Key Features of ZipTest Pro³™ Building & Energy Diagnostics Software

These are the key features, programs, tools, and Nuggets included in the ZipTest Pro³ software package for the Texas Instruments TI-89 Titanium calculator. For more detailed information, download the software instructions.

Reports. This feature of ZipTest Pro³ allows you to save up to eight reports for later review. A report includes the input values you entered and the answers of a program or a tool. The results from Nuggets cannot be saved as reports, however you can save them as screen captures to print or include in a report.

Defaults. The default menu makes solving problems with the ZipTest Pro³ software much easier. Reasonable default values are set at the ZipTest software factory, but you can change these values any time you wish to streamline your input entry into programs, tools, and Nuggets. Default values include fuel prices, seasonal efficiencies for heating systems, weather data, and more.

Logical organization. All the ZipTest Pro³™ features – programs, tools, nuggets, reports, and defaults – are organized in a logical manner so that you can get to each of them easily. The main menu tabs, dropdown menus, and dialogue boxes with sequence numbers will help you get where you want to go.

Dropdown menus and dialogue boxes. Dropdown menus and dialogue boxes are familiar to all of us using computers. The TI-89 has dropdown menu capabilities that were used for the ZipTest Pro³™ software package whenever it made sense to do so. Within the ZipTest Pro³™ software package, dialogue boxes come in different sizes, depending on the amount of information you need to enter in the particular box.

Math calculations on-the-fly. If you want to perform a math calculation on-the-fly, merely include the calculation in a fill box of the dialogue. For example, the total floor space of a house can be calculated by typing in “1000-2” (1000 square feet times two floors). There is no need to type anything else; when the answers are calculated this mathematical operation will be carried out. For on-the-fly calculations the following mathematical operators can be used: [+] (addition); [-] (subtraction); [+] (division); [x] (multiplication); [^] (exponential); and [Å] (square root). You can also use more than one type of operator in a fill box at the same time.

Automatic call-up feature.In some cases, if you intentionally leave a fill box blank, you will get a helpful message reminding you that a related ZipTest Pro³™ routine can assist you. You will be transferred to the related feature for a calculation and then transferred back to the original problem you were working on.

Programs. These routines are the most complex of the ZipTest Pro³ software package. Programs include:

1. Energy index
2. Ventilation
    a. ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation calculation for existing dwellings (includes    latest methods for compliance with ASHRAE 62.2-2010 (alternative compliance path). You may also comply with ASHRAE 62.2-2007 by choosing not to use the alternative compliance path.
    b. BTLa (Building Tightness Limit advanced). This is based on ASHRAE 62-1989 and ASHRAE 119 and 136.
    c. BTL (Building Tightness Limit). This is based on ASHRAE 62-1989.
3. Weatherization cost-effective air sealing guidelines 
4. Zone Pressure Diagnostics
    a. Add-a-Hole Method 
    b. Door Method

Tools. These are simpler than programs and more complex than Nuggets. Tools included in the ZipTest Pro³ software package are:

1. Blower Door
    a. Minneapolis Blower Door™, Model 3
    b. Temperature adjusted CFM50
2. Fuel
    a. Cost per therm of fuel
    b. Fuel units from fuel cost
    c. Domestic hot water fuel units
3. Duct Blaster™ duct leakage calculations
4. New construction ASHRAE 62.2
5. Heat Index 
6. Refrigerator replacement Savings-to-Investment Ratio
7. ASHRAE 62.2 alternate compliance method
8. LBL# (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory number)
9. ZTP# (ZipTest Pro number)

Nuggets. Some of these are simple, some are complex. The great feature of Nuggets is that you can solve for ANY of the values you wish. Nuggets included are:

1. Air pressure/air leakage
    a. Depressurization Tightness Limit or DTL
    b. Air Change per Hour at natural conditions, ACH
    c. Air Change per Hour at 50 Pascals, ACH50
    d. Building leakage air flow rate
    e. Specific leakage ratio
    f. Stack pressure
    g. Annual heating cost of air leakage
    h. Heating cost-effective guideline for air sealing
    i. Air leakage heat loss
    j. Annual cooling cost of air leakage
    k. Cooling cost-effective guideline for air sealing
    l. Effective leakage area
    m. Equivalent leakage area
2. Heating/Cooling
    a. Cost per therm of fuel
    b. Annual heating 
    c. Savings from heating system efficiency improvements
    d. Savings-to-Investment Ratio for replacing a heating system
    e. Cooling sensible-to-total load ratio
    f. Cooling total capacity
3. Heat transfer
    a. Surface heat transfer
    b. Calculated R-value from infrared camera
4. Geometry
    a. Area of triangle
    b. Area of circle
    c. Circumference of circle
    d. Round duct to rectangular
    e. Pythagorean theorem
5. Carbon monoxide
    a. Carbon Monoxide air-free from CO as-measured
6. Ventilation
    a. Fan run-time
    b. Annual cost of space heating for ventilation
    c. Annual cost of electricity for ventilation
7. Psychrometrics
   a. Dew point
8. Thermal comfort
    a. Wind chill, 2001 version
9. Finance
    a. Loan payments
    b. Savings-to-Investment Ratio
10. Air speed
    a. Air speed, fpm
    b. Air speed, mph
11. Miscellaneous
    a. Body Mass Index (BMI)

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