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Automation Systems
Automation Systems is where Automated Academy covers building automation, BAS controls, troubleshooting, communication networks, tools, setpoints, schedules, alarms, and efficiency strategies for smarter buildings.
Winter Boiler Maintenance: 10 Fast Checks Before the No-Heat Calls Start
Winter boiler maintenance doesn’t need to be complicated. Use this simple checklist to catch smells, leaks, and efficiency killers before no-heat calls start.
Automated Academy
Dec 1, 20259 min read
SharkTap Network Tap vs. Port Mirroring: What BAS Techs Actually Capture
Using SharkTap with Wireshark? See what a physical network tap captures that switch port mirroring can miss on BACnet/IP networks.
Automated Academy
Nov 12, 20256 min read
BACnet Max Master vs. Max Info Frames: Fix Slow MS/TP Networks
Learn the difference between BACnet Max Master and Max Info Frames, why each affects MS/TP timing, and how to tune a slow trunk safely.
Automated Academy
Nov 10, 20258 min read
Chiller Sounds Troubleshooting: Hiss, Whine, Rattle & Surge
Hear a hiss, whine, rattle, roar, or surge? Use four field readings to identify what common chiller sounds mean and narrow the fault.
Automated Academy
Nov 5, 20258 min read
How to Test RS-485 with a Multimeter: Bias & Termination
Check RS-485 communication with a multimeter in about 15 minutes. Verify A-to-B voltage, bias, termination, and shield reference before swapping devices.
Automated Academy
Nov 3, 20258 min read
The Best $20 Investment I Ever Made in: USB to RS-485 Adapter
The best $20 in BAS? A USB-to-RS-485 adapter. Tap MS/TP & Modbus, see the token, catch the culprit, and prove the fix, fast.
Automated Academy
Oct 29, 20259 min read
Freeze Protection: The Winter BAS Checklist That Prevents Cracked Coils
A field-tested freeze protection guide for BAS: what to check, how to test AHUs, hydronic loops, and snowmelt, so you prevent cracked coils and costly calls.
Automated Academy
Oct 27, 20257 min read
Wireshark for BACnet: 7 Filters Every BAS Tech Should Know
Use seven practical Wireshark filters to isolate BACnet/IP traffic, spot retries and floods, and capture cleaner evidence during BAS troubleshooting.
Automated Academy
Oct 22, 20258 min read
When “Hand-Off-Auto” Isn’t Really Auto: Hidden Override Traps
“Auto” lies when something upstream has control. Find hidden overrides, VFD Local, bypass, safeties, priority arrays, and fix RS-485 noise that mimics overrides.
Automated Academy
Oct 20, 202510 min read
Thermal Cameras Don’t Lie: The Fastest Way to Catch Hidden BAS Failures
Thermal cameras expose BAS failures you’d never catch otherwise, leaks, overheating relays, airflow issues. Here’s how to use them.
Automated Academy
Oct 15, 20255 min read
Leave It Better Than You Found It: The Technician’s Golden Rule
A technician’s golden rule: the job isn’t finished until the space looks untouched, or better. Here’s how to make it stick.
Automated Academy
Oct 13, 20255 min read
The Most Overlooked Tool in BAS? Your Graphics: If They Don’t Match the Field, You’ve Got a Cartoon
A mismatched BAS graphic isn’t just ugly, it’s a cartoon. Here’s how to make graphics match reality and build operator trust.
Automated Academy
Oct 8, 20254 min read
If You Treat Your Truck Like a Dumpster, You’ll Work Like One Too: Why Every Technician’s First Office Is on Wheels
Your truck is your first office. If it’s chaos on wheels, your work will be too. Build discipline with simple habits.
Automated Academy
Oct 6, 20255 min read
BAS Communication Wires: The Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed
Most BAS failures hide in comm wires. Learn how a PicoScope reveals noise, shorts, and signal loss, saving hours of troubleshooting.
Automated Academy
Oct 1, 20255 min read
Zone Temperature Sensors: Why They Lie and How to Catch Them in the Act
Zone temps lie for predictable reasons. Use this 15-minute truth test and fix order to prove what’s real and stop callbacks.
Automated Academy
Sep 29, 20256 min read
Loaded Filters, Unchecked Strainers, Bent Fins: The Hidden Efficiency Killers
Filters, strainers, and bent fins are silent efficiency killers. Here’s how they lie to your BAS and how to stop them.
Automated Academy
Sep 22, 20256 min read
BAS Technician Survival Kit: 10 Must-Have Tools
A compact, field-tested BAS Technician Survival Kit: the 10 tools that solve 80% of calls, faster, safer, and with fewer callbacks.
Automated Academy
Sep 17, 20257 min read
Outside Air Economizers & Stuck Dampers: Hidden Energy Failures
Economizers should save you money, unless the OA damper is stuck or the logic is wrong. Use this field-ready guide to diagnose, repair, and lock in real savings.
Automated Academy
Sep 15, 20256 min read
The Hidden Costs of Cheap Tools: Why “Good Enough” Will Burn You in the Field
Cheap tools don’t just break, they break your credibility. Discover why “good enough” will cost you more in the field, and the pro gear worth every penny.
Automated Academy
Sep 9, 20258 min read
BAS Time Sync: Stop Clock Drift Wrecking Your System
Your BAS isn’t moody, your clocks are. Unify BAS time sync so schedules hit, trends align, and alarms become evidence, not guesswork.
Automated Academy
Sep 8, 20259 min read
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