Maintaining electrical systems are an important part of facility management that can be difficult. Unlike other parts of a building, electrical systems can be more difficult to troubleshoot and prevent failure as failing electrical equipment often do not have perceivable indicators.
The Benefits of Infrared Maintenance
Infrared (IR) maintenance is one way of assessing mechanical and electrical equipment health with minimal interruptions. As equipment ages and gets closer to failure, it heats up during use and malfunctions until failure. By observing the heat patterns in system components, faults can be located and their severity evaluated before any serious problems arise. Some common issues identified are:
Deterioration & Degradation
Loose Connections
Overloaded or Imbalanced Circuits
Faulty Breakers
Damaged Switches
Faulty Fuses
Compared to more detailed testing, preventative IR maintenance requires minimal interruption. As physical contact with the system is not required, inspections can be made under full operational conditions resulting in little to no disruption of regular activities.
An Integral Part of Electrical Maintenance Plans
Infrared maintenance's value lies in regular testing and historical trending to recognize patterns and more accurately predict equipment failure. This helps prevent unexpected damage and downtime.
ANSI-NETA 2011 Appendix B recognizes infrared maintenance as an important part of electrical maintenance plans and has it listed as one of the most frequent types of inspection/test, second only to visual inspection where applicable.
Routine inspection programmes using Thermal Imagers can often offer the following benefits:
Equipment life can be extended
Downtime may be reduced
Reliability may be increased
Repairs scheduled for the most convenient time
Quality of repair work may be inspected
How We Can Help
As electrical experts we can work with you to develop a comprehensive maintenance plan that includes preventative infrared maintenance and other tests/inspections as required to keep your facility running reliably.
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