2024 Dealer Design Awards: Commercial Controls

RETROFIT KIT: The motorized balancing damper retrofit kit from Specified Controls enables contractors to convert any manual balancing damper into a fully adjustable electronic one.(Courtesy of Specified Controls)

The Gold award in the Commercial Controls category goes to Specified Controls’ motorized balancing damper retrofit kit. The kit enables contractors to convert any manual balancing damper into a fully adjustable electronic one. With just three parts — an actuator, shaft adapter, and mounting bracket — the kit is designed for quick and easy installation.

“Electronic balancing dampers are far easier and faster to set and adjust than manual dampers, which saves on both time and cost of installation,” said Aidan Crowley, product engineer at Specified Controls. “This product allows the contractor to easily convert a building’s manual balancing dampers into electronic balancing dampers retroactively. They can also use this kit to turn any specialty dampers they may have into electronic balancing dampers to comply with any specific regulations.”

The mounting bracket was designed so the distance from the damper to the actuator could be determined by the technician. This allows the kit to be used on dampers with different shaft lengths and diameters, and it also provides a layer of insulation around the damper. With electronic balancing dampers, the technician can set/adjust each damper from a port in the wall, which saves time from having to go to each damper individually and reduces the hassle from accessing hard-to-reach dampers, said Crowley. The actuators have 2 RJ11 ports that allow for plug-and-play installation and easily paralleling multiple dampers.

“While there are other electronic balancing dampers on the market, very few of these manufacturers offer their controls as a retrofit kit,” said Crowley. “The flexibility afforded by our kit sets it apart by allowing our controls to be applied to virtually any use case. It has very few parts, which makes it very easy to assemble, and it can still fit more applications than similar products.”

Clark Godwin, who works in commercial sales at Newcomb and Company in Raleigh, North Carolina, appreciates the robust construction of the damper, as well as how simple it is to use. “The dampers allow for an easy installation in the field, and the controller dial makes it extremely easy for test and balance techs to adjust the air volume.”

Godwin also appreciates the damper’s Cat 5 control, which he said allows for precise control and eliminates the difficulties of the traditional cable damper, which limits cable length and can be difficult to operate.

“In a recent project, we had multiple pieces of air distribution above a sheet rock ceiling and did not have a way to get back to a manual damper to properly balance these grilles,” said Godwin. “An access door would not have worked with the architectural design, so we opted to use these dampers. They allowed us to run the cables to a central location that was easily accessible, which allowed the test and balance techs to perform their job with ease.”

Two years of research went into the design of the retrofit kit, which included conducting surveys with customers and incorporating their feedback as a part of the product development process. Crowley added that they tested the kit with various damper models to ensure it is compatible with nearly any product a contractor might use.

CONDENSING UNIT CONTROL: The KE2 Condensing Unit Control is designed for low- and medium-temperature refrigeration applications using a remote condensing unit with a single compressor. (Courtesy of KE2 Therm Solutions)

The Silver award goes to KE2 Therm Solutions’ KE2 Condensing Unit Control, which is designed for low- and medium-temperature refrigeration applications using a remote condensing unit with a single compressor. It can act as a stand-alone controller, or in conjunction with the KE2 Evap OEM evaporator controller.

As a stand-alone controller, it will turn the compressor on and off based on suction pressure, providing an accurate and reliable digital low-pressure control. When used in conjunction with the KE2 Evap OEM controller, additional features are enabled, including the patent-pending “Low Ambient Start” feature, which allows the suction pressure to temporarily dip below the standard cut-out pressure during startup.

“This is critical with the newer refrigerants such as R-448A and R-449A, as well as A2Ls, which have lower recommended low-pressure cut-ins and cut-outs, and smaller pressure differentials, as well as in geographic areas that experience low-ambient conditions,” said Mark Reichenbach, product manager at KE2 Therm Solutions. “It’s difficult to set a mechanical or even simple digital low-pressure switch correctly with these new refrigerants without short cycling, or setting the cut-in too high where the system will sit waiting for the room to warm up before the compressor kicks on. The Low Ambient Start feature eliminates these issues.”

Three years of research went into the research and design of the Condensing Unit Control, which included extensive testing and “tweaking of the controller firmware on our lab equipment,” said Reichenbach. “Several of our customers that manufacture condensing units also spent several months to over a year testing it in their labs. We also had several customers who retrofitted it onto their existing units in the field and provided feedback on the control.”

Future plans for the Condensing Unit Control include an auxiliary board that will monitor compressor and condenser fan currents for enhanced protection of the system and insight into the components, especially when looking at the system remotely. The company also plans to release an auxiliary board to control a digital compressor, allowing the controller to be used on a wider range of condensing units.