Controllers — the InteliHive, the Repressurizer, third-party controllers such as the MicroVision EX, and pumps with their own timers — start pumps, open valves, and switch outlets on their own, with no operator present and no warning. Many can also be commanded from an app or web portal by someone who is not on site.
A pump that is idle is not a pump that will stay idle. Before working on any connected equipment, physically isolate it. Disabling a control mode or setting an output to Off is not isolation.
- Control modes. A reading crosses a setpoint, a timer cycle begins, a meter pulses, or a calendar program starts.
- Recovery. When a fault clears, power returns, or an interlock resets, the controller returns outputs to the state the control mode wants.
- Manual commands. Hand or On runs equipment with no control logic behind it until its time limit expires.
- Remote users. Anyone with access to the site in the Inteliverse app or web portal, or in another manufacturer’s remote tool, can change setpoints, modes, and outputs from anywhere.
- Other controllers. A pump or valve may be driven by more than one controller, or by a building management system. Find every one before you rely on isolating a single one.
Interlocks, failsafes, rate limits, and safety policies protect the process: they stop a pump running dry or feeding into a dead line. They are software, they can be misconfigured, and they depend on sensors that can fail.
They must never be the only protection for a person working on the equipment. Isolate the equipment physically, lock it, and verify it. See Isolating Equipment.
- Tell remote operators that the equipment is out of service before starting, and again when it is back.
- Isolate at the equipment, at a breaker, disconnect, or plug under your control, not at the controller.
- Stay with equipment running in Hand. It runs regardless of pressure, level, or reading, so watch the gauges.
- Keep clear of rotating parts. Motors and pumps can start without warning while powered.
¶ Commissioning and handover
- Verify every interlock and safety policy before leaving the system in automatic control.
- Confirm alarm delivery works, so faults reach somebody who can act.
- Label isolation points and leave documentation on site.
- Record the controller’s configuration, so a replacement can be commissioned the same way.