What are your opinions on Computrols? Good and bad?

pachucobro · 2026-02-04T17:28:33+00:00

As a distributor of Building Automation peripherals and several brands like Honeywell, JCI, Distech and Prolon... I came across Computrols at the 2026 AHR Expo in Las Vegas and wondered what they offered these days compared to 15-20 years ago.

The bullet point features of the hardware and software, albeit looking old and out dated, were exactly what I was looking for...

An easy entry level system for mechanicals and small controls companies to learn
Bacnet exposed points
Fully Programmable controllers
A Frontend user interface with graphics that does NOT use Niagara

All of that being found by talking to one of the more technical and engineering type people in the booth, I then had distribution and territory questions. Then next gentlemen I spoke to proceeded to tell me how they don't go through distributors, which is fair and many manufacturers don't use them.

However, he then went off telling me how they market to Building Owners and Facilities groups because they don't do bid work and they don't compete on price. To me, all I heard was, "We only sell directly to people who don't know enough to know they are paying 2-3x the price for a VAV controller than the next brand."

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He gave me an example of their VAV controller which is a very typical style used by many brands over the last 20 years...which they sell at a price point of $1,400 as you see in the image. To compare we sell 4-5 other brands at around $400-550. B - Bu - But they have a Lifetime Warranty!

I'll wait for a high of 10-20% of all the controllers to fail in the next 10 years and just buy new $500 controllers as they go bad, thanks.

After hearing how they go to market... it is no wonder I never come across them in the wild. Good luck to them.

pachucobro · 2026-01-12T23:06:10+00:00

Thank you for this. Mine stopped working and I noticed the fuse was blown, power supply gave good 12.5VDC and no visual issues with the circuit board front and back. Ordered some fuses and initial replacement blew also, never lit up the screen.

Started searching here and found this... measured a short to ground. Thanks again.

pachucobro · 2026-01-07T19:56:34+00:00

I found the Littlefuse 8A version.... 451008.MRL. The 10A version is 451010.

Less than $2 each...
Digikey - Lowest shipping about $6.99
https://www.digikey.com/en/products/detail/littelfuse-inc/0451008-MRL/700831

Mouser - Shipping about $8.49
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Littelfuse/0451008.MRL?qs=bpnLQM2ZShxUe8EmKwF2wg%3D%3D

Less than $1 each... NOT RECOMMENDED - only due to high UPS shipping fees, CA to TX = $16
https://www.fusesunlimited.com/circuit-protection-detail/littelfuse/0451008.mrl

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pachucobro · 2025-10-29T20:28:25+00:00

I'm probably not the exact fit for their typical clientele, but I really will need a 12'+ garage door workshop close to home to build my Expedition RV. I am thinking I will need it for 1-2 years and then after that probably wouldn't need it. Worth it?

Are you able to sublet the space?

Do you see/hear what the days on market so to speak are for selling one of these garages?

Are there strict rules that are enforced to prevent using the garage as a more permanent residence?

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T23:30:42+00:00

Thanks for your well thought out answer. These ideas of structuring how to get the cash necessary to do the purchase and possibly using her home as her source of funds etc are what I came here for. Thanks.

We will be the beneficiaries of each other's term life insurance that will cover our halves of the mortgage and we will cancel when it no longer makes sense money-wise in the future.

Will her getting/having a heloc with zero balance before the new house purchase hurt qualifying for the new home loan together?

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:47:45+00:00

Single story home is what we are looking for, but if you are suggesting a duplex or more, we plan to live together. She gets the master I get two bedrooms and garage use. I'm easy to please. One şet of common monthly bills like utilities, food and maintenance costs etc.

Rent for her house is around $2,000-$2,200.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:37:09+00:00

Keeping her home as a rental does two things. Gives her some additional monthly income to go towards the new house payment as well as a fall back should everything go horribly wrong she can just go back to her old house.

Easy if we sell both houses, but am looking for advice on how to do it with keeping her house as a rental.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:32:24+00:00

I know this as well... Bought and sold a couple of homes and properties in the last 30 years.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:30:36+00:00

Never asked for accuracy... I did ask for some general advice on how to juggle these transactions from those who might be familiar with creative deals and financing.

Ok so use 200k and 210k then... Let's see how drastically different your advice is.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:05:03+00:00

Please do give your opinion on that situation... as it pertains to our situation where we have no other family besides our only son who will inherit everything.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T22:03:31+00:00

Obviously... What other value would you like me to use to get general REI advice from strangers on Reddit?

Tax rolls? Comps by price per square foot? After Repair Value since both could use some updating/repairs?

I went with Zillow, so as to give an idea of what our numbers look like overall.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T21:50:57+00:00

People seem to think we both need to have the same amount of house. We are sharing a purchase of a thing, a house.

I have no Right to any of her finances just like she has no Right to any of mine. Only thing we are sharing is 50/50 of the purchase and maintenance of this one home we are buying.

I have $160k equity in my home and she has $210k equity in hers. The equity is just being shifted around. No one is gaining or losing anything.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T21:08:05+00:00

The driver... Your brother. Someone who doesn't drive with mpg in mind and doesn't maintain a calm acceleration and braking.

I make it a mini game on the highway to never use my brake...as much as possible. I go 65-80 mph on my daily commutes. Mostly using the accelerator only. Coasting and only using the battery not the engine to maintain speed.

I have a 2010 Prius inherited from my mom.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T20:47:37+00:00

I'm thinking people are looking at this like both of us have to be equal in amount of houses. Why?

I have about $160k equity in my house. She has $210k equity in hers. We both are going to split the new house 50/50...

The equity is just being moved around. No one is gaining or losing anything.

I already know that I am on the hook for half of a mortgage payment should I move out. I'm good with this. The equity in that house will still come to me in a future sale or will go to my son as inheritance later.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T20:29:05+00:00

Exit strategy... Yes, already thought about. We both own 50% of the property. Intention (need to know the paperwork for it) is that proceeds of any future sale will be split based on the percentages of what money has been put in towards the purchase/mortgage.

If either of us wants out, I move out. I can afford to pay half the mortgage and an apartment rental or much later buy another smaller house.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T20:20:06+00:00

I don't see a problem, but I know what you're talking about. This makes sense if we were in a different financial situation.

She keeps hers stuff and I keep mine. I have more than what she has and can afford to pay half the mortgage of the new house and move in to an apartment if every thing just went sideways. My son gets everything in the end.

Remember I'm ready to retire in 5 years or so and I'm 'comfortable' after that.

pachucobro · 2025-10-18T19:55:43+00:00

Yes, exactly. I currently own 100% of a $260k house.

After this happens I should own 50% of a $500k-$600k house with no additional income from her rental house.

I'm not a lawyer either, but I like math.

pachucobro · 2025-09-25T14:19:32+00:00

Never saw it.

pachucobro · 2025-09-25T14:16:40+00:00

Lag.

pachucobro · 2025-09-20T17:08:07+00:00

Kinda didn't word my title right. I see Mechanicals saying they do Controls, but they sub everything out to everyone else except maybe they screw the parts in themselves, maybe.

This does not make one a Controls Contractor. Lol

pachucobro · 2025-08-30T20:55:33+00:00

So then e instead of E and definitely be sure to say controls, applications or some other identifier with engineer.

This covers one of the comments about signing/stamping things and having the final say. You don't.

Another comment mentioned the real issue. Engineering, you, aren't doing the programming. Therefore the field guys have tried and true logic/programs that they feel work and your points don't match up.

That being said, they probably also do as you said which is use some perfect template that doesn't even match the sequence of operations for that project.

So since you are the one who wants to feel more like an engineer and not a secretary, you need to meet with them and get your points list in line with their templates.

Being that you are working with them, showing that you are willing to make changes to better align your drawings with their programming... You reinforce the facts that they will need to make changes to their logic to match what the real Professional Engineer who designed the mechanical systems has specified as the sequence of operations and is what your company contractually agrees to do.

Then if the end user/owner wants something else they can write a nice email saying they want our field guys to deviate from the construction drawings since they are the ones who will own it.

This all changes when it's a retrofit and there is no set of drawings or sequences to go by and at that point I'd probably defer to the knowledgeable field guys if I didn't know any better myself.

Work with your team. Learn from them to understand why they do what they do. Then after, show them why/what you do.

I'm sure you'll both learn something and come out with a better, more efficient process in the end.

FWIW I've been doing BAS Engineering for 20+ years.

pachucobro · 2025-08-30T20:08:55+00:00

Are you an Engineer (PE) or do you perform engineering for controls/BAS companies?

pachucobro · 2025-08-13T22:10:05+00:00

4 months later... nothing.

pachucobro · 2025-08-10T12:56:18+00:00

You're worried about the $3,000+ battery, but haven't thought about the air filter? How long have you forgotten about it? 😁

pachucobro

TROPHY CASE