The newest addition to the Belimo family features ground breaking ‘piggy-back technology’ decreasing everything from insillation, to mounting time. The Belimo EF Actuator is proven to simplify wiring while reducing material costs.

In addition, it is equipped with NEMA 4 protection to allow for quick changes of directional rotation, locking, or manual override. The Belimo EF Actuator easily connects to high torque aplications with a complete line of acessories. The EF is available in basic models offering 24 or 120 VAC and faster run times with MFT models. The MFT versions allow the actuator to be programmed in the field to accomodate various proportional control functions and DC voltage feedback signals. Custom models are available as well in appliance or plenum cables in various lengths. MFT model come with several different proportional control functions and DC feedback signals that can be programmed in the factory or the field. If you would like more information on this product and you are located in Georgia or Florida, please contact Stromquist and Company. If you are located in another state, go to the CGNA website to contact your closest representative.

When it comes to actuators and control valves it is hard to find anyone better than Belimo. Yes Belimo, the company that introduced the direct coupled actuator and changed the way the controls industry approached damper and valve actuation forever. Our friends at Belimo are up to it again introducing new products that save time, money and offer better control.

Join Belimo’s Kevin Leathers and Mark Harris on Control Talk as they discuss new products including the new Belmo jack shaft adaptor and new the electronic ePIV valve that adds affordability to the proven Belimo PICCV valve technology.
See how the new jackshaft adaptor makes installing a damper actuator a breeze.Time studies indicate that using the Belimo ZG JSL jackshaft adaptor reduces damper actuator install dramatically.

Find out why you are probably wasting your money if you buy a 300 to 1 turndown valve, and why spending an extra few dollars on a control valve instead of a lower cost zone valve on bid day is a smart move.

For more information on Belimo please contact your friends at Stromquist & Company. If you are not in Georgia or Florida or if you are nor a Stromquist & Company customer one of our affiliates at Controls Group North America can help you with your Belimo needs.

Valves and actuators play an integral part in the proper functioning of HVAC systems.  When properly installed and functioning correctly they boost the performance and efficiency of integrated building technology. But like with any equipment, there comes a time when valves and actuators need to be replaced for a variety of reasons.

Damaged linkages and/or actuators lead to poor functioning of the HVAC system, which results in loss of energy efficiency, consumer comfort, time, and labor. Replacing a valve along with the actuator, or trying to determine how to fix an airside linkage, is not always a sensible solution. Taking a system off-line to replace various components is not only laborious, it’s expensive. Facilities can lose thousands of dollars a day during maintenance shut-down. With Belimo’s retrofit solutions, this problem goes away. Valve and damper applications can be quickly and conveniently restored without any interruption in service. In fact, entire systems can often be updated in a day. A poorly functioning or even non-functioning system can be transformed into a high functioning, more efficient system.

Belimo provides many retrofits that are compatible with all major control systems, so there is no need to replace other system controls. MFT Technology is also available and can be re-programmed to suit your controller needs with just one MFT model actuator.

If it’s time to replace any actuators or valves in your building or plant, consider a retrofit solution from Belimo.  Someone from Stromquist, along with Belimo, will be glad to assist you with the change.

Read any Honeywell catalog on control valves and most likely you will end up with red eyes and possibly a bald spot on top of your head from scratching it in frustration.

Let’s see…Stem up to close, Stem down to close, reverse acting, direct acting…..ARRRGGG, I just want a normally closed valve with a pneumatic actuator with a 8-13 psi spring range!!!

The easy way….Call Stromquist and Company they know what I want… Yes, but there is a lesson being taught here so I need to do my job.

Pneumatic Control valves are inherently spring return and modulating valves, always opening and closing the valve to whatever location the temperature controller deems correct to maintain proper conditions in a controlled space. For this reason when we get to the electronic portion of this article the actuators will be modulating and spring return.

Pneumatic Globe Style Control Valves and Actuators:

Valve Action = Stem down to close. This means that the valve body is Normally Open and the actuator would have to push the stem down to close the valve.

Valve Action=Stem up to close. This means the valve body is Normally Closed and the actuator would have to lift the stem up to close the valve.

Directing Acting Actuator =Stem up.  This means with an increase of air pressure the actuator will pull the stem up

Reverse Acting Actuator =Stem down. This means with an increase of air pressure the actuator will push the stem down.

So in the field if you need a normally closed pneumatic actuated valve you would need to pick an N/O valve (stem down to close) and a RA (reverse acting) actuator; this will fail closed (stem down) on a loss of air pressure. If you need a normally open pneumatic actuated valve you would need to pick an N/O valve (stem down to close) and a DA (direct acting) actuator; this will fail open (stem up) on a loss of air pressure. Having said that; remember that pneumatic valve action (not fail position) is dependent on the action (DA/RA) of the thermostat AND if you are doing cooling or heating (hot water or steam will also change things). Final selection of the pneumatic actuator will depend on the spring range you need and the body size and close off pressures needed. This paragraph applies only to Honeywell, as other manufacturers do things differently (most manufacturers have true NC and NO valves and use only DA actuators). Proper valve sizing and actuator selection is vital with today’s temperature control systems for proper control and tenant comfort. If you are unsure of which valve/actuator combination to select just call the professionals at Stromquist and we can “walk” you thru it.

Electronic Globe Style Control Valves and Actuators:

Thank goodness the valve bodies for the electronic applications are the same as the pneumatic applications so the Valve Action for the electronic control valves will remain the same as the pneumatic control valves.

Care must be taken in the selection of the spring return modulating actuator. The first consideration is the close off pressures necessary in the system so an electronic actuator with the proper torque can be selected.

As I was reading through the specification sheet of the spring return actuator I noticed in the application and features section of the sheet the statements “reverse/direction action” and “An internal selector plug can be used to reverse the direction of action.” DANGER!! DANGER !! Honeywell is NOT stating that the valve can be normally open or normally closed by changing the selector plug. The changing of the selector plug can and is used to reverse the action of the CONTROL SIGNAL only.

The decision of a normally open or normally closed valve is based on the direction the actuator drives the valve stem (up or down) on power failure.

I hope this has cleared a little of the mud away when selecting Honeywell globe valves with pneumatic and electronic actuators. Goodness knows we need our eyes clear and our hair intact.

While I was in the Orlando office the other day Pat Marley took a call from a client asking how to mount his Belimo TF series actuator to his Belimo ball valve using the WTF mounting adaptor kit. Sadly the Belimo WTF mounting adaptor kit comes with no instructions on how to undertake this proceedure. Pat, being Pat using the speaker phone walked the client through the mounting proceedures and was kind enough to walk through the installation again for my camera also so we could present this article to you… our clients.

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I hope this series of photographs takes the mystery out of installing this Belimo actuator to the Belimo ball valve. At Stromquist and Company we will continue to take the “MYSTERY” out of controls for you. If there are any more controls mysteries we can solve for you give us a call in Atlanta at 1-800-241-9471 or in Orlando at 1-800-638-7829.

The idea for this article came across my computer in the form of an e-mail sent to me by a fellow employee of Stromquist and Company with an attached photograph.

I know we all strive in our chosen industry to do things right with as much professionalism as our clients will afford us. I also realize at times even the best of service personnel will make installation mistakes. Some of these mistakes are quite humorous, some are quite expensive to fix, and some of these installations could be quite possibly dangerous.

Since the Control Trends website is duty bound to get, you our readers, the best information on new controls, controls installation, and new trends in the control industry would it not be appropriate to also show how not to install a product?

We at Control Trends will not mention anyone’s name or any company name we do this only as an insight to possible installation mistakes and how to avoid these mistakes.

This first installation is quite humorous to me and I call it “The Sunshine State Weather Protector” The beauty of Florida for me personally is the fact that I can enjoy my two favorite hobbies (photography and motorcycles) almost all year around. The enclosed installation photograph shows off Florida’s beautiful weather showing a beautiful blue sky in the background of an installation of a electronic actuator and a weather proof enclosure…

What a great photograph of a Honeywell MS series electronic actuator and a Honeywell Q5020 series linkage with weather shield. Problem…base of weather shield was left off. The base of the weather shield should be attached to the actuator plate of the linkage and the conduit should be ran through the appropriate holes provided in the weather shield this would also make that channel iron un-necessary in the installation to hold up the weather shield. Proper installation will make this actuator snug as a bug if one of those nasty little hurricanes should pop it’s ugly little head up in Florida….

This article is taken from a flyer written by Belimo about four years ago called “The Belimo Code” We thought we would revive the article to help our clients remember or for the newbie’s to learn from. This article will cover most of the Belimo actuators you will see in the field, for the others, give us a call and we will “Break the Code” for you.

The first part of the Belimo code is why Belimo? Belimo is a Swiss company so the name Belimo is derived from its Swiss meaning…

BEraten                Consulting

LIfern                    Delivering

MOntieren             Mounting

Now that we have the Belimo name code “cracked” lets breakdown the actuator codes…The first letter of the actuator code is all about TORQUE…

G             360 in-lb              G= GIANT

A             180 in-lb               A=AWESOME

A             133 in-lb               A=AWESOME

N             90 in-lb                 N=NORMAL

L              35-45 in-lb            L=LITTLE

T              18 in-lb                 T=TINY

The second letter of the actuator code is about MOTOR ACTION…

F=SPRING RETURN (on power failure the motor will return to its normal position)

M=NON-SPRING RETURN (on power failure motor will stay in its current position)

The third letter is about motor speed…note: non-spring return actuators can combine a forth letter to designate MOTOR SPEEDS…

Q=Quickest running                        (non-spring return)

C=Fast running

A=No Position Feedback              (spring return only)

No Letter= Normal Speed

B=Basic

X=Customized

Next will be a set of numbers…These numbers are about POWER SUPPLY…

24=24 VAC/DC

120= 120 VAC

230= 230VAC

After the POWER SUPPLY numbers (stick with me) are the CONTROL letters/numbers…

Blank=On/Off (spring return)

-1= on/off (non-spring return)

-3= Floating Point (spring return)

-3= On/Off, Floating Point (non-spring return)

-3-P5= On/Off, Floating Point with 5Kohm Feedback (non-spring return)

-3-P10= On/Off, Floating Point with 10Kohm Feedback (non-spring return)

-SR= 2-10 VDC

-PC= 0-20 volt (Phasecut)

-MFT= Multi-Function Technology (program what you want)

-MFT95= 0-135ohm

-MFT-20= 6-9 VDC 20 VDC power supply (spring return)

At last we have our last letter which will deal with actuator OPTIONS…

-S=Built in auxiliary switch

-T= Terminal Block

Blank=Cable Version

We have now broken ‘THE BELIMO CODE” until Belimo introduces more actuators, then we may need to add to our code breaking article. If you need Belimo actuators give us a call at Stromquist and Company @ 1-800-241-9471(Atlanta) or at 1-800-638-7828 (Florida)and we will be “Code Breakers” together.

If you know anything about Honeywell you know they are always looking for ways to make their products better. If you have been using the Honeywell Direct Coupled actuators like the ML6161 series you are really going to like the way Honeywell has rounded out their direct coupled actuator line. Utilizing a process called “ Voice of the customer”  Honeywell uses to get feed back from the market place, Honeywell has introduced

improvements on their existing direct coupled actuator line and added a whole new series of Honeywell Actuators called Zelix, the

new Zelix spring return direct-coupled actuators were designed to be small but powerful.  They are ideal for valve and damper applications that require a small footprint but lots of torque.   The light, compact package offers 27 or 44 in-lb of torque, which is 25% more than competitive models.

It doesn’t stop there though.  The Zelix actuators have a lot more going for them.  For one, to make selection easier, there are only 7 models per torque level.  With the exclusive Honeywell mode selector, one model can operate in different control modes by just turning a dial.  Another great thing is that they have a self-centering shaft adapter that grabs the shaft with one screw turn,  so you don’t have to waste time with U-bolts.   They also can save time and money during installation since they have a unique wiring access cover that eliminates the need for a junction box.

Stromquist & Company stocks the Honeywell Direct Coupled Actuators in both our Atlanta and Orlando locations. In addition to these actuators being used on damper applications many are used on Honeywell’s line of control ball valves. If you are in Georgia or Florida or are a Stromquist & Company customer please contact us at www.stromquist.com all others can purchase these great Honeywell products from one of our affiliates at Controls Group North America.

A key part of the life safety system in any building is the fire and smoke dampers. When working as designed these dampers help prevent the spread of fire and smoke throughout the building in the event of a fire.  The fire dampers usually do not have control actuators and close when  a rise in temperature to about 165 degrees causes a fusible link to open, causing the fire damper to close and stop the fire from passing through a barrier. Smoke dampers and combination dampers do have actuators like those made by Belimo.

These smoke and fire damper actuators become an important maintenance consideration because failure to

have written documentation that these actuators have been checked out and are working properly can put the building owner in a very bad position legally should there be a fire and the owner is not able to prove the actuators were working properly.

So let’s look at the smoke dampers which require a smoke damper actuator like the Belimo smoke damper actuator. A smoke damper must open and close when required to provide fresh air or to stop smoke passage. Your geographic area and the smoke control mandated by your local codes determine how you will control the smoke damper. Usually a smoke detector(s) in the duct will close the damper via the smoke damper actuator and shut down the fans. Perhaps the best way to see this is to check out this video  of a smoke damper actuated system when smoke is sensed.

Another type of fire and smoke damper you might have in your building is the combination fire and smoke damper.  These combination dampers use fire and smoke damper actuators, and just like smoke only actuators, must be tested as part of a maintenance routine. These combination dampers are fire rated and their blades must be in a barrier wall, which means the actuator cannot be in the wall. So mounting these actuators can be a little tricky in that you will need to use a jackshaft and linkage so that the actuator is connected outside the damper sleeve. Not to worry  Belimo has  great mounting instructions.

If you have tested your fire and smoke damper actuator and have found it defective or if the actuator is obsolete then you will need to replace it. Before you replace it make sure it is your actuator that is the problem and not a malfunctioning damper. If it is the damper you will need to replace the damper with a UL listed damper assembly that includes a factory installed actuator by the damper manufacturer.

If the damper is okay and you need to replace your damper actuator, then you must make sure that the mounting of the actuator does not require any changes to the damper itself. When in doubt about this contact the damper manufacturer to see if the damper needs to be replaced. Also make sure that the current draw of the actuator is the same or less than the original actuator and that the voltage and the timing are the same. Your Stromquist customer service representative can help you with this information.

You also need to be in compliance with your local code. Inspectors usually are looking for “Equal or Better” replacement actuators and actuators that are UL555S listed with the damper manufacturer. In that Belimo is one of the major suppliers of smoke and damper actuators they are a safe bet.

If you have not checked your fire and smoke dampers and actuators get on it and contact Stromquist or Belimo should you have any questions.

One of the really cool things about direct coupled actuators like those made by companies like Belimo, Honeywell, Johnson, Siemens, and Invensys TAC is that they can be usually be inter changed. Meaning if you have a 35 inch pound Belimo direct mount actuator, but there is not a Belimo 35 inch-pound direct mount actuator to be found in your city, you should be able to replace it with a Honeywell 35 inch pound direct mount actuator, or a Johnson 35 inch-pound direct mount actuator. Although each brand of actuator has it’s pros and cons they all for the most part  close in quality and value. So if you have a job that has all Belimo and you need a replacement Belimo actuator but your local distributor does not have one on the shelf and you cannot wait for a Belimo actuator to be shipped then most likely you can find a comparable Honeywell, Johnson,Siemens,or Invensys actuator to handle your emergency.

So if you are needing to replace a Belimo LMB24-3 you could go with the Honeywell ML6161B 2024, or if you had a Belimo LMB24-3-S you could replace it with the Honeywell ML7161A 2008 plus a Honeywell 201052B

You can possible even stay with the same brand actuator for example if you need to replace a Belimo LMB24-3 which is a Belimo 35 inch pound non spring return actuator but your local wholesaler only has the Belimo LMB24-3-S you are in good shape and can use the Belimo LMB24-3-S because it is the same actuator except the Belimo LMB24-3-S has an auxiliary switch on the actuator so you would not wire the auxiliary switch and you would be good to go.

When replacing a direct coupled actuator it is best to think in terms of the application not just the part number. There might be a better actuator for the application and this is where a controls specialist like those at Stromquist & Company can really help. Companies like Honeywell, Belimo, Johnson, and Siemens are constantly improving their products. A control specialist is going to want to know things like what is your actuator mounted on? How much torque do you need? What is your control signal? Is it a 4-20 ma signal or 0-10 volt signal? What size shaft is your actuator mounted on? and are you using any auxiliary switches? The good news is a complete part number will give a control specialist all this information, so you should only need to provide this on new applications or retrofits.

Stromquist has an excellent direct coupled actuator application selection guide on the Stromquist website

Master Distributors like Stromquist & Company handle all the major control lines. Stromquist & Company keeps a huge inventory of Belimo, Honeywell, Siemens, Johnson, and Invensys actuators in stock for same day pick up or same day shipping. For you convenience here is a cross reference of some of the major direct coupled actuator lines:

Stromquist_Cross Reference Guide for Belimo, Honeywell Johnson, Siemens, TAC Actuators

This cross reference comes compliments of Belimo, but the Honeywell, Johnson, Siemens, and Invensys TAC all have their own cross references and selection guides. Your best bet is to contact your controls specialist at Stromquist & Company. If you are not a Stromquist & Company customer or located in Georgia or Florida please contact one of our affiliates at Controls Group North America.