How often should you perform switchgear testing?
The frequency at which you conduct switchgear maintenance testing is determined by the desired equipment’s reliability, condition, location, and environmental factors.
SEAM Group provides standard and customized levels of switchgear maintenance testing with target frequency ranges based on: high equipment reliability, average to good equipment condition, and environmental impacts.
Level 1 – Frequency of 12 to 18 months
- Project management for coordination of shutdown
- Coordination with utility for equipment shutdown and lockout
- Visual inspection of mechanical components, electrical components, and gauges/indicators (damage, corrosion, moisture, clearances, anchoring)
- Vacuum interior of panels (exterior as needed)
Wipe down exterior and interior of panels with lint-free cloth and alcohol - Inspect alignment, grounding, and all connections
- Torque all bolted bus and cable connections to manufacturer specification
- Clean, lubricate and exercise applicable dynamic or articulated components
- Controlled restart of equipment
- Document all deficiencies identified and the status of any repair actions
Level 2 – Frequency of 24 to 36 months
- Perform insulation resistance testing to verify bus integrity
- Contact resistance testing to verify joint connections on bus and protective device connectivity between bus and load
- Perform protective relay and circuit breaker testing (secondary injection testing where
applicable)
Engineered solutions to enhance safe operations, including:
- Installation of infrared windows to enable IR scans of high-incident energy panels while energized
- Installation of arc flash relays to reduce load-side incident energy
- Installation of upgrades to equipment or components to improve the safety and
reliability of the system - Transformer testing to confirm performance to specification
- Confirm that as-built equipment matches customer-provided drawings
Let’s talk about the safety and reliability benefits of a custom preventive maintenance program for your facility.