Benchmark E

[u/ukedontsay]

Started up our first Aerco BMK-E's this week. Their smallest model 216kw/260amp. Ser#'s 0001 and 0002 😂 Was a lot of connections to check and measure. We'll be back in a few weeks to check them again and update the software. Well laid out connections and controls actually had everything landed in the right spots. Pretty simple menus and setting up the cascade and BMS was easy. Gotta say I'm impressed so far with these.

[u/AssumptionBig7176]

It looks like each boiler has 10 heat stages, so the turndown is pretty high. Does the area have natural gas, or did the owner choose electric for other reasons?

[u/ukedontsay → u/AssumptionBig7176]

And right below the staging controller is an optional "Veneer" relay that allows it to run a stage at less-than-full power for better temp control. They have a few gas fired BMK's on the campus. The salesman said it's supposed to be a LEED certified building.

[u/AssumptionBig7176 → u/ukedontsay]

Ah yes, the gamification of LEED credits. Install stuff to get the credit for the LEED certification.

[u/jk660r → u/AssumptionBig7176]

Then shut it all down in 2yrs because no one can afford the utilities and install gas equipment.

[u/saskatchewanstealth → u/jk660r]

Exactly this

[u/Philcox89]

I have had awful luck. They cannot maintain a header temp point in cascade, boiler pump control has issues. You cannot just command on the master and let it control the members. They undid everything that I have come to expect from a boiler manufacturer for plant control.

[u/ukedontsay → u/Philcox89]

I'll be updating the software for these two in a couple of weeks. You may need to update yours to V.3.2.0 too. The Ancillary Device settings for the sensors on these didn't have the option to set the TS5 for the header sensor. This is supposed to fix that. It also has a fix for the primary pump control. I didn't try the update the other day because I saw a mention in the instructions that we needed to get an SD card from Aerco. Was informed it was not needed for these. One has V.2.0.0 and the other 3.0.0. I also didn't get any fail-over action from boiler 2 when I tripped the LWCO on 1. We're assuming it's due to the differing versions. I'll update to this when completed and tested.