Controls & Upgrades

Commercial Unit ServiceJames River Air Conditioning is your local full-service heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contractor. James River Air Conditioning was established in 1967 and has first-hand experience with both older and newer, state-of-the-art styles of HVAC systems. Since HVAC technology rapidly changes, we constantly stay on top of new developments in the industry and train our staff on new ways to help our clients. Whether your need is large or small, the team at James River Air Conditioning has the resources to help. We are proud to be an active member of the RVA community, and we are committed to providing our commercial clients with world-class service and support. Contact us today to discuss your HVAC needs!

 

Electrical/Electric Controls

Our commercial service team members are skilled in the repair, maintenance and installation of Electrical and Electronic Control systems. These systems work independent of other controls. They are hardwired interlocked to each other to accomplish a certain sequence of operation. The power required is either line voltage or low voltage depending on the application. This type of control requires limited amount of tools and ability to maintain. There is a broad application of products that can be used to meet any control application. Electronic Control devices are temperature controls, humidity controls, relays, valves, dampers, pressure controls, and thermostats.

Pneumatic Controls

James River Air Conditioning is also your best choice for the repair and maintenance of Pneumatic Control systems. In the past, Pneumatic Controls systems were the most cost-effective system to install in a commercial building. The high cost of properly maintaining this system is the draw back with this type of installation. The proper tools and technical ability to work on a pneumatic system is limited to either the manufacturer or an independent contractor that has invested in equipment and manpower to perform this specialized service.

Pneumatic control systems use compressed air to supply energy for the operation of valves, motors, relays, and other pneumatic control equipment.

Pneumatic control systems are made up of the following elements:

  1. A source of compressed air, which is stored in a receiver tank at a pressure capable of supplying all the pneumatic devices in the system with operating energy.
  2. A refrigerant air dryer and oil removal filter to ensure dry oil-free air downstream.
  3. A pressure reducing station which reduces receiver tank pressure to a normal operating pressure of 15-25 psig, depending on system requirements.
  4. Air lines (which can either be copper or polyethylene tubing) connect the supply air to the control devices.
  5. Control devices are thermostats, humidistat controllers, valves and dampers

Here are some operating, maintenance and energy saving tips for Pneumatic Control systems.

  • Maintaining proper supply air temperatures during building load changes is key to achieving high efficiency and optimal performance of your heating and cooling system.
  • An improper setup could result in system hunting and over-worked chillers, boilers, and pumps. This causes unstable controller functions and hydronic balancing problems.  We can optimize your schedule for proper balance and operation.
  • It is important that you understand how to plot reset schedules during controller setup and calibration in accordance to building demand will save energy along with less wear and tear on equipment, thus providing better climate control.
  • In pneumatic controls, the dual input receiver controller’s authority adjustment sets up proper deck temperature control automatically, plotted by the technicians reset schedule.

Can the original pneumatic compressor be replaced with just any air compressor?
No, due to the fact that pneumatic systems must be clean, dry, and oil free or controls contamination will occur and result in expensive repairs. Although cheaper, the regular shop air compressor is designed to migrate a little oil vapor from its crankcase to lubricate shop air tools and should not be used as a replacement to a control instrument compressor.  Controls compressors run a third of the speed, run cooler temperatures and are not designed to sling oil.  If your pneumatic compressor needs to be repaired or replaced, contact James River Air Conditioning for a professional evaluation.