- Joined
- Feb 24, 2018
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- 1,044
Work lately has been brutal, we got the contract to install a digital control system on a series of boilers in a hospital management group. We started the first of 3 units in one of the satellite facilities. I had to strip out and Allen-Bradley based PLC control, that has never worked correctly in its 12-13 year existence. The problem for them is two-fold, first its far too complicated for the actual need and is way over the heads of the facilities’ maintenance personnel, secondly, the system is rated for a max temperature of the equipment of 120F and the temperature at the control cabinet was about 118F over the last 2 weeks.
I had to remove the A-B PLC, and about 75% of the wiring to get down to the bare necessities, where we could start the new install. So after 2 weeks, roughly 1700 feet of wire, the new control parts, the new ABB VFD and numerous brackets. The new control system is up and running. I had to install a small control cabinet A/C system, that keeps all the contents of the control cabinet at a approximate 90F temperature.
This week is the run/teething phase of the job, the unit needs to run properly before we can start the second unit, planned for a Monday 8/24/20 start.
While this is a much smaller boiler, this job is going to be much more complicated, the first unit had the highly complex control system, but had a very accurate wiring diagram, the other two identical units, also have a complex control system, but of a different manufacture, that is no longer supported by the manufacturer/seller and there is no known wiring diagram, as the seller (no longer in business) refuse to supply one, saying it way too complicated and they would not understand the wiring diagram, so your not getting one.
I made a wiring diagram for the first boiler, that now is in the hands of the drafting department and should be rendered for final approval sometime next week.
Because of the heat in the boiler room, in the last 3 weeks, since we started this job, I probably have not consumed as much water in such a short time, in my whole life. I have been averaging about 3 bottles of water an hour, or about a case a day and not surprisingly bathroom breaks have been few and far between. I’ve also probably not sweated and much as I have during this period of time. The current heat wave seems to have broken, the forecast for next week is for more usual daytime temperature, roughly 10-15 degrees cooler than it has been.
I had to remove the A-B PLC, and about 75% of the wiring to get down to the bare necessities, where we could start the new install. So after 2 weeks, roughly 1700 feet of wire, the new control parts, the new ABB VFD and numerous brackets. The new control system is up and running. I had to install a small control cabinet A/C system, that keeps all the contents of the control cabinet at a approximate 90F temperature.
This week is the run/teething phase of the job, the unit needs to run properly before we can start the second unit, planned for a Monday 8/24/20 start.
While this is a much smaller boiler, this job is going to be much more complicated, the first unit had the highly complex control system, but had a very accurate wiring diagram, the other two identical units, also have a complex control system, but of a different manufacture, that is no longer supported by the manufacturer/seller and there is no known wiring diagram, as the seller (no longer in business) refuse to supply one, saying it way too complicated and they would not understand the wiring diagram, so your not getting one.
I made a wiring diagram for the first boiler, that now is in the hands of the drafting department and should be rendered for final approval sometime next week.
Because of the heat in the boiler room, in the last 3 weeks, since we started this job, I probably have not consumed as much water in such a short time, in my whole life. I have been averaging about 3 bottles of water an hour, or about a case a day and not surprisingly bathroom breaks have been few and far between. I’ve also probably not sweated and much as I have during this period of time. The current heat wave seems to have broken, the forecast for next week is for more usual daytime temperature, roughly 10-15 degrees cooler than it has been.