Manufacturer Spotlight: H.O. Trerice
At M&M Control, we are only as good as the manufacturers we represent—and luckily, our manufacturers are the best. Each and every one is known in their field for the quality and reliability of their products; we wouldn’t carry anything but the best.
One manufacturer who we’d like to focus on in this post is H.O. Trerice, a worldwide leader in the manufacture and supply of temperature and pressure measurement and controls since 1932. Like us, they are wholly committed to quality, and it shows throughout their product line.
Having grown from a supplier/manufacturer of high quality steam, boiler and HVAC instrumentation and controls serving early industrial America to a modern, worldwide leader, the company combines old-world American ingenuity with advanced technology and innovation. In fact, they are a perfect example of what American manufacturing should be.
While the products themselves are completely application dependent, the Trerice product line is broken down into three distinct product groupings: Pressure gauges, Temperature instrumentation, and Regulators and control valves.
We have proudly been carrying the H.O. Trerice product line for 30 years, and their internationally-recognized reputation, along with ours, has served to elevate us to an even higher level of quality. We carry a wide range of products from each of their product groupings. These include (but are not limited to): Process gauges, industrial gauges, and commercial/contractor gauges within the pressure gauge line; industrial thermometers, bimetal thermometers, and dial thermometers within the temperature instrumentation line; pressure regulators, temperature regulators, controllers, and heavy-duty control valves within the regulator & control valve line.
These are only a small sampling of the wide array of H.O. Trerice products we carry. We have extensive knowledge of each of their products, and can help guide you to the right one for your application. To see details on the full line, visit our website, and feel free to send any questions our way!
Solenoid Valves: A Integral Product for Every Industry
When it comes to valves, there are many different types for many different applications. One type of valve that commonly has a misconception is the solenoid valve; they are typically not thought of as high-end or highly technical, and have a stigma of being a commodity product. However, they are actually a very important instrument used in our everyday lives. Almost every industry uses and relies on solenoid valves in some fashion or function.
A solenoid valve is an electromechanically operated valve controlled via electric current through the solenoid coil, providing fast and safe switching, longevity, and reliability. They come in a variety of sizes, allowing for varied flow rates depending on the users’ needs. They come in low, standard, and hi voltage options as well.
So many different industries rely on the use of solenoid valves. Everything from transportation to food and chemicals (which require exotic materials such as stainless and hastelloy) make use of these versatile products.
At M&M Control, we recently partnered with the high-quality product line of J.D. Gould. Their history dates back to the mid-1930s, when the industrious John D. Gould began with the dream of creating a manufacturing company that would create a better variation of the common solenoid valve. Through ups and downs along the way, the company has remained a family-owned business, and today they are driven by loyalty, passion, and inventiveness, producing a high-quality niche product line with very fast order turns.
We carry a wide variety and a large inventory of J.D. Gould’s valves. We can easily guide our customers to the right solenoid valve for their needs, and are happy to answer any questions about the product line. We’re proud to now offer this company’s products—known for their quality and reliability—and look forward to delivering their superiority to our clients.
Manufacturer Spotlight: Siemens
At M&M Control, we represent only the highest caliber valve, controls, and gauge manufacturers out there. One of these is Siemens—an exceptionally high quality HVAC component manufacturer.
Manufacturing electronic and pneumatic HVAC controls, valves, sensors, actuators, thermostats, combustion controls, and pretty much every environmental control within a building, they epitomize excellence in the industry. In fact, in 1979, Siemens invented the first direct coupled actuator. Some of the most common applications for their products today are temperature and humidity rooms, ducts, indoor air quality, and efficiency purposes.
Temperature and humidity are extremely important, and their specifics vary based on the environment. Schools, universities, medical facilities, office buildings, museums, and commercial properties creating comfortable and efficient environments all begin with consistently precise performance of HVAC systems—a guarantee with Siemens valves and damper actuators. Add to that the energy efficiency and cost savings, and the benefits of these products are invaluable. This is why some of the world’s most sophisticated buildings rely on Siemens.
Whether your applications are warehouses or clean rooms, Siemens’ complete range of sensors measure temperature, pressure, humidity, or air quality in rooms, ducts, or outside areas. The sensor range also includes multi-sensors that measure mixed gases, as well as sensors for special areas, such as the pharmaceutical industry.
Their sensors utilize leading-edge technology and are manufactured to meet ISO-9001 standards for signal strength, accuracy, and reliability. Quickly installed and put into operation, the initial investment pays off right from the start, by providing significant savings on startup, service, and operating costs.
Our reputation relies on the reputation of our vendors, and we are proud to offer Siemens products to our customers.
When it comes to the question of rebuilding and retrofitting valves versus replacing them entirely, how do you know which to choose? Of course, every situation and application is different, but when you’re working with a valve specialist, you can be guided to the pros and cons, various scenarios, and ultimately, the right choice for you. Whenever a customer of ours comes to us with an old part, and is unsure of which choice to make, we will provide quotes for both replacement and repair, and go over all aspects of each option.
No matter what the choice, factors such as brand, age of the product, size of the project, and specific reasons for needing to change it come into play.
Of course cost is also a huge issue. When you are dealing with a small, lower-priced commodity-type valve, it will most likely be just as cost effective to replace the entire part as it will be to rebuild it; the labor and time involved in repair most likely isn’t worth it. However, when you are looking at a larger, more expensive product—perhaps a valve that goes for $5,000—it’s very often more cost effective to rebuild it. For ½ or 1/3 the price, we can rebuild the valves at our facilities and save you considerable amounts of money.
The particular industry and application are also a factor. In certain industries if a product is changed out or updated, for instance, the process can be consumed in departmental approvals and reviews creating an inordinate amount of down time and increasing the costs. In cases such as this, there is a much greater value in having the valve repaired versus replaced.
In general, it’s important to remember that when changing parts of a larger system, any replacement may have an affect somewhere else in the process. However, it doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds. Consider these factors, and work with a professional who knows all there is to know about your options. They will be able to guide you through this process, provide all the specifications you need, and will help you make the right decision for your needs.
Understanding the Lead-Free Act
Many people have by now likely heard of the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, but questions abound. While you might have heard of it, and can deduce from the name what it means, you might be wondering about the details, timeline, and implications on you or your business.
Introduced by the US government in January 2011, the act is meant to significantly reduce the amount of lead in potable water, and officially goes into effect on January 4, 2014. Simply put, it prohibits the installation and use of items with more than .25% weighted average of lead content in systems coming into contact with water for human consumption. These include pipes, pipe fittings, wetted surfaces of pipes, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.
Important to know is that products already in use are grandfathered, and therefore do not need to be replaced. Equally important to know, however, is that there are many more items and areas that will affect people, more than the average consumer might think. It applies to overseas manufacturers, and therefore people need to be aware of the fixtures and products coming from Asia and Eruope, and their compliance. It also concerns public environments such as schools, libraries, parks, museums, and restaurants; meaning simply focusing on a home’s kitchen and bath fixtures is not enough. Anything newly manufactured or installed has to comply.
The good news—beyond, of course, the good news for your health—is that most manufacturers have taken the position of strict enforcement. They will not manufacture anything with lead that is intended for domestic water applications, and/or they will offer lead-free alternatives.
While any new legislation that is so far-reaching can seem daunting, it should not be too difficult to navigate, and the long-lasting benefits will far exceed the initial inconvenience.
It’s Post-Winter Maintenance Season
Spring is well under way, and summer is around the corner—good news for many people! With summer comes a host of warm-weather happenings, as well as a host of easy but important maintenance issues. With just a little bit of planning and prevention on your part, you’ll ease right into the season.
The northern regions are coming out of the heating season, and now is the time to perform work on your boiler systems. This includes maintenance on the systems, checking and certifying panels, double checking controls, finding and replacing broken parts, etc. Now is the right time to do this, because come fall, it’s always a scramble for people to get it done in time, and often it’s too late to get everything up and running in time for winter.
Another system to check this time of year is your irrigation system, which may be getting used for the first time in a while. It’s important to check for any valving that might have become frozen and cracked, as that will need to be replaced. It’s better to find out sooner rather than later.
Finally, homeowners in large communities where there are backflow prevention requirements—put in place to ensure nothing gets into and contaminates the water supply—must check and maintain those devices. They too might have frozen and/or cracked during the cold winter months, and would therefore need to be repaired. This goes for systems (including underground sprinkler systems) in parks, municipalities, and other public places as well.
Stay on top of these small issues now, practice smart maintenance and repair, and you’ll be assured a carefree summer!
Manufacturer Spotlight: Partlow West Corporation
We at M&M Control proudly represent the best manufacturers of valves and instrumentation available, while also ensuring the best prices and service. In this post, we’d like to focus on one of our leading manufacturers, the Partlow West Corporation. Founded in 1921, originally manufacturing temperature controls and gas valves, today Partlow is an ISO certified company manufacturing exceptional controls, controllers, and recorders.
Partlow’s products serve an almost limitless number of applications and many varied industries: Gas fired ovens, burner systems, asphalt equipment, food and dairy, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, refineries, and so much more. Their products come in two divisions—mechanical and electronic recorders and controllers. They have temperature controls, high limit devices, and recording controllers.
Their electronic controls, used with gas, oil, steam, or water, utilizing state of the art technology when coupled with sensors are capable of measuring a wide variety of variables such as temperature, pressure, level, flow, humidity, capacitance, speed, pH, distance or more.
Partlow offers many recorders that come with a range of features, including multiple pen, multiple input, multiple recording, and paperless. One of their most exciting new products is the Data View, an electronic paperless recorder that is at the cutting edge of technology, and as a new generation recorder, beats all others of its kind. It is extremely user-friendly, can be set up with complete ease, comes on a flexible platform, and is very affordable. This recorder features a numerical display, graphical display, event report, historical display, multiple inputs (three or six channels), and a five color HMI front screen.
We confidently offer Partlow’s products, knowing that our customers will find them to be of the highest quality. You can view them all on our website.
