r/BuildingAutomation

Hello Everyone, sorry to rant but I’ve been in the field for 3 years now 2 in service and 1 in install and I just feel like I’m winging it. I’m really good at solving BAS problems on my own, but when it comes to someone giving verbal instructions I struggle. I have to write everything down I’m sure it’s some learning disability…I’ve also been told I need to work on my confidence. Does anyone else feel this way or have any tips or tricks to overcome it?

Power comes back. The cooling plant doesn't.

A short voltage sag or transfer can last only a few hundred milliseconds. The electrical supply recovers. That does not mean the cooling system recovers with it.

What I keep seeing: A pump VFD trips and sits there waiting for a manual reset. The controller reboots slower than the drive. A network switch comes back after the plant controller. The run command disappears during restart. Devices come back "healthy," but in the wrong order.

Individually, every piece can be doing exactly what it was designed to do. The failure is the recovery sequence of the system, not a single bad component.

For critical cooling, "can the electrical system ride through?" is only half the question. The other half is: after the disturbance, what brings the plant back to a stable operating state, and how long does that actually take?

Ride-through on the UPS or ATS doesn't help much if the first pump that should start has no permissive, or the lead/lag logic is still booting.

Curious how others handle this in real plants: Do you rely on VFD auto-restart, or do you keep restart authority in the plant controller / BMS? How do you enforce start order after a brownout, and do you ever commission a short sag test (not just a full outage)?

What usually bites you: drive faults, network, or a lost run command?

Been in the trade for 7 years now and have dealt with lots of different people and lots of different attitudes, but there’s nothing more that I dislike than the individuals who act like they are the greatest gift on earth.

I truly recognize the levels of this trade, there are so many different things to know and understand, and when you find individuals who can do it all, it’s truly impressive but, let’s bring it down a notch.

You can be a genius and still be humble and treat people with respect, and I’ve met these individuals too and they are amazing to work with, but the narcissistic assholes who love to be loud about their greatness and put those less capable down are truly scum.

I rather work with and struggle with someone who isn’t the best but has a good attitude than a genius narcissist.

End rant.

Hi everyone,
I recently got my first job as a BMS Engineer in Dubai. I’m working as a subcontractor on a Honeywell project, and I’m getting exposure to both maintenance/service work and project-related work.
The main issue I’m facing is the work-life balance. The working hours can be difficult, and night shifts and maintenance requirements are making me question whether BMS is the right long-term career for me.
At the same time, I don’t want to leave too early because I know this experience could be valuable for my career.
For people who have experience in BMS/HVAC/Building Automation:
● How can I grow from a site/maintenance BMS Engineer into a better role?
● Is it possible to move from maintenance/service into BMS design, programming, commissioning, controls, or an office-based role?
● Which skills/software should I focus on during my first 1–2 years?
● Does having experience working with a major company like Honeywell through a subcontractor help when applying for jobs elsewhere?
● How is the work-life balance in BMS as you gain more experience?
● If I eventually want to move to Europe or Australia, what should I focus on now?
● Should I continue building BMS experience for a few years, or consider doing a Master’s and then trying to move abroad?
I’m still new to the field, so I’d really appreciate advice from people who have already gone through this career path. Thanks!

BAS call: MS/TP trunk, two devices timing out. When a third joins, **A–B differential** drops (idle vs when that node comes online). Polarity, EOL, and baud already checked.

Still live: bias resistors vs segment split vs a failing transceiver / unit-load on one node that only shows under load.

What’s the **one** discriminating check you’d run next before another controller swap or re-term shotgun — e.g. A–B differential under load, bias check, or segment split?

Not a product pitch — just how you sequence the kill-one step when the usual three don’t settle it.