reventive Maintenance and checklist

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Preventive maintenance checklist

Why Perform Preventive Maintenance on Electrical Systems

During the winter and summer months, power requirements are higher for many industries as
facilities struggle to keep buildings warm and their assets in operation. In addition, in today's
economic environment, facility and plant managers also struggle with efforts to lower power
consumption in order to reduce expenses.
Reasons to Perform Electrical Preventive Maintenance
THERE IS SAYING A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE.
Avoid electrical shorts that cause fires: Electrical short circuits can occur when wires are
overloaded with current, wires are exposed and load imbalances. This can cause excessive
heat build-up, arcing or explosions.
2. Identify loose connections: Loose connections can cause power fluctuations to devices,
devices to operate erratically and uneven load distribution between wires.
1.

3.

Identify components running hot or not according to specifications: Transformers, motors,

bearings and wires almost always run hot before they fail. Predictive maintenance
technologies such as infrared Thermography, vibration analysis and laser alignment tools as
well as general maintenance such as regularly scheduled lubrication can avoid asset failure.

4.

Identify unusual smells, noises, dust build up, or discoloration: Melting insulation, stressed
motors, corrosion through dust and so on make a physical inspection a requirement for
electrical components. Electrical troubleshooting and simulation should be performed using
a systematic approach.

5.

Check all emergency lighting, signage and power indicator displays: Many electrical
disasters occur when the safety monitoring equipment itself is faulty leading to a false belief
that all is ok.

6.

Extend the useful lifecycle of assets: Poorly maintained assets require more energy to do
the same amount of work. This leads to excessive wear and tear and a shortening of the
assets useful lifecycle.

7.

Avoid unplanned downtime: Unplanned downtime can shut down production, result in
emergency labour costs and unnecessary capital asset replacement. Without proper
electrical training, all of these significantly impact the profitability of the organization.

8.

Less equipment loss: Consistent electrical preventive maintenance will reduce the amount
of equipment that needs to be replaced early as a result of electrical problems.

9.

Energy savings: Optimal energy efficiency will occur when equipment is functioning within
design parameters and is well maintained.

10. Safety and Liability: The most important reason of all is safety. Avoiding serious injuries or

death is worth every penny spent on prevention. Liability lawyers have a field day when
facilities have a poor maintenance record.

How Often Should Electrical PM be done?

TRANSFORMER LV BUSHING

Electrical systems should have a thorough inspection by a qualified electrician. The

frequency quarterly, half yearly, annually, bi-yearly so on. It depends on the service of the
equipments and decision should be taken by section head. Individual assets should be
inspected according to manufacturer directions or based upon experience and industrial
training in a particular environment. For example, some motors may need to be inspected
quarterly, air handlers annually and so on. Preventive maintenance, inspections and work
orders are best handled using your own excel sheet or specialised software for the
scheduling and recording of activity, results and notes.
Preventive maintenance of electrical systems goes beyond the visual or scheduled
predictive maintenance work. A full electrical PM is a complete look at the electrical system
including;

Sample Electrical PM Items

Compliance to safety audit recommendation

Re-torque connections

Checking panel boards

Inspecting control logic/scheme/PLCs for effectiveness

Examining work orders as well as new installs for compliance and uniformity

Making sure lock-out tags are in place

Inspection of heating and cooling units

Lighting

Shutdown mechanisms

NEC code compliance

Electrical inspection checklists and resources
Every organization has a unique set of assets. Therefore, it is unlikely that the same
electrical inspection checklist will be the same. Generally manufacturer provides the
checklist for maintenance it should be adhere to or with own practice we can develop
ourselves.

GENERAL ANNUAL CHECKS

(1) Review past maintenance records to find repair patterns. These records may point to
certain components that should be closely inspected during performance of preventive
maintenance.
(2) Review operator records concerning electrical load readings; compare with equipment
ratings. Operator records regarding operating temperatures and any documented abnormal
circumstances associated with the system should also be reviewed.
(3) Inspect Secondary Electrical Distribution Equipment:
(a) Inspect to ensure that warning signs exist. Replace as required.
(b) Inspect enclosures for damage, unauthorized openings, and corrosion of metallic objects.
Repair and paint as required.
(c) Inspect air passages and remove any blockage.
(d) Inspect, investigate, and solve conditions for unusual odors.
(e) As equipment is operated and tested, listen, investigate, and solve conditions for unusual
noises.
(f) Inspect electrical connections for degradation and tightness. Repair as required.
(g) Inspect electrical insulation for discoloration and degradation. Repair as required.
(h) Inspect equipment grounding components such as conductors and connections. Repair as
required.
(i) Inspect insulators for damage. Replace as required.
(j) Inspect liquid immersed equipment for leaks and damage.
(k) Inspect indicating lights for correct illumination.
(4) Remove debris, dirt, and other foreign objects from all components, housings, cabinets,
panels, etc.
(5) Torque all electrical connections to design value..
(6) Verify operation of space heaters and control thermostat. Check thermostat set point for
proper setting.
(7) Verify the grounding of the equipment and associated neutral where applicable.
(8) Conduct infrared test on all main current carrying equipment for hot spots that may
indicate overload conditions or loose connections.
(9) Using calibrated test instruments, calibrate ammeters, voltmeters, etc. Verify continuity

of metering selector switch contacts with ohmmeter.

Sample
Check List for Transformer Maintenance
Date:
Substation No:
Transformer No:

Sln
o

Voltage Ratio:

Activities

Obtain LC from Sub-station Operation

Check for oil leakages

Check for oil level in the conservator tank is up

to 3/4th mark

Check for Breather condition

Check for Silica Gel condition

Clean the body

Open the terminal box check the following

a) Tightness of terminal connection
b) Condition of bushings
c) Any sign of overheating.

Check for any unplugged opening, missing bolts

Check all terminal box tightness

Checks carried

Remarks

10

Check oil/winding temperature setting

11

Check earthing system is proper & intact

12

Check cable support

13

Check IR value

14

a) Primary

: P-E

b) Secondary

: P-E

Any other abnormality

Signature

Check List for Switch Board Maintenance

Date:
Substation No:
SWB No:

Sln
o

Rating:

Activities

Obtain LC from Sub-station Operation

Ensure isolation of the Incomer and Bus coupler breaker and

control supply and Heater supply of the section

Checks
carried

Remarks

Ensure all back feeding sources are isolated

Remove all breakers/modules and PT Cubicles (If it is draw

able type)

Open the top and side covers of the busbar chamber.

Clean the busbar chamber, breaker rear and front

compartment with air blower, vacuum cleaner and dry cloth.

Clean all insulators by soft dry cloth & contact Cleaner.

Check for cracks, damages & replace the defective one.

Check and tighten the exposed joints of the busbar. Check for
any signs of heating.

Check and tighten the power connections of CT/ PT and out

going cables.

10

Check for any unplugged opening, missing bolts

11

Box up busbar chamber & rear compartments of breaker.

12

Check earthing system is proper & intact

13

Check IR value
a) R-E

14

b) Y-E c) B-E

Any other abnormality

Signature

Posted by Bhagawan Prasad at 18:52

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5 comments:
1.
Andrei Morris12 February 2013 at 18:57
When your business depends on electrical machinery and equipment for increased
productivity and improved cash flow, it is extremely important to keep that machinery
inspected and well-maintained on a regular basis. Preventive electrical equipment
maintenance done regularly by trained, professional and experienced electrical
workers helps to detect electrical problems before they become serious issues. By
scheduling routine maintenance checks that utilize advanced technology and expert
electrical skills, the industrial equipment and machinery on which your business runs
can continue working efficiently, reducing the risk of a catastrophic failure that can
cost time and money. Read on to learn the benefits of preventive electrical equipment
maintenance, as well as the use of infrared thermography in detecting electrical
problems.
Save
Time
and
Money:
An effective preventive electrical maintenance program involves scheduling routine
inspections and checkups on a regular basis, ensuring that your equipment and
machinery is continually checked for both minor and major problems. Even small
electrical problems can become more severe issues if left undetected for too long,
which can lead to emergency repairs that require halted production lines and costly
replacement parts. In a challenging global economy that demands cost-effective
mass production on a timely basis, stopping production due to equipment failure can
have
major
setbacks.
A
Safer
Workplace:
Not only can preventive electrical maintenance save businesses time and money, but
by keeping equipment functioning properly, the risk of hazard is greatly reduced and
the work environment becomes a safer place. Electrical equipment failure can lead to
serious hazards, including fires and arc flash, which can leave workers severely
injured. Equipment that is not working properly or problems that are left undetected
can have unfortunate results for electricians working with or near the equipment.
Machinery should be inspected frequently to identify potential problems and prevent
them
from
becoming
dangers
in
the
workplace.
Using
Infrared
Thermography:
The use of infrared (IR) thermography is critical to preventive maintenance in
electrical work environments. All objects radiate thermal energy, or heat, and IR

cameras can detect the radiation of heat that is emitted from any given object by
taking "heat" images. Through a range of colors, these images present hot spots that
cannot otherwise be perceived by the naked eye. IR thermography is used to reveal
loose circuits, equipment failure and safety hazards. Electrical workers can then use
the thermographic images to analyze and measure temperatures, identifying
problems and fixing them before they become severe.