AutomatedBuildings.com Article - NOTIFACT Wireless Monitoring


Combining Wireless Technology and Internet -- Seamlessly Notifact System Brings Hidden HVAC Activity into View	David Sandelman Vice President Notifact

History is filled with examples of the quest to obtain more information about an activity or situation that is hidden from view. That's because "more information" often proves extremely valuable when it warns of impending inconvenience, danger or even disaster. The proverbial ear to the ground. Ships sailing in the black of night, seeking the golden beacon of a lighthouse on shore. The gas gauge in cars. All effective ways of noting important facts and avoiding danger or at least inconvenience, by means other than the naked eye or first-hand experience. Today most warning signals are much more sophisticated, yet the motivation for them remains much the same. For a mechanical contractor or the facilities manager for a building of 20,000 sq. ft. or more, the "danger" might be the dreaded downtime of hvac equipment. If that's the case, warning signals that could help such an individual maintain hvac equipment productivity, and provide better service, are highly prized.

The installation process is straightforward: The contractor simply connects the appropriate Notifact unit to the piece of hvac equipment. The contractor then configures his custom message delivery profile on the secure Notifact.com web site. After a Notifact transceiver first sends its signal to a cellular telephone site, it is received at the Notifact server, and then routed to its final destination (cell phone, pager, fax or e-mail). This set-up, and others like it, allow the contractor to monitor multiple pieces of hvac equipment in multiple locations across North America.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]Constant Contact with All Equipment

Many events or conditions that occur in the operation of hvac equipment can serve to warn something is amiss. Yet developing conditions usually remain hidden from view until a more serious equipment failure exposes the problem. Unfortunately, at that point, the contractor's reputation and business also may be at risk. But the Notifact system puts the contractor or facilities manager in the driver's seat by keeping him in constant contact with all hvac equipment. That helps the contractor address the problem before his customer even knows about it, fixing small problems before they become major repairs. Plus, time is never wasted on routine trips when everything is functioning smoothly. Since the "time is money" maxim still holds true, now more than ever, the potential savings loom large for a contractor who takes advantage of the additional information Notifact can deliver round the clock. With specific information in hand, the contractor also can dispatch the best-qualified and most appropriate technician to the job site. Every Notifact message contains the location of equipment, make, model, serial number and a description of the problem. No longer will a licensed refrigeration technician have to make the trip when Notifact's message indicates that the only need is an air filter change. As a result, Notifact puts at the contractor's fingertips the type of valuable information that can help him manage his business better, produce greater customer satisfaction, and better service. In the process, the Notifact monitoring system fills the natural human urge to obtain more information about activities that are hidden from view - not only helping contractors avoid inconvenience, but also helping lead them to better ways of doing business and providing service in the light commercial hvac industry. For more information about Notifact, visit the company's web site at www.notifact.com.

Figure 1 (graphic): The wireless flow of "diagnostic information" that the Notifact monitoring system provides contractor-customers traces an invisible trail from the Notifact unit -- installed on a rooftop ac unit, chiller, boiler or other piece of hvac equipment - to a mobile phone system tower, to the Notifact server, and then to the contractor the way he wants it -- by cell phone, pager, fax or e-mail.

Figure 2 (product): The Notifact monitoring unit, for installation on a rooftop unit, chiller, boiler or other piece of hvac equipment, is customized for each of those pieces of equipment by a message profile that provides a contractor with a report on the specific conditions and parameters he wants to monitor on behalf of his customers.

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