About AskHVAC.ca
Canada's free HVAC calculator platform — built by engineers, for everyone who works with heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.
What AskHVAC.ca is
AskHVAC.ca is a free online platform of HVAC engineering calculators built specifically for the Canadian market. Every tool runs in your browser. There's no account, no subscription, and no paywall. You get the result, download it as a PDF, and move on.
The tools cover the full HVAC workflow: from residential load calculations and duct design through to refrigeration cycle analysis, psychrometrics, energy efficiency ratings, compliance checking, and commissioning documentation. If you work in HVAC in Canada, there's a tool here for you.
Who it's built for
- HVAC contractors who need quick, accurate calculations in the field without expensive software subscriptions.
- Mechanical engineers who want fast sanity checks and secondary calculations alongside their primary design tools.
- Building scientists and energy auditors who need blower door analysis, infiltration loads, and energy audit tools in one place.
- Homeowners who want to understand what their contractor is sizing before signing a quote.
- HVAC students learning to apply theory to real calculations.
Methodology and standards
Every calculator follows recognised industry standards. Load calculations use standard room-by-room heat loss and heat gain methodology consistent with ASHRAE Fundamentals. Duct design uses the industry-standard friction rate method. Ventilation tools follow ASHRAE 62.1 and 62.2. Energy efficiency tools reflect current AHRI, Natural Resources Canada, and US DOE standards including SEER2, HSPF2, and AFUE requirements.
Climate data covers 200+ Canadian and US cities using ASHRAE design conditions. Canadian content specifically addresses NBC 2020 requirements, provincial energy codes including Ontario SB-12 and BC Energy Step Code, and Canadian utility pricing for operating cost estimates.
Accuracy and limitations
These tools are designed for preliminary calculations, design checks, and educational purposes. They use industry-standard equations and data, but they're not a substitute for full engineering software certified for permit submissions in all jurisdictions. Some AHJs require calculations produced by specific accredited software. Check your local requirements before relying on these outputs for permit applications.
Results are as accurate as the inputs you provide. Garbage in, garbage out applies here as much as anywhere. Where possible, the tools flag inputs that fall outside typical ranges.
Contact and feedback
Found a calculation error? Have a tool request? Want to report a bug? Use the contact form. We read every message and prioritise bug reports. The platform improves based on what users actually need, so specific feedback with the tool name and the input values that caused the issue is always helpful.