Control Trends by Stromquist

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 drive 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.

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 Drive needs.

Although we mainly focus on building automation and industrial wireless control products I am very impressed with the Honeywell Wireless Thermostat and the Red Link wireless technology that makes it all work. As one of the authorized stocking distributors for the Honeywell Wireless thermostat in Georgia and Florida all I can say is WOW, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words so check out this video
I think you will agree there is a wireless thermostat and then there is the HONEYWELL WIRELESS THERMOSTAT.If you like what you see check out Stacie’s post on the Honeywell Focus Pro, and how to install a Honeywell Wireless Thermostat.

Stromquist & Company can take care of all your wireless thermostat needs in Georgia and Florida. If you are not a Stromquist & Company customer or are located in Georgia or Florida one of our affiliates at Controls Group North America can take care of your wireless thermostat 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

Honeywell’s newest thermostat, the Prestige, is the first high-definition, full-color thermostat. It redefines not only how a thermostat looks but also what it can do.

• Simple Touchscreen Technology — no hidden doors or complex buttons
• High-Definition, Color Display — visual clarity of the display is 3 times better than typical thermostats
• Graphics — uses a graphical user interface to display information in a way that’s easy to understand
• User Friendly — consumers rated up to 10 times easier to use than other thermostats
• Tri-Lingual — English, Spanish and French installation and display options
• Temperature Control On-Demand — sense and remotely adjust temperature from anywhere in the home
• Added Information — outdoor temperature and humidity displayed on screen

A Prestige thermostat installs in minutes and programs itself. The patented, interview-based setup screens use natural language to ask questions like “How many stages of heating are you running?” to guide installers through setup with no need for an installation manual. The same interview process is used for homeowner setup. After the questions are answered, the thermostat programs itself. If there are problems, the on-board manual gives definitions and directions for every screen.

Another great feature of the Prestige is the ability to download information. After installing Prestige for a specific type of equipment, simply download the settings to a standard USB drive and transfer them to all future jobs where you use Prestige with the same type of equipment.

While Prestige thermostats are wired, they are enabled with RedLINK™ Wireless Technology inside to offer endless possibilities for controlling and monitoring comfort with Honeywell system enhancements like the Portable Comfort Control, Wireless Outdoor Sensor and TrueSTEAM™ Humidification System.

Stromquist & Company is committed to saving our customers energy. Our part is to provide great control solutions from companies like  Tridium, Honeywell and Johnson Controls. Did you know how much money you could save ??? Check this video out and see

Stromquist & Company works with the tridium niagara open framework bring building owners intergration solutions through our contractor partners. It has gone from just open HVAC control systems to intergrating lighting and access controls. Check out this video to get a feel for where the controls industry is heading it is amazing.

Stromquist & Company the Maxon Representative  in Georgia is pleased to present this video on the Maxon Smart Link. The Smart Link is a way to percisely control the fuel air ratio saving energy by reducing the amount of fuel used. If you are in Georgia please contact us at www.stromquist.com to find out how we can save you energy.

Stromquist & Company founded in 1951 is the Maxon Representative in Georgia provide energy saving burner solutions to industry. Maxon is the quality producer of process burners, check out this video to learn more about Maxon’s history.

Thank you to our friends at E & H for this great video that explains how a thermal mass flow meter works. For your flow needs remember Stromquist & Company

Stromquist & Company would like to thank our friends at E & H for this outstanding video showing how an ultrasonic flow meter works.