, Florida, Georgia and Quebec residents exempt from registering; the warranty excludes "Damage or repairs required as a consequence of faulty installation or application." goodmanmfg.com; certificate (hvacdirect.com), read September 24, 2026.
48. Daikin, "Standard Warranty Information" - "To receive 12-Year Parts Limited Warranty, online registration must be completed within 60 days of installation." daikincomfort.com, read September 24, 2026.
49. Trane, "Warranty and Registration" - registered warranty when "registered within 60 days of installation"; "In most cases, this warranty lasts for 10 years"; transferable within 90 days of a home sale for a $99 fee. trane.com, read September 24, 2026.
50. Lennox, "What happens if equipment is registered after 60 days of installation or closing?" - register "within 60 days of installation (existing homes) or closing date (new construction)"; jurisdictions where registration is not required: California, Florida, "Georgia (units installed on or after 01/01/26)," Quebec. lennox.com, modified March 19, 2026, read September 24, 2026.
51. Carrier, "Warranty" homeowner resource - "register your eligible equipment within 90 days of installation" for the 10-year parts or 5-year parts plus 3-year labor option; "If you register after 90 days, the standard 5-year parts warranty applies with no labor coverage." carrier.com, read September 24, 2026.
52. Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US, "Register Your Product" - 12-year parts and compressor warranty when installed by a Diamond Contractor or Ductless Pro and "Registered within 90 days of installation." mitsubishicomfort.com, read September 24, 2026.
53. mitti (formerly SafetyCulture), "HVAC Installation Checklist" - digital form with pre-install, indoor unit, outdoor unit, thermostat and customer communication sections; records required and actual superheat and subcooling without stating targets; customer communication includes warranty information and the maintenance agreement. mitti.com, dated August 11, 2026, read September 24, 2026.