Texas puts commercial HVAC controls through some of the most demanding conditions in the country. Summer temperatures routinely exceed 100°F across Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin, with sustained cooling loads that push equipment hard for months at a time.
Functional Devices, Inc. builds three product categories that Texas contractors specify together to handle it: RIB® (Relay-In-a-Box®) relays, RIB® current sensors, and RIB® prepackaged power supplies, providing switching, verification, and control power in one field-proven ecosystem.
RIB® Relays: Equipment Switching for Texas Commercial HVAC
RIB® relays are the standard interface between BAS binary outputs and line-voltage HVAC load circuits. Large Texas facilities often run multiple rooftop units or chiller stages to meet peak cooling demand; RIB® relays provide the switching points that keep the control system isolated from those line-voltage circuits. The RIB2401B handles fan coil unit control across virtually every configuration in use in Texas commercial construction, from hotel guestrooms to office towers to medical facilities.
For demand response on the ERCOT grid, RIB® relays at HVAC equipment switching points make load-shed commands fast and dependable. And because they're UL Listed as complete, field-ready assemblies, they clear inspection without hassle—which matters on Texas projects where schedule pressure is constant.
RIB® Current Sensors: Runtime and Load Verification
Switching equipment is only half the picture. RIB® current sensors close the loop by confirming that HVAC equipment is actually running and drawing current within expected range. In a Texas commercial building running multiple RTUs through a peak-demand summer, that feedback is what lets a BAS distinguish a tripped breaker from a normal off cycle.
Split-core models install around an existing conductor without disconnecting wiring, making them practical for both new construction and retrofit work. For variable-speed equipment like ECM fans and VFD-driven pumps—increasingly common in Texas high-efficiency commercial builds—specialized models like the RIBXGTA-ECM handle the low, variable current draws those motors produce. Texas commercial projects subject to IECC energy code requirements increasingly call for this kind of equipment-level verification as part of commissioning and energy compliance documentation.
RIB® Prepackaged Power Supplies: Clean Control Power on Every Job
BAS controllers, sensors, and interposing relays all need reliable 24V control power. RIB® prepackaged power supplies deliver it in a compact, prewired enclosure—no separate transformer, no field assembly. On Texas rooftop installations where summer ambient temperatures regularly exceed 120°F in direct sun, having a purpose-built, thermally rated power supply in the control circuit reduces callbacks and keeps the system running through the season.
Why Texas Contractors Specify the Full RIB® Lineup
Every product in the RIB® lineup is designed and manufactured in the U.S., tested before leaving the factory, and backed by a field failure rate of less than 1 in 16,000. On Texas commercial projects where a failed component in peak summer means an immediate service call, that track record of reliability is important.
For Texas HVAC and BAS contractors in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and beyond, find an authorized Functional Devices distributor in Texas.