“Gee.. . I didn`t know Kele had those!”

®
Insights
Volume 19
. .
Issue 3 Spring 2010
Just this week, I helped a long-term (20-years plus) Kele customer
choose a temperature sensor for a severe application. She had to
monitor battery acid temperature, and the ST-R91R from Precon
was the perfect solution. Before hanging up the phone, she just
happened to mention,
“All I have left to buy for this job are enclosures.
I wish Kele sold those too, it would save me lots
of time if I could just add them to my Kele order.”
I asked her to turn to page 233 in her 2010 Kele catalog and
tell me what sorts of enclosures she needed, and she replied,
“ Gee.. .
I didn’t know
Kele had those!”
She called back later in the day and asked for me again. This time, she had a list of enclosures she needed,
but two of them were Hoffman enclosures she couldn’t find in our catalog. She asked me to recommend
a place to get these two oddball boxes. “Read me the model numbers,” I said. “We can add them to your
order, no problem.” “I didn’t know Kele had those!” she said for the second time in one day.
One of the most oft-repeated comments from our customers is, “I didn’t know Kele had [virtually any
BAS, electrical, or physical security product]!” We hear this phrase more frequently each year as our
service and stock continue to grow. Let’s face it, our 1,000-page catalog makes it a challenge to grasp
the complete breadth of Kele’s product offering. It may also come as a surprise to hear our product
offering extends way beyond what’s in the Kele catalog.
continued on page 2
On the Inside
For the Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Fundamental Fred . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Smoke and Fire Dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Power Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Shop Talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Contractor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
New Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Continued from page 1
Kele supplies in-stock product and technical
support from over 250 manufacturers.
For most of these manufacturers, Kele can
supply you not only what you see in our
catalog, but also almost everything else
those manufacturers make.
The high sales volume that we do for these
manufacturers also guarantees us the ability
to give you competitive pricing. In many cases,
Kele’s price is the lowest you’ll find anywhere.
So, why don’t we put everything we sell in our
catalog? Place your Kele catalog on your desk,
then stack the following catalogs on top of it:
Honeywell, JCI, Penn, Schneider, Siemens, KMC,
ACI, BAPI, Hoffman, Functional Devices, United
Electric, Belimo, Hoffman, Dwyer – you get the
idea. There are literally hundreds more that you
could stack up, and you can get anything in that
tower of books with a simple call to Kele. As
much as we admire International Paper and our
printing partners, we just can’t give them that
much business. Our forests are a consideration,
as well. We save trees by only including the
most popular products in our printed catalog.
Imagine. . .
a 4G nest built just
For the Birds
Well, it’s certainly next-gen in bird-nest technology.
Researchers in Singapore are working to
discover the root cause of infant mortality in
the Asian Pied Hornbill population. Doing so
involves monitoring and recording temperature,
humidity, oxygen level, and carbon dioxide level
within the hatchlings’ house. Kele Singapore
and Vaisala have pitched in to help.
The entire three-month breeding period will
be documented and filmed, and hopefully the
issues will be identified. It wasn’t too long
ago that the Asian Pied Hornbill was headed
rapidly toward extinction. Kele and Vaisala are
proud to be a part of the research that will help
these beautiful birds continue their comeback.
In sum, always call Kele first. If you don’t see
it in the Kele catalog, there’s still a mighty
good chance we can help you out.
Price the Project,
Not the Parts!
If you aren’t taking advantage
of Kele’s Project Pricing, you’re
probably losing bids to your
competitors who do!
Give us the entire bill of materials for your project,
and let one of our Project Pricing experts show
you how much you can save over shopping with
multiple suppliers. Kele wants to be your ONLY
supplier, and if you give us a chance – you’ll
see that we can make it worth your while.
If there are items on your project bill of materials
that you don’t see in the Kele catalog, call us
anyway and tell us what they are. The odds
are we can supply them all and beat all comers
on the bottom line. Kele Project Sales can save
you money and make it easy at the same time.
Pick up the phone and call Kele Project Sales at:
888-584-6167
2
Kele Insights Spring 2010
Researchers attend to an Asian Pied Hornbill intelligent nest in the Pulau Ubin National Park.
The project is a collaboration of the Singapore National Parks Board, Jurong Bird Park,
and Nanyang Technological University.
In degrees F:
Tdew = Tambient – ((100 - RH%) / 2.78)
In degrees C:
Tdew = Tambient – ((100 – RH%) / 5)
Example (80°F, 80% RH):
Tdew = 80°F – ((100 – 80% RH) / 2.78)
Tdew = 72.8°F (actual dew point for those conditions is 73.3°F)
Simplified Dew Point Calculation
Valid ±2°F (±1°C) for temperatures 45° to 90°F (7° to 32°C) and relative humidity above 50%.
Fred does the Dew
What is dew point, and what does it matter?
Dew point is the temperature to
which a given parcel of air must
be cooled, at constant barometric
pressure, for the water vapor in that
air to condense into liquid water.
For example, let’s say we hear from the weather
service that the air outside is 80°F and the dew
point is 70°F. If nothing happens to change the
water vapor content or the pressure of the air,
and it cools down to 70°F after sundown, water
vapor will begin to condense in the air. We call
this phenomenon fog.
For another example, consider the same weather
condition – 80°F outside with a 70°F dew point.
This time, we won’t wait for the temperature to
drop and make fog. Instead, we’ll walk right up
to an outdoor soft drink machine and purchase
a can of our favorite fizzy beverage. When it
drops out of the machine, we pick it up and
immediately notice that the outside of the can
is dripping wet. That’s because the can of soda is
probably about 40°F, much lower than the 70°F
dew point of the air. Any air that comes in contact
with our cool, refreshing drink will immediately
be chilled below the dew point and its water vapor
will condense on the can. When it happens on a
hard surface, we usually call this condensation,
as opposed to fog that hangs in the air. It coats
any object that is cooler than the dew point
of the air that surrounds it. There is one other
term for water materializing from thin air due
to temperature changes, and it is the term for
which the dew point is named. When it happens
outdoors on the grass and flowers during the
night, we call it dew.
Fog, condensation, and dew are all formed by
the same mechanism. Now that we know how
that mechanism works, how does it apply to BAS
systems? Here is one way to apply a dew point
sensor to prevent problems. Imagine a school
building in a humid climate, maybe along the Gulf
Coast somewhere. After a warm spring weekend
with all the air conditioning systems shut down
to save energy, it wouldn’t be unusual to find that
some of the perimeter classrooms are at about
the same condition that we discussed above –
80°F and 70°F dew point. What do you think will
happen when the air conditioning starts on Monday
morning and begins blowing chilled supply air into
those rooms? If supply air temperature is very far
below the dew point (more than 5 to 10°F or so,
depending on velocity), the air diffusers may get
cold enough that their surface temperature drops
below the dew point. If so, they’ll behave just like
our soda can did in the second example. At the
very least, they will mist up and eventually corrode.
If conditions are worse, they will become covered
in condensation and drip on whatever happens to
be under them. An easy way to prevent this is
to monitor the space dew point with a GE DP4A
or Telaire 9002 dew point sensor – and use the
information to reset supply air temperature higher
during morning cool-down. As the space gets
cooler and the air conditioning system removes
moisture from the air, the dew point will drop
and the supply air temperature can be lowered
in a controlled manner toward normal. At typical
occupancy conditions, say 75°F and 50% RH,
the dew point is 55°F, so condensation doesn’t
present an issue for supply air temperatures
above about 50°F.
Telaire 9002
Dew Point Sensor
GE DP4A
Dew Point Sensor
The quick background on sensors is that dew
point, temperature, and humidity are all related.
If we know any two of those three values for
a given parcel of air, the third value can be
calculated or found on a chart. This is the
science of psychrometrics. Dew point sensors
generally contain both an accurate humidity
or moisture level sensor and a high-precision
temperature sensor. These values are used to
compute dew point in an embedded computer.
We won’t get into the really complicated math
that’s involved in calculating accurate dew point
values for a wide range of conditions. However,
the simplified formula shown on my chalkboard
will give you a pretty good (±2°F or ±1°C)
estimate of dew point as long as the relative
humidity is above 50% and the temperature
is in the range of 45° to 90°F (7° to 30°C).
Now you know about dew point. Call Kele for
the dew point sensors you need to keep your
customers dry and comfortable. Or, log in and
try the LIVE SUPPORT link at www.kele.com –
choose technical support and chat in real time
with Kele’s experienced team. We make it easy!
Kele Insights Spring 2010
3
Put a
Damper
on smoke
If you’ve been in the BAS business for more
than a couple of years, you’ve probably run
into a smoke damper or combination fire and
smoke damper that caused you some grief.
One common occurrence is finding a smoke
damper closed with a dead motor after hours of
tracing out why a zone had no airflow. Another is
making a service call to “replace a faulty actuator”
and finding out it’s on a smoke damper when you
arrive – with somebody else’s name brand on it.
You end up referring the customer to a competitor
and wasting a trip. Now you can turn either of those
two situations into a profitable job, courtesy of Kele.
The UL Standard for Smoke Dampers (UL 555S)
covers the majority of what we find in smoke control
products. The UL Standard for Fire Dampers (UL 555)
covers combination smoke and fire dampers, which
must meet applicable provisions of both standards.
Neither of these standards precludes field replacement
or substitution of actuators, as field service is not
covered within the scope of the UL certification.
The most important criterion is that replacement is
accomplished “…in accordance with the damper
manufacturer’s normal field servicing program.*”
and fire
Smoke dampers are part of life safety
systems. Now, let’s get back to your
opportunity and run some rough numbers.
Let’s assume there are three million of these
actuated dampers out there and because
they are regularly tested (they are, right?),
maybe three percent of them don’t work.
That would equal about 90,000 units/year
that need to be replaced – and that might be
a conservative number. If the average market
price were about $180.00 plus labor, the market
opportunity would be well over $16 million,
and it’s growing! Got your attention?
MS4209
MS4120F
ML4115B
Because our goal is to make it easy for you, our customer,
we have the most popular models of fire/smoke actuators
from Belimo and Honeywell in-stock and ready to ship.
Give us a call (or an e-mail, or a chat…), we’re staffed
6:30 AM to 7:00 PM Central Standard Time. We would
also like to thank our partners, Honeywell and Belimo,
for their support with this article.
Figure 1 – Combination Fire & Smoke
Damper with Reset (courtesy of Belimo)
Depending on which marketing report you read,
or who you talk to, there are millions (perhaps
even as many as tens of millions) of smoke and
combination fire/smoke dampers installed in the
field today. They are actuated (unlike fire dampers,
which are held open with a fusible link and rarely
actuated), and codes require that all life safety
systems be maintained in proper operating order.
• There are many variations and you will
probably come across some real challenges.
Most current models have a thermal disc
sensor, or a fusible link and shaft spring
(Lloyd, some Nailor). Older models have
dual spring (Greenheck, Prefco, Safe Air,
NCA), single spring with fusible link (Pottorf,
some Ruskin, some Air Balance) or single
spring with thermal disc sensor (Ruskin,
some Air Balance).
*UL Marking and application guide, dampers for fire barrier
smoke applications & ceiling dampers (April 2003)
• If you are not sure what needs to be done, take some notes,
take some good pictures and send them to Kele. We have plenty
of in-house expertise, helpful literature, and we partner with all the leading
fire/smoke damper actuator manufacturers so we can get you what you need.
4
Kele Insights Spring 2010
FSAF24
Where to start?
• Familiarize yourself, and your team, with the
smoke damper codes and local codes. Take
a look at UL555, UL555S and research the
local practices. NFPA 80 and NFPA 105 are
applicable to dampers and doors; get a copy
and review them.
• Know your specific job’s control system sequence
and smoke damper specifics (dimensions, torque,
make, UL label, etc); estimate the scope of the
repair/replace project.
FSLF120
• Discuss the technical situation and the specific
application with the Authority Having Jurisdiction
(AHJ), the local Fire Marshal, and the building
inspectors. Assure them that the work will be
done in accordance with local codes and “…in
accordance with the damper manufacturer’s
normal field servicing program.*”
• Get the model number and any available
information on the actuator being replaced.
You may be able to replace it with a like-for-like
model or you may need to replace it with new.
Actuator replacement really starts with the
damper, not the actuator. The same old motor
can be applied in several ways, depending on
the spring, thermal disc, etc. You will come
across some very old models that cannot be
directly replaced with a like actuator because
they are no longer made or do not meet the
new UL standards.
FSAF24-BAL-S
• If the actuator has an internal or external spring
(like the one shown in Figure 1), and there is a
separate thermal sensor/high limit switch with
reset, you should be able to replace the
spring/actuator with a new model.
Power
Move
Don’t leave out
the PowerTrak!
The requirement for electric
kWh metering of individual
pieces of equipment above
a certain size is coming.
All the latest proposals for enhanced energy
conservation codes contain provisions for
monitoring consumption to validate efficiency.
The Kele PowerTrak Series of power monitoring
solutions is ideal for almost any application.
The PowerTrak comes in its own NEMA 1 or
NEMA 3R steel enclosure and has an optional
self-contained CT shorting assembly, so there’s
no need to purchase additional enclosures or
switches like you do with competitive models.
The PowerTrak’s unique auto-configuration
feature eliminates guesswork and re-wiring of
CTs to correct mistakes. The PowerTrak recognizes
incorrect CT polarity and any mismatched phases,
shows you what’s wrong, and then automatically
corrects for it – no re-wiring needed! For total
installed cost, it’s hard to beat Kele’s PowerTrak
system. Call us and find out how you can benefit!
PowerTrak Series
• If there are dual springs, one for the fusible link
and one for the actuator (older models including
Greenheck), you should be able to remove the
actuator and its spring while leaving the fusible
link and its spring in place.
• Old dampers that use cables and pulleys
generally must be replaced entirely; you
can’t simply replace the actuator.
Kele Insights Spring 2010
5
Q&A From the Field
SHOPTALK
Q: My customer’s BAS installation includes
sensing combustible gas in a storage
area. My quandary is that they have a
number of different combustibles in
there, any one of which might leak.
The list includes propane, gasoline,
heptane, ethylene, and something I
can’t pronounce or spell that smells a
lot like turpentine. Can I get a sensor
that will do double duty? I need to
alarm and ventilate based on any
combustible approaching its lower
explosive limit (LEL), but I also need
to alert the maintenance staff as to
which one of the various containers
is the culprit.
Call Kele with a complete list of what may be
present (you’ll have to do better than “smells like
turpentine”) and we’ll investigate whether such
a calibration can be safely accomplished. The
explosionproof GMT Series can be calibrated
for nearly any combustible, it’s a reliable and
effective solution for many such applications.
A: First of all, NO SMOKING in that room, and
no looking for leaks with a lighted match!
Second, stop sniffing that stuff. As for your
automation goals, we’re afraid you’re going
to have to lower your sights a bit unless your
customer has some really deep pockets.
Combustible gas sensors are based on either
a pellistor (catalytic combustion sensor) or a
broadband infrared detector. Either of these
will respond to any combustible hydrocarbon
that is present. They can’t discriminate
between different types of combustible gases.
Furthermore, they must be calibrated for a
specific gas in order to give a meaningful
output. The only machine we are aware of
that can tell you which type of hydrocarbon
is being sensed is a gas chromatograph. This
is a very expensive option that typically has
too slow of a response time to be useful
in explosion prevention.
Q: I have been tasked with controlling
an existing mess of valves that have
“phase cut” inputs. Where do I start?
However, if you can identify every possible
source of combustibles, it is sometimes (but
not always) possible to calibrate a sensor to
alarm on the worst-case gas. In other words,
its output may be calibrated to alarm at
25 percent of one combustible’s LEL, but
its response to other gases will produce an
alarm somewhere below their 25-percent
LEL point, thus covering all possibilities.
A final point is to make sure your customer
understands all the implications of storing those
chemicals in an enclosed space. Be certain that
the installation is in compliance with NFPA 30
(Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code), and
check with your local fire prevention bureau to
see if any additional local codes and ordinances
apply. Then call Kele for the widest selection
of gas sensors in the industry!
A: You started at the right place, with a call
to Kele! The phase cut signal is sort of the
Bermuda Triangle of the building automation
industry. Everyone has heard of it, and
everyone wants to avoid it. However, it
seems like no matter what you do, you are
going to run into this system at some point
in your career. But just like the Bermuda
Triangle, there is almost always a way out.
Kele Insights Spring 2010
As you can see, it’s not a matter of wiring up
an analog voltage signal and moving along
to the next job. Kele offers a way out of this
Bermuda Triangle, though: the Siemens
Model UA9 Phase Cut Transducer.
This handy device takes a 0-10 VDC signal,
electrically isolates it, and converts it to a
proportional 0-20V phase cut signal that can
drive the standard line of Staefa products.
Or, if it still seems like you are in a nose dive
with all gauges spinning uncontrollably, there
is an alternative. Kele also has valve retrofit
adaptor kits that can get you out of the phase
cut triangle for good. Call Kele, or log onto
www.kele.com and choose technical support
from the live support menu for help and
advice on your particular application.
We’re here to make it easy for you.
Phase cut is a full-wave rectified AC voltage output that is chopped to represent a 0 to 100 percent
signal as shown in the diagram below. The output can thus be read with a DC voltmeter.
V
0
100%
75%
50%
Time
6
This odd-looking signal comes in many varieties.
The standard output ranges (classified according
to the nominal voltage that one would measure
at input terminals) are as follows:
2 to 10V phase cut for damper actuators
6 to 18V phase cut for Staefa magnetic valves
1 to 17V phase cut for Staefa AM1S valves
0 to 20V phase cut for full-scale devices
25%
Q: I have to measure chilled water flow
in a pipe that’s sized for lots of future
growth. The maximum flow for the
next several years will only be about
70 GPM, but the pipe is six inches in
diameter. Thus, my maximum velocity
is less than 0.8 feet per second.
How can I measure this low velocity
accurately and with a reasonable
turndown? I’d like to stick with the
Badger 200 Series flow sensor. I’ve
used them hundreds of times and
found them to be extremely reliable.
A: Make the velocity higher. If accurate flow
measurement is important, find a short run
of pipe that can be replaced with a smaller
diameter pipe and a couple of bell reducers.
To get full accuracy and good turndown with
a 200, you’d ideally like to have a maximum
velocity of 25 to 30 feet per second (note:
this will be very noisy, we’re assuming this
will be in a mechanical room). For your
70 GPM case, that works out to be a really
good fit for 1” schedule 40 steel pipe. The
maximum velocity will then be 25.9 feet
per second, and you can take advantage
of almost all the available turndown of the
200 Series flow sensor. To get 10 straight
diameters upstream and downstream,
you only need about two feet of pipe.
The pressure drop will be small too, for
this short run, only about 2 psid.
If someone objects to this
small pressure drop, step
a size up. Install 1-¼”
pipe. The pressure drop
for your two-foot piece
will reduce to only 0.5
psid, and you’ll still be
able to get about 15 feet
per second velocity.
Badger 200 Series
Flow Sensor
Contractor’s
Corner
with Brandy Davis, Business Development Specialist
Shout Out
to Contractors and Suppliers
working in Divisions 16 and 26.
I pose a few “Did you know” questions...
• Did you know Kele is the leading supplier of Building Automation Products, Services
and Solutions for the BAS industry AND we offer thousands of products, services and
solutions for other divisions as well?
• Did you know Kele has access to millions upon millions of products from
250+ manufacturers, with many including lines of electrical products?
• Did you know we recently mailed the 2010 Kele catalog, which contains 24 sections
of products that you use every day for service, maintenance, retrofit, or new install?
When you need electrical products – wire, cable, conduit fittings, hangers, switches,
receptacles, plugs, safety switches – there’s a section for that! Look for
Electrical Wiring Materials.
When you need panel fabrication material – fuses, switches, terminal blocks, pilot lights,
wire duct, ties, rings, J-hooks, clamps, wire ties – there’s a section for that! Look for
Panel Fabrication.
When you need lighting control products – occupancy sensors, time clocks, photo
switches, lighting panels, lighting relays, daylight controllers, pulse initiators and
addressable switches – there’s a section for that! Look for
Lighting.
When you need specialty sensors, VFDs, valve or damper actuators, wireless transmitters,
power monitoring devices, transformers and power supplies, relays
and contactors, tools and test equipment… Call Kele!
There’s a section for that!
Oh, and by the way, there are over 1,000 pages in the 2010
Kele Catalog. Take a peek, you might be surprised! Call me
to discuss how Kele can make it easy for you… Let’s Talk!
888-397-5353, ext. 3870
Kele Insights Spring 2010
7
New Stuff!
If you haven’t looked through the
Gas and Specialty Sensors section
of the new 2010 Kele Catalog,
take some time to do it now.
HD400 Heavy-Duty
Light Meter
New from Kele! Extech HD400
advanced light meter
• Range to 40,000 fc or 400,000 lux
• Built-in USB port
• Heavy duty rugged housing
• Perfect for daylighting and
dimming analysis
Siemens
Zone Valves
HD400 Meter
Page 975
Model 380
BTU Meter
New from Kele! Badger
380 Series BTU meters
• Pulse, Modbus, or
BACnet output
• ¾” to 2” pipe sizes
• Compatible with
potable water and glycol mixtures
• Fits within a standard 2x4 stud wall
599 Series
Page 183
380 Series
New from Kele!
Reliable Siemens 599
Series zone valves
• Visual position
indication
• Actuators install
on valve bodies
without tools
• Simple hex wrench
manual override
• Outstanding quality
at competitive prices
Kele has always been your source for the
widest selection of gas sensors anywhere,
and it just keeps getting better. We’ve added
over 20 new lines of gas sensing products this year,
and they’re in stock and ready to ship. Best of all,
each one comes with Kele technical and application
support to help you meet your customer’s specifications. Don’t have your 2010 Kele catalog? Call today
and get one on the way!
Tri-Sense Carbon
Dioxide Monitors
New from Kele! Kele KTS
Series three-in-one sensors
• CO2, CO, and RH or CO,
RH, and VOC sensing
all in one unit
• Factory calibrated
• Attractive package
• LED status indication
KTS Series
Pages 325/326
Page 275
Kele Carbon
Monoxide Sensors
KCOP Series
Instapanels Save
Time and Money
Pages 301/302
New from Kele!
Kele KCOP Series carbon
monoxide sensors
• 4-20 mA or dual relay
outputs available
• Factory calibrated
• Low temperature
option available
• Replaceable sensor
New from Kele! NSTA Series Instapanels,
controller-ready!
• Three popular sizes of NEMA 1 enclosure
• Choice of tan or grey finish
• Fused primary, secondary,
and convenience outlet included
• High and low voltage
compartments separated
• Designed for a wide variety of controllers
NSTA Series
Pages 235/236
Browser
Now, TRION Integrates with AUTOPHOS!
BAS Workstation
New from Kele! Kele TRION access control now integrates
with AUTOPHOS lighting control systems
HTTP, XML, Lonworks, BACnet, SNMP, oBIX
• Niagara-based TRION access controls now directly
integrate with AUTOPHOS lighting controls
• BACnet, LONWorks, Modbus and oBIX communication
• Integrate with virtually any automation system
• Intuitive, guided setup wizard
• Much, much more!
For information or pricing on any of the products showcased in
this issue, or to download product data sheets, contact Kele at
®
www.kele.com
TRION Jace
Lighting
Chiller
PIR
Reader
Thermostats
REX
Phone: 888-397-5353 • Fax: 800-284-5353 • E-mail: info@kele.com
International Phone: 001-901-382-6084 • Fax: 001-901-388-1697
Questions or Submissions for Kele Insights? E-mail Dave Weigel, Editor, at dave.weigel@kele.com
© 2010 Kele, Inc. All rights reserved. The Kele name and logo are registered trademarks of Kele, Inc. 06/10/53M Job No. 7879
8
Kele Insights Spring 2010