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Installation Savings

HVAC contractors and sheet metal contractors often encounter volume dampers located above drywall or hard ceilings. It is a classic "hidden" headache in the HVAC world. While the physical act of installing a volume damper takes very little time, the complexity arises from the access and coordination required when dealing with hard ceilings (drywall, metal, wood, or plaster).

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The ZipSet system is particularly interesting because it utilizes a "Hybrid Wireless" approach. Unlike mechanical cable systems that use steel cables, the ZipSet is designed to save the commercial contractor time and labor cost. Because the Zipset is battery operated, no building power is required. The power stays in the technician's hand with the HHC-2 hand-held controller.  Here is the breakdown for a ZipSet installation cost compared to a traditional mechanical cable system for an application where a slot diffuser is balanced at the face of the diffuser.

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How the ZipSet System Changes Labor

The ZipSet actuator (ZSA-1-R) is easily mounted on the damper shaft and comes with an 8-foot (or extended) plenum-rated power lead.  Once the actuator is mounted, you feed the power lead through the plenum of the linear slot diffuser and plug it into a Hand Held Controller (HHC-2), which contains a 9V battery, to position the damper. Once the slot diffuser is balanced, the cable is attached out of sight in the plenum of the linear slot diffuser. This is the Zipset “Feed-Thru” system.

 

Labor Savings:

​   Phase                               Mechanical Cables/Linkages                              ZipSet System                                 Time Saved                   $ Saved ($115/hr)

Mounting                      15 min (Attach Actuator)                     10 min (Mount Zipset)                  ~5 minutes                           $ 9.58

Rough-In                       25 min (Routing/Finishing)                10 min (Routing/Finishing)         ~15 minutes                        $ 28.75    Regulator                      20 min (Install in Plenum)                      5 min (Attach Wire Clip)            ~15 minutes                        $ 28.75

Balancing                      15 min (Manual Crank)                            5 min (Plug & Press)                    ~10  minutes                       $ 19.17

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Total per Damper            75 minutes                                                          30 minutes                                                ~ 45 minutes                             $  86.25

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Material First Cost:

A ZipSet actuator usually adds a premium to the damper cost, but it eliminates the need for expensive mechanical cable kits and access doors.

  • Mechanical Cable Kit Cost: ~$60 - $85 (plus the cost of the damper)

  • ZipSet Actuator Cost: ~$65 - $100 (plus the cost of the damper)

  • Net Material Increase: ~$5 - $15 per damper

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The Breakeven Calculation:

  • Labor Savings: 45 minutes @ $115/hr (full burden):   ~ $86.25 saved in labor

  • Material Cost Increase: ~ $15.00

  • Result: You are essentially breaking even on the very first install, but you have eliminated the risk of a broken/kinked cable which can cost $500+ to fix once the ceiling is painted.

 

Key Advantages Specific to ZipSet

  • No "Dead Battery" Anxiety: Because the 9V battery is in the handheld controller, you never have to worry about a battery dying inside the ceiling 5 years from now. If the damper won't move, you just change the battery in your hand

  • "Feed-Thru" Option: ZipSet allows you to run the control wire inside the duct to the diffuser. This means zero holes in the drywall. This is the ultimate "time saver" because it removes the sheet metal contractor from the drywall coordination schedule entirely

  • One-Man Balancing: Traditional cables often require one guy at the damper and one at the hood to communicate. With the ZipSet remote, the balancer can hold the hood in one hand and the controller in the other while setting the airflow to design conditions

 

When ZipSet is the "Clear Winner"

  • High Ceilings: If the damper is 15 feet up, a mechanical cable is a nightmare to route. A ZipSet extension cable can be run 50+ feet with no loss in torque

  • Architectural Hard-Lids: If the project specs "No Access Doors," your only options are mechanical cables (prone to failure) or ZipSet

  • Renovations: When adding a zone to an existing building, "fishing" a low-voltage ZipSet wire is significantly easier than fishing a stiff mechanical cable

 

Summary

 

For a contractor, ZipSet is less of a "luxury" and more of a labor-risk insurance policy. By spending an extra $15-$20 on the Zipset, you gain nearly an hour of labor back and 100% certainty that you won't have to cut into a finished ceiling during the final walkthrough.

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