For HVAC instructors, providing hands-on, practical learning experiences is essential to prepare students for real-world troubleshooting and system installation. The TU-9240 HVAC Electrical Control Training Unit has long been a valuable resource in HVAC electrical education, offering a safe, modular, and interactive environment for students to explore electrical principles and control circuits in HVAC systems. Now, with the introduction of the TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package, instructors can elevate their classroom lessons even further by adding nine new panels that deepen students’ understanding of complex control components and scenarios.
Revisiting the TU-9240 HVAC Electrical Control Trainer
The TU-9240 is designed specifically for apprentices and vocational students beginning their journey into HVAC electrical systems. Built on a mobile rolling frame, it supports up to 36 modular panels, allowing instructors to customize lessons by placing up to 12 panels on the front display. The unit’s low-voltage (24V) system ensures safety while enabling students to practice essential electrical skills such as measuring voltage, amperage, and resistance.
One of the TU-9240’s strengths is its flexibility in wiring methods. Students can build circuits using plug-and-play jacks for quick setup or direct wiring to simulate field conditions more accurately. This allows learners to grasp fundamental concepts like series and parallel circuitry—critical for understanding pressure controls and relay operations in HVAC equipment.
Unlocking New Lessons with the TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package
The newly released TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package is designed to seamlessly integrate into the TU-9240 cabinet, adding nine specialized panels mounted on a dedicated rack. This expansion enriches the core training unit by introducing more advanced HVAC control components and systems, opening up opportunities for deeper lessons and labs.
What’s Included in the Expansion Package?
- Blown Fuse Panel: Enables students to test fuse continuity and simulate blown fuses using a multimeter, reinforcing diagnostic skills.
- Honeywell Controller Panel: Introduces electronic remote temperature controllers with both on/off and analog control modes, highlighting modern control technologies.
- Two-Stage Thermostat Panel: Covers multiple heating and cooling stages with hardwired connections for hands-on thermostat wiring practice.
- Defrost Timer Panel (120V): Demonstrates timing control for defrost cycles using mechanical contacts, crucial for heat pump and refrigeration maintenance.
Heat Sequencer Panel: Features timing switches to simulate electric heat sequencing, a fundamental concept in electric furnace operation.- Analog Input Module Panel: Allows practice with analog inputs and potentiometers, helping students understand variable control signals.
- Heat Pump Defrost Control Board Panel: Covers universal defrost controls for single-stage heat pumps, vital for diagnosing heat pump operation.
- Reversing Valve Panel: Demonstrates how refrigerant flow direction changes in heat pumps, key to understanding heat pump heating and cooling cycles.
- T6 Thermostat Panel: Offers advanced thermostat configurations including battery-powered and hardwired options with multi-stage heat and cool functions.
Heat Sequencer Panel:Teaching Benefits and Classroom Applications
By adding the TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package, instructors can broaden lesson plans to cover components and scenarios that go beyond basic electrical controls. The new panels enable hands-on exercises in fuse testing, analog control signals, heat pump defrost cycles, and multi-stage thermostat wiring. These practical labs prepare students to troubleshoot increasingly complex HVAC systems, a critical skill as HVAC technology evolves.
Moreover, the modular design means instructors can introduce these new topics incrementally, tailoring the curriculum to student progress. The ability to simulate faults like blown fuses or defrost timing errors offers real-world problem-solving practice that builds confidence.
Get the TU-9240 Electrical Control Training Unit with the TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package
The TU-9240 HVAC Electrical Control Training Unit already provides a solid foundation for teaching electrical control fundamentals. With the addition of the TU-9242 Expansion Panel Package, instructors gain a powerful toolset to introduce advanced HVAC control topics and create dynamic, engaging labs. Together, these tools equip the next generation of HVAC technicians with the knowledge and hands-on experience they need to succeed in today’s complex HVAC environments.