Columns

• VAV Diffusers, Packaged Rooftop Units, and BAS  A “newish” concept comes out for public bid
• Client Relations – Revisited (Two of Two)  Final (?) words of wisdom
  
• Client Relations – Revisited (One of Two) More words of wisdom.
• The Transfer of Information  From one place to another…
• AHR Expo 2015 – Trends and Products  Part Two - Products
• AHR Expo 2015 – Trends and Products  Part One - Trends
• AHR Expo Rolls into Chicago  Biggest Show Ever
• The Importance of Lists  Part Four - Field Surveys continued
• The Importance of Lists - Part Three This month I share my thoughts on field surveys.
• Plans & Specifications – A Primer  Part Two - The Specs
• Plans & Specifications – A Primer  Part One – The Plans
• Operator Error  Overriding the BAS
• The Importance of Mechanical Details  The devil is in the details
• Plans & Specifications  Inconsistencies Between and Within
• The Business of HVAC Controls  A good place to be after all.
• The Importance of Lists  Part Two - Another list for another “process”.
• The Importance of Lists Part One - What’s your List Tool?
• Final Collection of Short Stories  The last batch
• Still Another Collection of Short Stories  Back to the well
• Multizone AHU Retrofit Strategies  Breathing new life into an old beast.
• Yet Another Collection of Short Stories  Keepin’ them coming
• Ten Innovations That Made Life Easier in the HVAC Controls Biz - Part Two of Two
• Ten Innovations That Made Life Easier in the HVAC Controls Biz
• And Another Collection of Short Stories   An ongoing series of tales told and lessons learned.
• New Trends and Products in HVAC Control (Part Two)  Continuation from fall 2012 column
• Another Collection of Short Stories  I present here the next installment of an ongoing periodic series of short stories pertinent to the HVAC / BAS business.
• Who’s That Knockin’ On My Pipes?  Hot water reset control to the rescue
• Client Relations – Part Two  Five more from the well.
• Client Relations – Part One Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference
• Thermostat Wars  Hostilities on the home front
• The Evolution of Electronic Controls - Part Two And then came DDC
• The Evolution of Electronic Controls – Part One From prehistory to the present-day
• Metering: The Hows & The Whys  Campus-wide metering project pays dividends
• New Trends and Products in HVAC Control Unheard of just a few short years ago
  
• Ladder Diagrams vs. Point-to-point Wiring Diagrams  The basics of electrical design and construction
  
• Back to Basics – Part Three  A collection of short stories
• Back to Basics – Part Two  A crash course in the concepts of HVAC control
• Back to Basics – Part One  The fundamentals
• Twenty Years of Controls Contracting  From pneumatics to wireless, and everything in between.
• Basic Control System Troubleshooting  More tips from Craig
• My Sensor’s Not Working!  Tips on how to troubleshoot a problem
• AHR Expo is Back in Town  My kind of town, Chicago is…
  
• Trends in HVAC Control  And bucking the trends via the BAS…?
• Cutting Corners In Control Systems Design & Installation  Half the cost, twice the problems - Half the cost, twice the problems
• BAS Interface Methods to Packaged Equipment  Can We Talk?
• Gas Detection (2 of 2) Technologies & Applications
• Gas Detection (1 of 2)  Always check to see the guidelines that any particular municipality follows, or solicit the advice of your “local expert”!
• Two Decades of Advancements in HVAC Control  Twenty years doesn’t seem that long
• Terminal Units Primer  Select the appropriate digital controller to fit the application
  
• Wireless In HVAC Controls  We’ve come a long way, baby!
• Controls Devices (3 of 3)  Rules of thumb to follow for TC installation & design
• Controls Devices (Part 2 of 3)  Rules of thumb to follow for TC installation & design
• Controls Devices (Part 1 of 3)  Rules of thumb to follow for TC installation & design
• Systems & Sequences  Waterside systems  Part 2 of 2
• Systems & Sequences   Airside systems Part 1 of 2
  
• Control System Upgrades  Determine your best path to a total system overhaul
• Hydronic Zone Controls 101  Control theory as explained through real-life experience 
• VFD Retrofit Opportunities  Variable frequency drive opportunities abound! 
• Obtaining LEED Credits With Controls  What can we do to make our facility greener? 
• The Saga of Westlake Condominiums  Never underestimate the importance of clear, honest, open, and continuous communication 
• Controls Contracting Operations: Closeout  The final steps to the completion of a successful project Part 3 of 3
• Controls Contracting Operations - Installation  Getting from point A to point B, successfully!  Part 2/3
• Controls Contracting - Operations: Preconstruction  What it takes to get the job…started!  Part 1/3
• Retrofit Strategies  What can I do to make my building more efficient? 
• Common Routines in DDC  The keys to optimization are within your reach Part 2 of 2 
• Common Routines in DDC  Let the system work for you!  Part 1 of 2 
• Understanding Specifications (3 of 3)  “The devil is in the details” 
• Understanding Specifications (Part 2 of 3)  Parts is parts, so they say 
• Understanding Specifications (1 of 3)  A breakdown of your typical temperature controls spec 
• Airflow Monitoring Techniques and technologies: the basics for beginners 
• BAS Graphics  Take a virtual tour of your building’s mechanical systems 
• Selecting Sensors for BAS  A tutorial on choosing the right temperature sensor for the right job 
• Points List Primer  A “pointed” view of hardwired I/O 
• What’s New! From This Year’s AHR Expo  Green, IAQ, BACnet, Demand Response, Wireless, to name just a few.
• AHR Expo Blows Through the Windy City  A local guy’s experiences at the Big Show 
• Control Valves – Sizing & Selection  A refresher on choosing the right valve for the right application
• Discussion on Descriptors  Commanding and confirming the operation of two-state devices 
• Cabling for DDC Systems  Specify the proper conductor sizes and cable types for your BAS project 
• Sequences of Operation  An objective look at specified descriptions of control Part 2 of 2
• Sequences of Operation  An objective look at specified descriptions of control Part 1 of 2
• Programming Methods  A historical view as seen from one perspective
• Anatomy of a Typical BAS Analysis of a hypothetical commercial office building DDC system
• Words of Wisdom  Prudent advice from the pages of Practical Controls 
• Unitary Controllers Primer  Typical applications utilizing unit (zone) level control  Part 2 of 3 
• Controls Estimating 101  A beginner’s look at labor and material estimating for plan & spec projects 
• Typical Controllers in DDC  Understand the differences in controller types and applications  Part 1 of 3
• How Safety Devices (Should?) Affect System Components  Simple, albeit important, rules of thumb regarding equipment failsafe modes  
• RTU Zoning Systems  Getting more out of your single zone constant volume rooftop units
• [an error occurred while processing this directive] Short on I/O? Try This Out!  Tricks of the trade, time-tested and industry-accepted
• Wiring For Combustion Air  Prove the presence of the combustion air source before allowing the boiler plant to operate 
• Terms & Terminologies – Avoiding Confusion  A closer look at some of the words and phrases that we sometimes take for granted
• Electric Duct Heaters – Application & Control  Avoid application errors and controllability issues when designing EDH control systems 
• Pressure Transmitters – Selection & Placement  Understand the concepts behind sizing and locating static and differential pressure transmitters
• Rooftop Unit Economizer – Operation & Control  Perform the economizer functions of a packaged rooftop unit using digital control 
• RTU Operation Via Conventional & Digital Controls Control a packaged rooftop unit with a thermostat, or digitally via a building automation system 
• Interlocking of AHU Safety Devices  Design and fabricate a control panel specifically for the safety device interlocking.

Professional Information

Steve Calabrese attended the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and graduated in 1990 with a B.S. degree in electrical engineering. He began his HVAC career as a design engineer at Air Comfort Corporation, a family-owned mechanical services company. In 1993, Steve went to work for Midwest Mechanical Construction Company, a large, full service mechanical contractor serving the greater Chicagoland area. During his eleven years there, Steve migrated through various roles as mechanical systems designer, control systems engineer, controls group manager, and engineering manager.

In 2003 Steve’s book, Practical Controls: A Guide to Mechanical Systems, was published. Steve brings his mechanical contracting experiences to this writing, and offers practical approaches to control systems issues.

In 2004 Steve left the mechanical contracting end of the industry to go to work for what is now Chicagoland’s branch office of Automated Logic Corporation. As a project manager, Steve’s day-to-day operations included engineering and estimating, control systems design and consultation, parts selection and procurement, installation management and field supervision, startup and commissioning support, and project fiscal and schedule management.

In 2008, Steve joined Control Engineering Corp. as a sales engineer, and is currently bidding projects in the retrofit/negotiated work markets, as well as the plan/spec markets.

As a member of several professional associations, Steve actively participates in local seminars and training endeavors. He attributes his HVAC knowledge and expertise to working many years for a mechanical contractor, and couples his broad mechanical knowledge and experience with a strong background in the area of electricity and electronics. You can visit his website at www.pcs-engineering.com

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