What You'll Learn

• How the A/C Service Workflow differs from the Installation Workflow and when to use it
• How to create a project and select the A/C Service Workflow
• How to run a Test In to document the system's current state before any work
• How to perform repairs or adjustments based on Test In findings
• How to run a Test Out to document the system's improved state after work
• How paired Test In / Test Out results create a before-and-after comparison
• How to generate a report that shows the customer what changed

What You'll Need

• Device: iPhone (iOS 15+) or Android phone/tablet (Android 10+) with measureQuick installed
• App version: v3.5 or later
• Account: A measureQuick account with an active subscription
• Smart tools: Wireless probes paired and ready (pressure, temperature, psychrometer as needed for the job)
• System profile: Equipment make, model, and serial accessible (nameplate visible, or existing profile from a prior visit)
• Knowledge: Familiarity with the A/C Installation Workflow (G1) and Diagnostic Screens (B14)
• Time: 15 minutes to read; 30-60 minutes for a typical service call workflow in the field

Service vs. Installation: Key Differences

The A/C Installation Workflow assumes you are commissioning new equipment. It runs a single pass through the diagnostic process - profile the system, deploy probes, capture measurements, review results, generate a report.

The A/C Service Workflow is for existing systems. You are diagnosing a problem or performing maintenance on equipment that is already installed and running. The workflow is structured around two test phases:

This paired approach serves two purposes. First, it gives you a diagnostic baseline. The Test In data tells you what is wrong and where to focus your work. Second, it creates proof of improvement. The Test Out data, compared against the Test In, shows the customer (and your company) exactly what changed.

Single-test projects default to Test In. If you only run one test on a service call, the app treats it as a Test In.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create a Project and Select the Service Workflow

1. Open measureQuick and tap Start a Project from the home screen.
2. Tap Guided Workflows.
3. Select A/C or Heat Pump Service / Maintenance from the workflow list.

This workflow is specifically designed for service calls. It follows the same indoor/outdoor phase structure as the Installation Workflow, but it frames the process around diagnosing an existing system rather than commissioning a new one. As Jim Bergmann notes in the Part 4 walkthrough, "maybe you're on a maintenance, maybe you're on a service call, but either way you're going to want to inspect components."

If you want to practice the flow before a live job, enable Demo Mode in Settings > Advanced Settings and select DEMO A/C Service Workflow. The demo populates simulated probe data so you can walk through every screen.

Tip: If the customer's system has been tested in measureQuick before, search for their existing project. Opening an existing project preserves the system profile and prior test history, so you do not need to re-enter equipment data.

Step 2: Profile the System (or Verify an Existing Profile)

Before capturing measurements, the workflow asks you to profile the equipment - manufacturer, model, tonnage, refrigerant, metering device, SEER rating, and design airflow.

New customer or first visit: Use the AI System Profiler (D1). Photograph the indoor and outdoor nameplates. The AI reads the model number and populates the profile fields. Review every field before continuing - especially metering device and refrigerant. See for the full profiling procedure.

Returning customer with an existing profile: The system profile from the previous visit carries forward. Open it and verify the data is still accurate. If equipment was replaced since the last visit, re-profile.

Why this matters on a service call: The system profile drives every diagnostic calculation. If the profile says TXV but the system has a piston, the charge evaluation uses the wrong method. If tonnage is wrong, the airflow target is wrong. A wrong profile produces wrong results, and wrong results lead you to the wrong repair.

Step 3: Deploy Probes and Run Test In

The Test In captures the system's state before you make any changes. This is your diagnostic baseline.

Deploy probes according to the workflow checklist. The indoor phase covers:

• Supply and return air temperature probes
• Static pressure measurements (supply and return)
• Wet bulb / psychrometer placement

The outdoor phase covers:

• Suction and liquid line temperature probes
• Suction and discharge pressure probes (manifold or wireless)
• Outdoor ambient temperature probe
• Electrical measurements (if applicable)

See through for detailed probe placement guidance.

Let the system run. The system must be running and stable before you capture Test In data. Allow 10-15 minutes of continuous operation for readings to settle. Variable-speed and multi-stage systems may need longer. The Diagnostics screen shows a stability indicator - wait until readings stabilize before proceeding.

Capture the Test In. Once probes are deployed and readings are stable, the workflow captures your measurements automatically from the connected smart tools. Complete both the indoor and outdoor checklists. When all required measurements are captured, the workflow moves to the Diagnostics screen.

Tip: Do not adjust, repair, or touch the refrigerant circuit before completing Test In. The whole point is to document the system as-found. If you add refrigerant or clean the condenser before running Test In, you lose the baseline.

Step 4: Review Test In Diagnostics

After completing the measurement sequence, tap Diagnostics in the bottom navigation bar to see the results. The screen displays pass/fail indicators for each subsystem:

• Green - Pass, within target range
• Yellow - Warning, outside the ideal range but not critically failed
• Red - Fail, outside the acceptable range
• Gray - Not measured, insufficient data

Tap any subsystem to open its detail view. The detail screen shows:

• The measured value
• The design target
• The acceptable range
• Whether the result passed or failed, and by how much

This is where you identify what needs attention. Common service call findings include:

• Refrigerant charge failure (red on superheat or subcooling) - over/undercharge, restriction, or metering device issue
• Airflow failure (red on TESP or CFM) - dirty filter, restricted ductwork, blower issue
• Electrical issues - out-of-spec voltage, high amperage draw
• Venting failure (combustion systems) - draft, CO, or flue temperature problems

Use the Test In results to plan your repairs. You now have objective, instrument-backed data showing what is wrong.

Diagnostics screen after Test In showing multiple subsystem results with a mix of pass, fail, and warning indicators

Step 5: Save the Test In

Save the Test In before starting any repairs. This locks in the baseline data.

The workflow prompts you to save when you complete the diagnostic review. The test is saved as a Test In within the project. measureQuick assigns it the workflow phase test_in.

If the workflow does not prompt you automatically, tap the save/complete button at the end of the diagnostic review. See Save Test In/Out for the detailed save procedure.

Tip: Saving the Test In before repairs protects you. If a customer questions what was wrong, the Test In data is time-stamped and stored. It documents the system's condition at the time you arrived.

Step 6: Perform Repairs and Adjustments

With the Test In saved, perform your service work. This step happens outside of measureQuick - you are working on the equipment based on what the diagnostics revealed.

Common service actions based on Test In findings:

You do not need to keep measureQuick open during repairs. The Test In data is saved. When you are ready to verify your work, return to the app for Test Out.

Step 7: Run Test Out

After completing repairs, run a Test Out to document the system's improved state.

1. Open the project where you saved the Test In.
2. The workflow offers the option to start a Test Out. Select it.
3. Deploy the same probes in the same locations. Consistency matters - if you move a probe between Test In and Test Out, the comparison is less reliable.
4. Let the system run and stabilize again (10-15 minutes minimum).
5. Complete the indoor and outdoor measurement checklists, the same way you did for Test In.

The Test Out follows the same measurement sequence as the Test In. The app captures the same data points so the two tests are directly comparable.

Test Out workflow showing measurement capture in progress with probe data streaming

Tip: Use the same probes in the same positions for both Test In and Test Out. If you used a suction line clamp at a specific location for Test In, put it in the same spot for Test Out. This eliminates placement variation from the comparison.

Step 8: Review Test Out Diagnostics and Compare

After completing the Test Out measurements, the Diagnostics screen shows the new results. Compare them against your Test In findings:

• Subsystems that were red (fail) on Test In should now be green (pass) or yellow (improved) on Test Out.
• Measurements that were out of range should now fall within the acceptable range.
• The Vitals Score (if applicable - requires 9+ physical probes for cooling) should be higher on Test Out than Test In.

If a subsystem still shows red after your repairs, the issue may not be fully resolved. Review the detail screen for that subsystem to see how much the value changed and whether further work is needed.

Step 9: Save and Generate the Report

Save the Test Out. The project now contains both tests - a paired Test In and Test Out.

Generate a report from the project. The report includes:

• System profile information
• Test In results (before work)
• Test Out results (after work)
• A comparison showing what improved

This report serves multiple purposes:

• Customer documentation. Shows the homeowner what was wrong and what you fixed, backed by instrument data.
• Company records. Your manager can review the paired results in the cloud dashboard to verify work quality.
• Return-visit reference. If you or another technician visits this system later, the Test In/Test Out history provides a performance baseline.

See Report Features and [ao8R6DYLYpI] "Saving data and generating a report within a measureQuick project" for report generation details.

The Paired Testing Approach

Paired testing - running both a Test In and a Test Out on the same system during the same visit - is the foundation of the Service Workflow. Here is why it matters:

Proof of work. A Test Out alone shows the system is working correctly now. A paired Test In + Test Out shows the system was not working correctly before, and your work fixed it. The difference is the evidence.

Diagnostic clarity. If the Test Out still shows failures, you know immediately. Without a Test Out, you leave the job site hoping the repair worked. With a Test Out, you verify it before you leave.

Data integrity. Comparing aggregate Test In results against aggregate Test Out results across many jobs is statistically misleading (Simpson's paradox - different companies and system types skew the averages). But comparing Test In to Test Out on the same system, same visit, with the same probes eliminates those confounders. The paired comparison is valid; the aggregate comparison is not.

Customer trust. Handing a customer a report that shows their system went from failing (red) to passing (green) on specific, named subsystems is more persuasive than a verbal summary. The data speaks for itself. Chad Simpson (Director of Service, Lee Company) uses the test-in/test-out process to show customers improvement from an F grade to a B, which drives both trust and referrals. Brandon Payne (Owner, Payne Air) reports that "Customers have never had a company show them that type of thing before," and that callbacks dropped from 4% to under 2% after adopting paired testing on every call.

Transcript Insights

Jim Bergmann emphasizes throughout his training videos that the service workflow starts with understanding what the system is doing before making changes. In the Benchmarking video, he recommends: "I always recommend you just go ahead as soon as you start the system up, capture the air handler data. You want to wait a few minutes for the system to stabilize, and that's what I have the condensing units actually streaming in live, so I want to wait till the condensing unit reaches its stability before I capture the electrical data, because the more work we're doing as the system runs, the more work we're doing, the condensing unit will creep up on there, and so we want to capture it and get an accurate representation of the SEER while we're doing that."

On why benchmarked systems transform return service visits: "all my targets are right within the ranges that I would expect to see, so this allows us to very accurately troubleshoot the system, make sure that our diagnostics now we'll just clear this out." When a previous technician has benchmarked the system, every return visit starts with locked-in targets for superheat, subcooling, and static pressure.

Customer Insights

Contractors who adopted the paired Test In / Test Out workflow on service calls consistently report measurable business impact:

• Chad Simpson (Owner, Simpson Salute Heating and Air Conditioning, ~100 employees): "We went from 4% callback range down to under 2%. Do the math on that - MeasureQuick is an absolute return on investment." His company also found that a technician three months into the field "diagnosed that as well as one of our 20-year vet technicians would have," crediting the guided workflow structure.

• Brandon Payne (Service Manager, Ecoplumbers): "We went from an F to a B on a customer's system with very little money, and that customer has referred many customers to us." His company grew from 0 to 40 HVAC techs and $10M in 2 years, citing test-in/test-out reporting as a key driver.

• Matt Krewer (Service Manager, Town & Country Services): "We found things that other companies overlooked because they just didn't have the setup. That gave us a lifetime customer." He also uses benchmarking on new installs so that return service visits start with a known baseline.

• Stephen Rardon (Owner, Smart Home Comfort): "It's not a 'trust me, it's good.' It's 'take this to the internet and let anybody tell you this system isn't running.'" He uses test-in/test-out documentation on every service call for transparency.

Video Walkthrough

• YouTube: (66,533 views, 72 min). Comprehensive walkthrough covering system profiling, target ranges, troubleshooting capabilities, and the full diagnostic process. Jim describes how measureQuick "significantly expanded the troubleshooting ability" of the application

• YouTube: (23 min). While focused on commissioning, this video also discusses the distinction between commissioning a new system and diagnosing/servicing an existing one, clarifying when to use each workflow type

• YouTube: (80 min). Covers diagnostic evaluation in depth. Jim Bergmann explains that a system "commissioned correctly" is the prerequisite for good diagnostics on future service visits

• YouTube: (6:40). Shows how a benchmarked system provides locked-in targets for superheat, subcooling, and static pressure on return service visits, so "everybody knows exactly how a piece of equipment is supposed to operate."

• YouTube: (18,992 views, 53 min). Deep diagnostic session that demonstrates interpreting results and making service decisions based on measureQuick data

• YouTube: (4:00). Demonstrates starting a project from the cloud, loading existing equipment profiles, saving data, and generating PDFs with project information and company logo

• YouTube: (1,576 views, 1:38). Short walkthrough of saving test data and generating customer reports

Tips & Common Issues

WARNING: Reports are not saved internally

Reports are NOT saved within the app. If you navigate away from the report screen after generating it, the report is gone. Share or export the report immediately via email, text, or cloud sync. This applies to both Guided Workflow reports and Quick Test reports. Even Jim Bergmann was surprised to discover this behavior during a training event - it is the most common cause of data loss in the app. Treat the report screen as a one-time opportunity: share it before you do anything else.

ServiceTitan / Housecall Pro dispatch integration

When CRM integration is active, service workflows can be started directly from dispatched jobs. On the measureQuick home screen, the Dispatch Projects card shows jobs dispatched from your CRM (ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro). Tapping a dispatched job opens the project with customer and equipment data pre-populated from the CRM record. After completing the workflow and saving your tests, the completed project syncs back to the CRM automatically, including photos, diagnostics, and reports. This dispatch-to-close integration was demonstrated extensively during the Goettl custom training. See CRM Integration: ServiceTitan or CRM Integration: Housecall Pro for setup details.

I only ran one test - is that a Test In or Test Out?

Single-test projects default to Test In. If you only have time for one test on a service call, run it as a Test In to document the system's current state. You can return later to run a Test Out after repairs, or note in the project that repairs were deferred.

The customer says the system is "working fine" but Test In shows failures

This is common. Many HVAC systems operate with degraded performance that the homeowner does not notice - low airflow, mild overcharge, suboptimal superheat. The Test In data is objective. Document the findings and discuss them with the customer. This is also an opportunity to recommend maintenance or repairs before a minor issue becomes a major failure.

Should I re-profile the system for every service visit?

Not if the equipment has not changed. If the system profile from a prior visit is still accurate (same equipment, same refrigerant, no component replacements), use the existing profile. If any equipment was replaced since the last visit - new condenser, new coil, refrigerant conversion - re-profile the affected components.

My Test Out still shows a failure on one subsystem

Review the detail screen for that subsystem. Check whether the value improved (moved closer to the target range) even if it did not fully pass. Some issues require multiple repairs or follow-up visits. Document the remaining failure in the report and communicate the plan to the customer. A partial improvement is still measurable progress.

Can I run more than two tests in one project?

Yes. measureQuick supports intermediate tests between Test In and Test Out. If you make a repair and want to check progress before completing all work, you can run an intermediate test. The workflow phase for these tests is intermediate. The final test should be saved as Test Out.

The system was not running when I arrived

You need the system running and stable to capture valid diagnostic data. Turn the system on, let it run for 10-15 minutes, then start the Test In. If the system will not start at all, document the condition in the project notes and troubleshoot the no-start issue before attempting to run a diagnostic workflow.

Probes were moved between Test In and Test Out

If a probe was repositioned between tests, the comparison for that measurement is less reliable. The reading difference could reflect the probe's new position rather than an actual system change. For the most accurate paired comparison, place probes in the same locations for both tests. If you had to move a probe, note it in the project so anyone reviewing the data understands the context.

How long should the system run before Test Out?

The same as Test In: 10-15 minutes minimum after the system restarts following your repairs. The system needs to reach steady-state operation. If you added or removed refrigerant, allow additional time for the charge to distribute through the system. Check the stability indicator on the Diagnostics screen before finalizing the Test Out.

Reference Material

Download: Field Checklists Combined (PDF)

Related Articles

Prerequisites (complete these first):

• A/C Installation Workflow
• AI System Profiler
• Understanding Workflow UI Navigation
• Understanding Diagnostic Screens

Follow-up articles (next steps after this one):

• Save Test In/Out - Detailed save procedure and project linking
• Heat Pump Installation Workflow - Heat pump commissioning in both modes
• Heat Pump Service Workflow - Heat pump service with Test In/Out
• Report Generation - Generating and sharing customer reports

Related in the same domain:

• Hybrid System Workflow
• Non-Invasive Testing
• Scheduled Maintenance Diagnostic
• [F1]-Probe Placement guides

Need Help?

If you get stuck or this article does not answer your question:

• Check the Related Articles section above
• Contact measureQuick support: support@measurequick.com