Fault codes are used on the Honeywell RM7800 series of boiler burner flame safeguard controls. These codes help the service technician identify problems that occur with the relay or the components that are wired to the relay.

These fault codes are sent to the S7800 display as so known as the KDM (keyboard display module) that can be mounted on the main RM7800 relay or remotely. The S7800 display will show operation and fault information along with other features

Over the years Stromquist and Company has been selling Honeywell controls and explaining these numeric fault codes to various clients. As luck would have it the other day I received a phone call from a client asking about a fault code that was showing up on his S7800 display. I searched the fault code references I had from Honeywell and could not locate the fault code the client was reading off the display to me. His fault code was 33Z. I have, in all my time working with clients, never saw or heard of a fault code ending with a letter value.

After several telephone calls to find an answer/solution to this problem I finally got an answer. It seems I forgot to ask one small detail about the client’s system.

When working with a RM7800 system and you get a bazaar fault code ask the client this question “Is there an S7830 Expanded Annunciator installed”. If there is a S7830 installed you need to look at the expanded fault code lists for the S7830 and there you will find the fault code number and in some cases this fault code number is followed by a letter giving you the proper diagnostic information.

I don’t know about you but this “ole dog” learned a new trick hopefully you can add this one to your bag of tricks.

More Boiler Burner Information:

http://www.controltrends.org/2011/09/rebuilt-flame-safeguard-controls-penny-wise-pound-foolish/

http://www.controltrends.org/2010/07/2061/

Starting up a variable frequency drive can be as much an art as it is a science, and because a variable frequency drive can save so much money, you are going to see them on just about any project you bid. When you are estimating a job, how much do you add for the variable frequency drive? The price of a drive is easy to figure (the price is the price), so conventional wisdom would say go with the low price drive. But is that really the smart move?
Most of the pros I know say no. Here is why: they tend to think in terms of cost to install and maintain instead of just price. Back to estimating that job… you have the price of the variable frequency drive, but how do you estimate the cost to install the drive and to commission your variable frequency drive?
Like most things in life you don’t get something for nothing, and the lower priced variable frequency drives are lower priced for a reason. It is not that they don’t do what a variable frequency drive is supposed to do.  The lower priced drives take out features that a mid priced variable frequency drive like the Honeywell Variable Frequency Drives Guide Specification include:  things like start up wizards and English language prompts on the keypads that are intuitive  and  make set up easy. How easy? Check out Brian doing a basic commissioning of the new Honeywell variable frequency drive in 36 seconds. How cool is that ?

A lower priced drive can look attractive but can take a lot longer to set up and commission. Forget about a keypad or at least forget about one that does not require you to look up code in a manual to see what each of the prompts mean. Forget about the wiring terminals being bigger and easier to wire; plan on sending your best techs out to the job and be sure to put in extra hours for the complications that can arise from being “penny wise and pound foolish.” Also, plan on spending extra time with your customers explaining how the drive works. Remember, the product you leave on the job site in many ways is a reflection of your company. I am not saying “all low price drives are a bad decision,” I am saying that you must think in terms of overall cost and not just price when it comes to which variable frequency drive you purchase.
With the new Honeywell Variable Frequency Drive your estimating is easier. Because of the easy setup wizards and the removable keypad display and the intuitive prompts, you don’t have to send your best variable frequency drive person to do start up. Also, because of the removable keypad that stores the set up parameters, you can program once take the keypad  and download the setup into other drives.
Although the Honeywell Variable Frequency Drive might not be the lowest priced drive, the smart money says it is the lowest cost drive to install and own. It is a quality product that will make your customers appreciate you for installing Honeywell.

One final thought as you are estimating your variable frequency drive job and looking for a way to lower your cost – a question you might ask is “do you really need the bypass?”  For an enlightening perspective on variable frequency drive bypasses, check this out.
Stromquist & Company is the authorized Honeywell Variable Frequency Drive distributor for Georgia and Florida and look forward to helping you with all your HVAC control and Variable Frequency Driveneeds. If you are not a Stromquist customer or are not located in Georgia or Florida one of our affiliates at Controls Group North America or a local authorized Honeywell distributor can assist you with your Honeywell Variable Frequency Drive needs.

The Honeywell T775 Series stand alone controllers have now been on the market for several years. This diverse controller offers the technician a multitude of installation options on one small package.

This controller that stands 8 inches wide by 4 inches wide can be mounted anywhere within 1000 feet of its sensor location and be purchased as a standard enclosure or a NEMA 4X enclosure.

The T775 has an EEPROM that saves all values entered. The date and time values are retained for 24 hours after power loss. After power loss of more than 24 hours values may need to be reentered.

IMPORTANT:  If a high limit set point is entered into a T775 controller this value is IRREVERSIBLE !!

Features:

Voltage: 24/120/240 note: cannot be used for DC voltages

Set Point Range: -40 to 248 F

T775A and B models:  relay outputs from 1 SPDT to 4 SPDT (no analog outputs). Sensor inputs 1 to 2. Floating outputs 0-to 2

T775M models:  Modulating with analog outputs of 2-10Vdc or 0-10 Vdc or 4-20 mA or Electronic Series 90.  Relay outputs from 0 to 4 SPDT. 2 sensor inputs

T775R models:  RESET OPTION.. 0 to 2 analog outputs 0 to 4 SPDT relay outputs. 0-2 floating outputs.

Sensors: update display and controller every 1 second

Accessories:

C7031D2003 5 inch immersion sensor with well

C7030B1009 wall mount room sensor

C7100D1001 12 inch Duct Averaging Temperature Sensor

When the need for a standalone controller presents itself think Honeywell and let Stromquist and Company help you select the right controller for your needs. Give us a call… Atlanta 1-800-241-9471 or Orlando 1-800-638-7828

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….

Why are Variable Frequency Drives like the Johnson Controls VS Series of Variable Frequency drives so popular? Well for one reason they can save a heck of a lot of money. According to Maintenance Resources a variable frequency drive can save up to 30% on energy costs. So what makes the Johnson VS series variable frequency drive so special? To begin with the size, with mechanical room space at a premium the compact size of the Johnson Controls  VS series makes it a logical choice for retrofit applications

The unique bypass configuration is also a space saver. But the compact design is not even the best part…The really cool thing about this VFD is how easy it is to set up and commission. In the video you saw just how easy it was for Mark to commission the Johnson VS variable frequency drive. If you are a mechanical contractor bidding a job this has tremendous cost and price implications . Think about it, if you are sub contracting the commissioning of the variable frequency drives because setting up a variable frequency drive was deemed to complicated, then you just found a new profit center. Why? Because of the easy to use start up wizards the Johnson Variable Frequency Drive  is really easy to set up and commission. Why pay someone else to start these variable frequency drives up when you can do it yourself and save money?

Check out Mark’s more detailed presentation on the Johnson Controls VS variable frequency drives by clicking here.

To really get good at these drives you should go to a Johnson Controls Variable Frequency Drives certification class like the ones we hold at Stromquist & Company. In addition to learning how to do more complex variable frequency drive applications you will also earn an extra years warranty on the Johnson Controls variable frequency drives that you purchase. Stay tuned at controltrends for information on the  next Johnson Controls VS series variable frequency drives class at Stromquist & Company or call Edna at 404.794.3440 to be put on a list for the next class.

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.

Belimo is offering a really cool new linkage the Belimo ZG- JSL Belimo has created the quickest install designed with ease in mind. The ZG-JSL linkage is designed to facilitate the attachment of select Belimo actuators to a damper’s jackshaft. The unique open ended design allows the linkage to clamp on to any part of a jackshaft measuring from 1/2″ to 1.05″ in diameter.Saves time and cost

The Belimo ZG-JSL linkage simplifies typical installations and eliminates the difficulties where jackshaft bearings are hard to access. By improving the method of installing actuators onto jackshafts, the installer saves on installation time translating into a cost savings. The quicker the install, the sooner the installer can move on to the next project. Now with the Belimo ZG-JSL linkage all jackshaft installations will only take minutes!Ideal for tight spaces

The Belimo ZG-JSL linkage has a built-in shaft which allows the direct coupling of Belimo actuators. The anti-rotation plate enables the installed actuator to be rotated 90 degrees for space saving applications.ZG-JSL Technical Data

Weight 3.25 lbs. Material galvanized steel Operation

The Belimo ZG-JSL linkage transfers actuator torque to the jackshaft. There is a torque reduction when using the ZG-JSL linkage with the following actuators.

* AF Series
* NFX Series
* LF Series
* AM Series
* NM Series

Ensure application requirements before ordering. Order the actuator and linkage assembled at the factory and save on cost with the Belimo ZG-JSLA option. Be sure to ask your Stromquist & Company customer service rep about this new Belimo linkage. Stromquist & Company can help you with all your Belimo and HVAC control needs.

Stromquist & Company is a stocking distributor of all types of Variable Frequency Drives in Atlanta Georgia. Since we stock different brands of Variable Frequency Drives from the Honeywell Variable Frequency Drive to the Johnson Variable Frequency Drive to the Teco Westinghouse Variable Frequency Drive we are able to look for which product provides the best value for our customer when it comes to their Variable Frequency Drive needs. In this video you will see how to save money on your variable frequency drive project by determining if you need a by pass on your variable frequency drive project
. 
As this video shows in most cases you will not need a bypass and this can and will save you big dollars on your variable frequency drive projects. Variable Frequency Drives are a great way to save money by reducing the speed of motors and pumps when they do not need to run at full capacity. To get an idea of how much you can save check out this variable frequency drive energy calculator from Honeywell. You also should check out this video on how to set up you Variable Frequency Drive with a 0-10 volt input. For all your variable frequency drive needs in Georgia and Florida contact Stromquist & Company

Over the years I have been asked how to properly pipe a steam heat exchanger. I developed the drawing below to help answer this question. There are other piping additions that can be added according to your needs, and this drawing does not cover all the additions but should serve as a good workable starting point. A few points to remember…1. A vacuum breaker and/or vent should be installed…. 2. The steam trap should be properly sized for the amount of the pounds per hour steam capacity of the heat exchanger, and the trap should be sized for the pressure at the trap not for the inlet pressure of the control valve…3. A properly sized relief valve must be installed on the hot water outlet side to protect the heat exchanger from possible damage due to volumetric expansion.

I hope this answers some questions you may have. If you need more answers please call Stromquist and Company at 1-800-241-9471, and we would be happy to finalize an answer for you.

Even with all the great new technology in HVAC controls, there are still many pneumatic buildings out there.  If you happen to be someone who has to work on pneumatic controls, you know it can be frustrating when you have a problem with the system.  Here’s a good troubleshooting procedure from Jerry Condiff, the instructor who teaches a great pneumatics class for us here at Stromquist every year.  Jerry has been in the HVAC controls field for over 30 years and really knows pneumatics.

Pneumatics Troubleshooting Procedure

Start at the thermostat or controller.  Check to see if the thermostat will put out a high pressure by turning the set point to its minimum setting.  The pressure should be high on the output gauge.  If not, try adjusting the calibration screw. 

If no air noise is distinguished, check to see if air is present in the supply line into the thermostat (this will require removing the stat from the mounting bracket). If supply air is present but there is no air bleed noise or output pressure, the restrictor is plugged or the nozzle at the bleed port is dirty.  Check and clean the nozzle or clean out the restrictor.

If there is no pressure output but air bleed noise is present, check for an air leak behind the mounting bracket.  Check the air hoses that are connected to the mounting base for deterioration.  Check Honeywell stats for broken plastic air nipples in the back of the mounting base.

If no air leaks are found, plug the branch line of the stat with a jumper hose connected from the supply line to the main or supply to the stat.  If pressure builds on the branch gauge, the branch line of the controlled device (valve, damper or pressure switch) has a leak.  You may also make up a tool consisting of two 5/32 lines and a barbed gauge tee and a 30# pressure gauge.  Connect one end of the hose to supply and the other to the branch port on the mounting base. If you do not read any pressure on the gauge, the branch line has a leak.  If pressure builds, the stat is bad and will need to be replaced.  Use a squeeze bulb and gauge to check controlled device diaphragm for leaks.  If no leaks are present, the branch line hose has a leak and needs to be replaced. 

This procedure may not cover every potential issue you run into with your pneumatic system, but it should at least be a good start, and I hope you find it helpful.  Happy troubleshooting!