DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING AN EFFECTIVE ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Part I:  Selection Of A Testing Firm

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Part II:  Developing Specifications

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Part III: Anatomy Of a Shutdown; Implementing The Program

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Developing and Implementing An Effective Electrical Maintenance Program

Part II:  Developing Specifications  |  Page 2 of 4

It is easy to see that just getting a complete list of your equipment can be time consuming.  This is where you can work with the testing firm and do a walk through of your facility.  A brief discussion with a technician can bring shape to your particular requirements.   Too often it takes an equipment failure and major downtime to initiate a regular maintenance schedule on the main electrical equipment.Questions can be asked to determine the feasibility and special requirements of a maintenance shutdown.

1. What hours do you normally operate?

2. Have you had any recent failures of equipment or has something been operating erratically?

3. Have you had an Annual Infrared Thermographic Survey?

4. Did the Survey reveal any critical maintenance issues?

5. What would it cost your company if the main electrical equipment suffered a 1 hour shutdown?  an 8 hour shutdown?

If maintenance has rarely been performed a priority list should be developed.  Technicians are familiar with particular maintenance problems.  For example, if you have a bolted pressure switch for a main service disconnect and it has not been maintained in 20 years, that is a high priority. Maintenance takes time and occasionally there isn't enough time in one shutdown to do everything you would like.   Possibly several shutdowns will be required with different areas of the facility being maintained at different times.

Information on the equipment is also key.  Your facility should be able to provide the testing firm the following:

• Electrical Single Line Diagram

• Original Equipment Drawings

• Manufacturer's Literature

• Previous Maintenance Records

All this information is necessary to tailor a specification to your facility.  There are numerous national standards and guidelines that can be followed, like NFPA, ANSI, NETA and NEMA. Bits of each of these organizations standards can be utilized to develop your specification.

But first we must know what equipment you have, when it was installed and how often it has been maintained. From this list electrical testing requirements are developed and checklists formed.  With all this information compiled, now you need a shutdown date

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