Revit duct accessory tag: how to tag dampers, silencers, and access doors

A damper tag is small and it carries a lot. The reader finds out where the fire damper is, which one it is on the schedule, and whether it is rated. If the tag is missing, the question goes to the engineer. If the tag sits on the duct, the reader cannot tell what it labels.

This guide covers the job in order. You load a tag, place it, make it read the right values, and place it in the gap the accessory leaves. RayCAD is a Revit plugin for MEPF tagging and annotation, and under each step you will see where it slows down and what RayCAD does at that point.

What counts as a duct accessory?

Revit puts dampers, silencers, access doors, and flex connectors in one category, called Duct Accessories. The tag category is Duct Accessory Tags. Duct fittings such as elbows and tees use a different category, and so do air terminals.

How do you tag a duct accessory in Revit?

1. Load a duct accessory tag

1. Go to the Annotate tab and open the drop-down arrow on the Tag panel.
2. Choose Loaded Tags and Symbols.
3. Click Load and browse to a duct accessory tag. The tags that ship with Revit sit in the Annotations folder of your Revit library, under Mechanical.
4. Check that the tag name now appears next to Duct Accessory Tags, then click OK.

The last tag you load for a category becomes the default. Load your firm's tag last.

2. Tag one accessory with Tag by Category

1. Open the plan or section.
2. Go to Annotate, Tag, Tag by Category, or type TG.
3. Set the orientation, and turn the leader on or off.
4. Click the damper. The tag appears.
5. Drag the tag beside the run. Press Esc twice to leave the command.

An accessory sits inside the duct line. A tag placed on top of it covers the symbol and the duct together, so put the tag beside the run and use a leader when the gap is tight.

3. Tag every accessory at once with Tag All Not Tagged

1. Open the view. Select the accessories you want tagged, or select nothing to tag all of them.
2. Go to Annotate, Tag, Tag All.
3. Choose All objects in current view or Only selected objects in current view.
4. Select Duct Accessory Tags.
5. Set Leader and Tag Orientation, then click OK.

Tag All skips accessories that already have a tag, and it runs on the active view only.

How do you make a duct accessory tag show the right values?

Start with what your schedule shows. A damper tag usually reads a mark, and some offices add a type, a size, or a fire rating.

1. Select a tag and click Edit Family.
2. Save a copy under a new name.
3. Select the label and click Edit Label.
4. Add Mark, Type Mark, or the parameter you need.
5. Click Load into Project, and choose to overwrite the existing version if Revit asks.

Two things catch people.

• Mark and Type Mark are different. Mark is an instance parameter, so each damper can hold its own value. Type Mark is a type parameter, so every damper of that type reads the same. A tag that shows the same value on every damper is reading Type Mark or an empty Mark.
• Custom parameters need to be shared. A tag can only read a family parameter if it is a shared parameter. A fire rating that someone added as a plain family parameter does not appear in the label list. Add it as a shared parameter in the family, then load the family again.

How do you tag accessories in section views?

A damper in a section appears as a symbol across the duct. Tag it in the section with the same category, and check that the tag category is on in that section's view template. The tag in the plan and the tag in the section both read the same parameters, so the label has to make sense in both.

What goes wrong with duct accessory tags?

What else breaks when you tag accessories by hand?

Missed accessories. A fire damper without a tag is a compliance question. RayCAD lists what it could not place, with the reason, and takes you to it. See how that reduces RFIs.

Model changes. When a duct reroutes, the damper moves with it and the tag stays where it was. RayCAD's Retag tool re-tags the elements you select, using the same settings.

How does RayCAD tag duct accessories end to end?

You pick the views. RayCAD finds every damper, silencer, access door, and flex connector, decides where each tag goes, places it, and lists anything it could not place. You review the result. A click-saver plugin makes each manual click faster and leaves the deciding and placing with you.

A damper tag sits beside the damper, along the run. RayCAD tags native accessories and fabrication accessories the same way, in floor plans and section views, and it tags the ducts, fittings, air terminals, and equipment on the same run in the same pass.

What should you check before you issue the sheet?

• Every damper, silencer, and access door has a tag.
• Tag values match the damper schedule, including fire ratings.
• No tag covers a duct line or another tag.
• Section views tag the same accessories as the plan.

Try RayCAD on your own ducted views, or book a demo and an onboarding call. It runs on Revit 2021 to 2027. The guide to tagging ducts covers the ducts these accessories sit in.