Check the valve schedule and damper schedule against the device articles in the issued Section 23 09 13: each valve’s flow coefficient, body type for its service, close-off pressure, and fail position, and each damper’s type, leakage class, actuator, and end switches. Then confirm that the control schematics and plans locate the sensors, airflow measurement arrays, freezestats, and space sensor modules the section expects. This is a device review: it asks whether the hardware drawn can be bought and installed as specified, while the sequence review asks whether the control strategy is complete.
Assemble the review package
Gather the control valve schedule, the damper schedule, the control schematics and points schedule, the sequences of operation, the air handling unit and piping details, the duct plans with fire and smoke damper locations, the space sensor module and occupancy sensor drawing, the architectural interior elevations, the electrical motor control details, and the issued Section 23 09 13 with Sections 23 09 00, 23 09 23.02, 23 30 00, 23 05 15, and 26 20 00. Review one air handling unit from its schematic through every valve, damper, and sensor on it before assuming the other units are complete.
WBDG publishes UFGS 23 09 13: Instrumentation and Control Devices for HVAC as a public guide-specification reference (accessed October 27, 2026). Use your project’s issued specification and amendments for the actual comparison; the guide specification does not automatically govern your project. The checklist below is an original suggested review workflow, not a reproduction of the UFGS requirements.
Eight checks to run against the issued set
Use one record per location or system. The CSV contains the same eight prompts plus fields for source revisions, observed evidence, the review owner, the decision, and closure references.
| Check | Sources to compare | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|
| Valve schedule vs. valve articles | Automatic Control Valves and Valve Flow Coefficient and Flow Characteristic articles + valve schedule | Does each valve on the schedule show the flow coefficient the designer note asks for, and a body type (globe, ball, butterfly, or pressure independent) that the edited section keeps for that service, such as steam or high temperature water? |
| Close-off and fail position | Valve Actuators, Damper Actuators, and Electric Actuators articles + valve and damper schedules + control schematics | Does the schedule give a close-off pressure or torque for each valve and a spring return or fail position for each valve and damper, and do the schematics show the same position? |
| Damper types and leakage | Damper Assembly and Damper Types articles + damper schedule + air distribution drawings | Is each outside air, flow control, and mechanical room ventilation damper scheduled with the leakage class the edited section keeps, including a low-leakage outside air damper where the project’s antiterrorism criteria apply? |
| Smoke dampers and end switches | Smoke Dampers and Damper End Switches articles + Section 23 30 00 + fire and smoke damper plans | Where a smoke damper or other damper can close off airflow to or from a fan, are end switches shown on the drawings with the fan interlock, as the designer note asks, and does each smoke damper match the damper schedule and life safety plan? |
| Sensors and input accuracy | Input Measurement Accuracy, Temperature Sensors, Relative Humidity Sensor, and Differential Pressure Instrumentation articles + points schedule | Does every analog input on the points schedule have a matching sensor article, and are the bracketed accuracy and outside air temperature range choices edited for the project site? |
| Airflow and flow measurement | Flow Sensors, Airflow Measurement Array, and Meters articles + air handling unit details + piping diagrams | Is each outside air airflow array drawn downstream of the outside air filters with room for the straight duct the manufacturer needs, and is a meter type the section keeps shown at each flow point on the piping diagrams? |
| Freezestats and equipment safeties | Temperature Switch, Temperature Limit Switch, and Hand-Off Auto Switches articles + schematics + motor control details | Are freezestat locations indicated, and are smoke detectors and freeze protection thermostats wired to protect the equipment in both hand and auto, as the section requires? |
| Room devices and mounting | Space Sensor Module, Occupancy Sensors, and Room Temperature Sensors articles + sensor drawing + interior elevations | Are the occupancy sensor type and mounting location shown, as the designer note asks, and is the mounting height for user-adjustable sensors consistent between the section and the elevations? |
Worked example: a valve schedule with line sizes only
Illustrative example: the valve schedule for a variable air volume air handler lists the chilled water and heating hot water valves by line size, with no flow coefficient, close-off pressure, or fail position. The control schematic shows the preheat valve normally open, and the damper schedule has no end switches on a return smoke damper that can isolate the return fan.
Ask the mechanical engineer to add flow coefficients, close-off values, and fail positions to the valve schedule and to make them agree with the schematic, and to show end switches and the fan interlock on the return smoke damper. Coordinate the smoke damper with the fire and smoke damper schedule and the fire alarm drawings so its control and its life safety function are described once.
Avoid a false conflict
This guide is about devices, not sequences. The HVAC controls guide (23 09 23.02) compares the sequence, points, and integration; this one compares the valves, dampers, sensors, and their schedules. Submittals and enclosures for these devices are specified in Section 23 09 00, indicating devices may also sit in Sections 23 05 15 and 23 30 00, and any device with control functionality, including a thermostat, is a controller under Sections 23 09 00 and 23 09 23.02.
When requirements disagree, follow the project’s document-control and clarification process. Do not assume that drawings always override specifications, or the reverse. Identify the exact sources and request an authorized decision.
Close the issue across the affected documents
Record the location or tag, drawing and specification references, issue dates, observed difference, and the decision needed. Assign an owner and keep the item open until the response identifies the governing requirement. Check the revised drawings and specification references together; a response email alone may leave the issued package inconsistent.
For the overall process, use the guide to drawing and specification conflicts. Mark an inapplicable checklist row with a reason, and distinguish a verified correction from a question that still needs design information.
Where Groundbook fits
Groundbook’s drawing and specification review helps investigate potential disagreements in the documents you supply. Include the relevant specification sections and drawing references, then verify the cited evidence with the responsible reviewers before acting on a finding.