(800) 567-1180

BUILDING INTEGRATION

Posts Tagged ‘Factory’

5 tips to get your facility ready for fall

45356163 - autumn food crop vegetables

Even with record-setting high temps dogging us well into November, fall and winter weather are bound to arrive in the Ohio Valley sometime soon. Is your facility ready?

Here’s how you can prepare:

 

Check your lighting. Even if it never cools off, the sun is setting earlier each day, and the time will change on Nov. 6. That “fall back” will cost us an hour of daylight in the evening. Be sure to adjust timers which automatically turn lights on and off.
Reassess security systems. Changes in daylight may also mean changes to safety and security threats. Will customers or staff members be entering or exiting your building when it is dark? Now is the time to walk through and around facilities and note any new or shifting risks.
Service your HVAC system. Clean and/or replace filters, and clean out duct work to reduce allergens and ensure peak efficiency. Have your entire heating system inspected by a qualified professional.
Check windows and doors. Inspect all windows and doors to make sure they are operating properly and the seals are tight.
Start coordinating holiday travel schedules. With the holidays approaching, key staff members may plan to take time off or travel. Don’t wait until the last minute to hand off duties, login information, vendor contacts and other key details. For more, check out our earlier post outlining key steps for planning around vacations.

Factory Mounted verses Field Mounted Controls

When faced with a renovation or construction of a new building one of the choices that building owners and engineers face is whether to order HVAC equipment with factory mounted or field mounted controls.  While either method may be capable of achieving the desired result, communication between the owner, engineer, equipment manufacturer and controls contractor is vital to ensuring the success of the project.  Clearly assigning responsibilities between the equipment manufacturer and the controls contractor can eliminate delays and unexpected costs to the project.

If field mounted controls are selected, it is expected that the controls contractor will provide and install all controllers and all of the sensors (I/O points) that are required to accomplish the sequence of operation and graphical display of the HVAC systems.  However, when factory mounted controls are selected the expectations are not always clear to everyone.  These expectations can be clarified by adding the following to drawings and specifications:

“If factory mounted controls are provided, the equipment manufacturer is responsible for meeting the entire sequence of operation as outlined.  In addition the equipment manufacturer is responsible for providing the data required to meet all of the points indicated in the points list for that piece of equipment.”

In addition, many sensors are shipped loose with factory mounted controls and the controls contractor is expected to install and wire these to the factory controller.  This can again be clarified by adding one of the following to each sensor or control component shown in piping and airflow diagrams:

① Installed and wired by the equipment manufacturer.

② Provided and shipped loose by equipment manufacturer.  Installed and wired by the temperature controls contractor.

③ Provided, installed and wired by the temperature controls contractor.

 

While at first glance factory mounted controls may appear to be the best option for ease of installation, the required points, complete sequence of operation and desired graphical representation for each piece of HVAC equipment must be considered.  Regardless of which method is selected, communication of requirements and assignment of expectations are keys to eliminating confusion, delays and potential cost increases to a project.