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A repairman examines a broken circuit board in a dim space, while a concerned man in an office calls about freezing conditions. Speech bubbles present.

A repairman examines a broken circuit board in a dim space, while a concerned man in an office calls about freezing conditions. Speech bubbles present.

Winter Boiler Maintenance: 10 Fast Checks Before the No-Heat Calls Start

RS-485 Line Bias & Termination: The 15-Minute Health Check Every Tech Should Do

RS-485 Line Bias & Termination: The 15-Minute Health Check Every Tech Should Do

RS-485 Line Bias & Termination: The 15-Minute Health Check Every Tech Should Do

thermal image of a condenser unit with temperatures displayed

thermal image of a condenser unit with temperatures displayed

Thermal Cameras Don’t Lie: The Fastest Way to Catch Hidden BAS Failures

Building Controls

Winter Boiler Maintenance: 10 Fast Checks Before the No-Heat Calls Start

Dec 1, 2025

A repairman examines a broken circuit board in a dim space, while a concerned man in an office calls about freezing conditions. Speech bubbles present.

A repairman examines a broken circuit board in a dim space, while a concerned man in an office calls about freezing conditions. Speech bubbles present.

The One Daily Ritual To Reduce Stress

Nov 15, 2025

The One Daily Ritual To Reduce Stress

The One Daily Ritual To Reduce Stress

Why “Good Job” Isn’t Feedback (And What to Say Instead)

Nov 14, 2025

Why “Good Job” Isn’t Feedback (And What to Say Instead)

Why “Good Job” Isn’t Feedback (And What to Say Instead)

SharkTap vs. Switch Mirror: The Network Tap That Finally Shows the Truth

Building Controls

Nov 12, 2025

SharkTap vs. Switch Mirror: The Network Tap That Finally Shows the Truth

SharkTap vs. Switch Mirror: The Network Tap That Finally Shows the Truth

BACnet Max Master: If You Don’t Know, Now You Know

Building Controls

Nov 10, 2025

Two BACnet devices connected by a glowing line labeled 'Token' in a tech setting. A blurred figure is in the green-lit background.

Two BACnet devices connected by a glowing line labeled 'Token' in a tech setting. A blurred figure is in the green-lit background.

Caffeine Timing Tips: A Simple Schedule for Clean Energy Without Wrecking Your Sleep

Nov 8, 2025

A steaming cup of tea sits on a table. Clock numbers and hands appear in the rising steam, creating a surreal effect. Warm, calm mood.

A steaming cup of tea sits on a table. Clock numbers and hands appear in the rising steam, creating a surreal effect. Warm, calm mood.

Cold isn’t a stunt. It’s a switch. ⚡️

January bathroom. Cold tiles. Hand on the handle. Flip to blue. First second steals your breath; the next ten give it back. By minute three, the day has a spine.

✅ Clean dopamine (steady focus, no jitters)
✅ Calm under pressure (controlled stress)
✅ Discipline that follows you all day
❌ No macho nonsense, just practice

Micro-protocol: Mon–Fri, finish cold 30–180s. Exhale longer than you inhale. I cue Siri with “It’s shower time” → plays Dragon Attack (Queen) + 3-min timer. Rhythm beats willpower.

Wim Hof said it best: “The cold is merciless, but righteous.” Breathe with it.

Safety: If pregnant or with heart/respiratory issues, talk to a clinician. Start mild. Stop if dizzy or numb.

Full 30-day plan, hot→cold ladder, gear, and my exact Siri steps — Link in bio.

#BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #AutomatedAcademy #ColdShower #WimHof #Dopamine #HabitStacking #MorningRoutine #Discipline #Biohacking #MentalFitness #Focus

Cold isn’t a stunt. It’s a switch. ⚡️

January bathroom. Cold tiles. Hand on the handle. Flip to blue. First second steals your breath; the next ten give it back. By minute three, the day has a spine.

✅ Clean dopamine (steady focus, no jitters)
✅ Calm under pressure (controlled stress)
✅ Discipline that follows you all day
❌ No macho nonsense, just practice

Micro-protocol: Mon–Fri, finish cold 30–180s. Exhale longer than you inhale. I cue Siri with “It’s shower time” → plays Dragon Attack (Queen) + 3-min timer. Rhythm beats willpower.

Wim Hof said it best: “The cold is merciless, but righteous.” Breathe with it.

Safety: If pregnant or with heart/respiratory issues, talk to a clinician. Start mild. Stop if dizzy or numb.

Full 30-day plan, hot→cold ladder, gear, and my exact Siri steps — Link in bio.

#BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #AutomatedAcademy #ColdShower #WimHof #Dopamine #HabitStacking #MorningRoutine #Discipline #Biohacking #MentalFitness #Focus

Talk less. Decide faster.
Install the 3-beat pause today:

Exhale → count 1-2-3 → speak one sentence shorter.
Use it now:
• Feedback: Standard → question → pause → next step
• Escalation: One apology + one commitment (stop)
• Meeting: Outcome upfront; typed Decision • Owner • Deadline to close

Save this. Try it on your next call. Link in bio for scripts + checklist.
Say less. Lead more.

Hashtags
#Leadership #Communication #ActiveListening #ServiceLeadership #BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #TeamLead #ManagerLife #Ops #TimeManagement

Talk less. Decide faster.
Install the 3-beat pause today:

Exhale → count 1-2-3 → speak one sentence shorter.
Use it now:
• Feedback: Standard → question → pause → next step
• Escalation: One apology + one commitment (stop)
• Meeting: Outcome upfront; typed Decision • Owner • Deadline to close

Save this. Try it on your next call. Link in bio for scripts + checklist.
Say less. Lead more.

Hashtags
#Leadership #Communication #ActiveListening #ServiceLeadership #BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #TeamLead #ManagerLife #Ops #TimeManagement

Cheap tools cost more than you think.

When I first started out, I bought the bargain kit.
✅ Looked the same.
✅ Worked (for a while).
❌ Then the blades bent.
❌ The meter lied.
❌ And I burned hours fixing problems I didn’t actually have.

That’s when I learned:
👉 Cheap tools don’t just break in your hand—they break your credibility.

Key lessons:
⚡ Cheap = expensive (you buy it over and over).
⚡ Customers don’t always know BACnet—but they know when you look like a pro.
⚡ Good tools, cared for, will last your whole career (unless you leave one in a ceiling tile).

Want the full breakdown + the gear list I wish I had when I started?
👉 Link in bio

#BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #Tools #HVACControls #Efficiency #Leadership

Cheap tools cost more than you think.

When I first started out, I bought the bargain kit.
✅ Looked the same.
✅ Worked (for a while).
❌ Then the blades bent.
❌ The meter lied.
❌ And I burned hours fixing problems I didn’t actually have.

That’s when I learned:
👉 Cheap tools don’t just break in your hand—they break your credibility.

Key lessons:
⚡ Cheap = expensive (you buy it over and over).
⚡ Customers don’t always know BACnet—but they know when you look like a pro.
⚡ Good tools, cared for, will last your whole career (unless you leave one in a ceiling tile).

Want the full breakdown + the gear list I wish I had when I started?
👉 Link in bio

#BuildingAutomation #TechnicianLife #BAS #Controls #Tools #HVACControls #Efficiency #Leadership

Five minutes late isn’t five minutes late in BAS. It’s a broken warm-up, a chiller starting at lunch, and alarms you can’t trust.
When I was at JPL, time was a coordinate, miss by a microsecond and you’re pointing at the wrong sky. In buildings, miss by minutes and your BAS feels haunted.

Quick hits (field play):
• Pick a time boss → one on-prem NTP (two if you can). Everything points to it.
• Standardize timezone + DST across the site (UI in local, long data in UTC).
• Sync by layer: Servers → JACEs/edges → IP controllers → MS/TP via BACnet TimeSynchronization (UTC).
• Slew by day, step by night: gentle corrections during occupied; big jumps after hours.
• Prove it & watch it: trend “time delta” per device, alarm on offset >60s and “no sync in 24h.”

I kept the acceptance checklist (+ 4 field-tested gear picks) on the site to keep IG tight.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
🗂️ Save this for next week’s service call.
👥 Share with your team.

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #HVAC #Controls #TechnicianTuesday #ServiceOps #FacilitiesManagement #Commissioning #BACnet #Niagara #SmartBuildings #TimeSync #NTP #SNTP #EnergyManagement

Five minutes late isn’t five minutes late in BAS. It’s a broken warm-up, a chiller starting at lunch, and alarms you can’t trust.
When I was at JPL, time was a coordinate, miss by a microsecond and you’re pointing at the wrong sky. In buildings, miss by minutes and your BAS feels haunted.

Quick hits (field play):
• Pick a time boss → one on-prem NTP (two if you can). Everything points to it.
• Standardize timezone + DST across the site (UI in local, long data in UTC).
• Sync by layer: Servers → JACEs/edges → IP controllers → MS/TP via BACnet TimeSynchronization (UTC).
• Slew by day, step by night: gentle corrections during occupied; big jumps after hours.
• Prove it & watch it: trend “time delta” per device, alarm on offset >60s and “no sync in 24h.”

I kept the acceptance checklist (+ 4 field-tested gear picks) on the site to keep IG tight.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
🗂️ Save this for next week’s service call.
👥 Share with your team.

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #HVAC #Controls #TechnicianTuesday #ServiceOps #FacilitiesManagement #Commissioning #BACnet #Niagara #SmartBuildings #TimeSync #NTP #SNTP #EnergyManagement

AI is moving 4× faster than the desktop internet. If you’re not using a copilot yet, you’re already behind, good news: you can fix that today.

I broke down a fast start: a 10-minute routine that turns one real task into a clean, customer-ready result, then shows your team the before/after so the habit spreads.

Quick hits:
• Pick one live task (customer email, quote, service note).
• Paste a sanitized summary into ChatGPT → ask for a 150-word, plain-English version with clear next steps.
• Show a teammate the before/after. Save the prompt to your “AI Playbook.”
• Repeat tomorrow. Reps > theory.

I also kept one focus tool and two must-read books that make this stick, on my site to keep IG short.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
🗂️ Save this for next week.
👥 Share with your team.

#AI #ChatGPT #Leadership #Technicians #Controls #ServiceOps #BuildingAutomation #FacilitiesManagement #BAS #HVAC #Productivity #GetAhead

AI is moving 4× faster than the desktop internet. If you’re not using a copilot yet, you’re already behind, good news: you can fix that today.

I broke down a fast start: a 10-minute routine that turns one real task into a clean, customer-ready result, then shows your team the before/after so the habit spreads.

Quick hits:
• Pick one live task (customer email, quote, service note).
• Paste a sanitized summary into ChatGPT → ask for a 150-word, plain-English version with clear next steps.
• Show a teammate the before/after. Save the prompt to your “AI Playbook.”
• Repeat tomorrow. Reps > theory.

I also kept one focus tool and two must-read books that make this stick, on my site to keep IG short.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
🗂️ Save this for next week.
👥 Share with your team.

#AI #ChatGPT #Leadership #Technicians #Controls #ServiceOps #BuildingAutomation #FacilitiesManagement #BAS #HVAC #Productivity #GetAhead

Signal vs noise decides your week.
I broke down a fast system: baseline your ratio, make a one-page outcomes sheet, run a 9-minute morning ritual, and give decisions a 15-minute home so your deep-work blocks survive.

Quick hits:
• Today’s Top 3 before 9:15 a.m.
• Two 90-minute Signal Sprints (morning + early afternoon)
• Decision Block (15:00) → decision • owner • deadline
• Batch comms twice a day; everything else is quiet

I also share two story-driven books and one small tool that make this stick—kept on my site to keep IG short.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
💾 Save this for next week.
👥 Share with your team.

#Leadership #Focus #SignalVsNoise #OpsEx #Productivity #BuildingAutomation #FacilitiesManagement #BAS #HVAC #ServiceLeadership

Signal vs noise decides your week.
I broke down a fast system: baseline your ratio, make a one-page outcomes sheet, run a 9-minute morning ritual, and give decisions a 15-minute home so your deep-work blocks survive.

Quick hits:
• Today’s Top 3 before 9:15 a.m.
• Two 90-minute Signal Sprints (morning + early afternoon)
• Decision Block (15:00) → decision • owner • deadline
• Batch comms twice a day; everything else is quiet

I also share two story-driven books and one small tool that make this stick—kept on my site to keep IG short.

🔗 Full playbook: link in bio
💾 Save this for next week.
👥 Share with your team.

#Leadership #Focus #SignalVsNoise #OpsEx #Productivity #BuildingAutomation #FacilitiesManagement #BAS #HVAC #ServiceLeadership

Cold mornings aren’t weather problems, they’re sequence problems.
I break down an Autumn Economizer Tune-Up that makes heat season boring (in the best way): trust trends over pretty screens, run a 10-minute OA sweep, make high-limit logic real, and guard the release so your building absorbs heat before you invite OA back in.

👉 Full article + gear + book: link in bio
💾 Save this for October.
👥 Share with your ops crew.

#BuildingAutomation #BAS #HVAC #Controls #FacilitiesManagement #EnergyEfficiency #Commissioning #Retrocommissioning #TechnicianTuesday #SmartBuildings #OpsEx #FacilityOps

Cold mornings aren’t weather problems, they’re sequence problems.
I break down an Autumn Economizer Tune-Up that makes heat season boring (in the best way): trust trends over pretty screens, run a 10-minute OA sweep, make high-limit logic real, and guard the release so your building absorbs heat before you invite OA back in.

👉 Full article + gear + book: link in bio
💾 Save this for October.
👥 Share with your ops crew.

#BuildingAutomation #BAS #HVAC #Controls #FacilitiesManagement #EnergyEfficiency #Commissioning #Retrocommissioning #TechnicianTuesday #SmartBuildings #OpsEx #FacilityOps

If your BAS graphics look like a 90s clipart collage, you’re paying a productivity tax.

This week I show the clean, fast standard:
✔ Group points logically (SP next to PV)
✔ Standardize colors
✔ Surface live data + quick trends
✔ Field-verify names, units, locations

Full teardown + before/after, link in bio.
What’s the worst BAS graphic you’ve seen?

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #HVAC #Controls #Niagara #Tridium #FacilityManagement #EnergyEfficiency #UX #Productivity #AutomationLeadership

If your BAS graphics look like a 90s clipart collage, you’re paying a productivity tax.

This week I show the clean, fast standard:
✔ Group points logically (SP next to PV)
✔ Standardize colors
✔ Surface live data + quick trends
✔ Field-verify names, units, locations

Full teardown + before/after, link in bio.
What’s the worst BAS graphic you’ve seen?

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #HVAC #Controls #Niagara #Tridium #FacilityManagement #EnergyEfficiency #UX #Productivity #AutomationLeadership

Carrying everyone’s homework at work? 🎒
That’s not “being a team player”—that’s an accountability leak.

The real burnout culprit isn’t workload, it’s doing the jobs no one else will own.
This week I break down how to fix it:
✔ ODC (Owner • Driver • Contributors)
✔ 3-bullet Definition of Done
✔ Weekly rhythm that ends the rescue culture

Read the full article, link in bio.
Who’s ready to stop rescuing and start owning? 👇

#Leadership #Accountability #TeamCulture #GetItDone #AutomationLeadership #Productivity #Ownership

Carrying everyone’s homework at work? 🎒
That’s not “being a team player”—that’s an accountability leak.

The real burnout culprit isn’t workload, it’s doing the jobs no one else will own.
This week I break down how to fix it:
✔ ODC (Owner • Driver • Contributors)
✔ 3-bullet Definition of Done
✔ Weekly rhythm that ends the rescue culture

Read the full article, link in bio.
Who’s ready to stop rescuing and start owning? 👇

#Leadership #Accountability #TeamCulture #GetItDone #AutomationLeadership #Productivity #Ownership

The harder you push, the less they hear.

Park the ego, borrow their view, and watch decisions get easier (at work and at home). I break down the exact routine + scripts you can steal.

Full playbook, link in bio. Who are you testing it on this week?

#Leadership #PerspectiveShift #Communication #TacticalEmpathy #TeamCulture #Management #AutomationLeadership #PerformanceEngineering

The harder you push, the less they hear.

Park the ego, borrow their view, and watch decisions get easier (at work and at home). I break down the exact routine + scripts you can steal.

Full playbook, link in bio. Who are you testing it on this week?

#Leadership #PerspectiveShift #Communication #TacticalEmpathy #TeamCulture #Management #AutomationLeadership #PerformanceEngineering

If your BAS point names read like Wi-Fi passwords, you’re paying a confusion tax. I break down a dead-simple naming standard you can roll out in an afternoon, human-readable names + units + object IDs, cleaner trends/alarms, and a 90-min cleanup sprint for AHUs/VAVs/plant. Decode your system, speed up troubleshooting, earn trust.

Full playbook in the article, link in bio. Drop your worst point name below 👇

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #BuildingControls #HVAC #Controls #Commissioning #BACnet #ProjectHaystack #Niagara #FacilityManagement #EnergyEfficiency #AutomationLeadership

If your BAS point names read like Wi-Fi passwords, you’re paying a confusion tax. I break down a dead-simple naming standard you can roll out in an afternoon, human-readable names + units + object IDs, cleaner trends/alarms, and a 90-min cleanup sprint for AHUs/VAVs/plant. Decode your system, speed up troubleshooting, earn trust.

Full playbook in the article, link in bio. Drop your worst point name below 👇

#BAS #BuildingAutomation #BuildingControls #HVAC #Controls #Commissioning #BACnet #ProjectHaystack #Niagara #FacilityManagement #EnergyEfficiency #AutomationLeadership

Old wiring, Pneumatics, Copper Tubing, and Switchgear. The good old days when attention to detail and craftsmanship meant something.

Old wiring, Pneumatics, Copper Tubing, and Switchgear. The good old days when attention to detail and craftsmanship meant something.

Just calibrating sensors

Just calibrating sensors

CX9200! Not many left out there in the Building Automation Controls World. Originally created in 1992 by Andover Controls. Boasts a whopping 8mb of RAM and a whole slew of features. She is now considered overweight and obsolete. However, wipe off the dust and you have a beast that's been running flawlessly 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 26 years later and then some!

CX9200! Not many left out there in the Building Automation Controls World. Originally created in 1992 by Andover Controls. Boasts a whopping 8mb of RAM and a whole slew of features. She is now considered overweight and obsolete. However, wipe off the dust and you have a beast that's been running flawlessly 24 hours a day 7 days a week for 26 years later and then some!

Still not 100% but at least the fan HOA switches all work now and I no longer have 5 transformers in here

Still not 100% but at least the fan HOA switches all work now and I no longer have 5 transformers in here

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