The 5 Things You’re Probably Doing Wrong with Switchgear Maintenance

Switchgear helps isolate circuits and equipment, protecting electrical systems and operators from the thermal and mechanical stresses of short circuits. It also enables greater operator control over specific equipment. However, despite playing such a critical role in personnel and equipment safety, switchgear maintenance very often still falls short of best practice. 

One of the main sources of switchgear issues is how the equipment is maintained, which in turn affects its real-world as opposed to its rated capacity. This has implications not only for safety but also impacts regulatory and insurance compliance for buildings and operations. In this blog, we’ll examine five key areas where you may be falling behind in switchgear maintenance.

1. Over-Reliance on Time-Based Maintenance

Time-based maintenance, where equipment is included in a planner and addressed in rotation, comes from a logical place. With so much equipment and components in an industrial setting, performing proactive maintenance and having an inspection calendar acknowledges the importance of this type of maintenance.

However, time-based maintenance doesn’t take real-world factors such as usage, location, and environmental conditions into consideration. Maintenance for your electrical switchgear should be performed according to a risk-based or condition-based strategy, where a component’s rated lifespan is considered in conjunction with its likely wear and usage.

You can test electrical switchgear using contact resistance measurements, partial discharge testing, or thermal imaging to identify switchgear locations that may require more frequent oversight or maintenance within your facility. A fully informed, proactive maintenance schedule enables you to identify potential switchgear problems early and prioritize resources effectively.

2. Understanding Environmental Conditions

While electrical switchgear used in stable, cool, well-ventilated situations may adhere to its rated timeline, this is not the case in many other locations that require electrical switchgear, such as oil and gas extraction, mining, or military operations in harsh environments. 

Humidity, temperature, airborne materials, and even vibrations can significantly impact the lifespan and usability of electrical switchgear. Airborne chemicals and salt spray can cause corrosion, humidity can break down insulation, and combustible dust or flyings can cause explosions or electrical arcing. Each location’s unique environmental conditions must be factored into the life cycle of your switchgear. 

3. Overlooking Functional Testing

It’s not just how often electrical switchgear maintenance is performed. It also matters how it’s performed. Visual inspections are crucial for identifying obvious degradation, corrosion, or other issues; however, the moving parts of the switchgear and their functionality also require testing. Functional testing involves testing the moving and functioning components of electrical switchgear under both normal and fault conditions to ensure the equipment remains operational at its rated level.

Some examples of functional testing of electrical switchgear include:

• Operational Tests: Ensure that relays trip at appropriate fault currents or that circuit breakers open and close properly.

• Mechanical Tests: Checks racking mechanisms, shutters, and other mechanical components. 

• Protection Relay Testing: Verifies that protection relays trip in line with the settings assigned to them and are operating according to their programmed logic.

• Control and Auxiliary Circuit Tests: Ensure that control transfer relays are functioning as intended and that control power sources are operational. 

4. Lacking Trained Personnel

Electrical switchgear maintenance is best handled by specialist electricians rather than general maintenance staff. Running proper functional testing and understanding the signs of degradation in electrical equipment is essential for maintaining switchgear in the safest possible condition. Electrical technicians with a comprehensive understanding of electrical protection systems, fault current behavior, and safety protocols will help avoid common mistakes, such as resetting relays without investigating the root cause or misaligning breaker racking.

To ensure operator and equipment safety, as well as to maintain regulatory and insurance compliance, only properly qualified technicians should service your electrical equipment, including electrical switchgear.

5. Missing or Incomplete Documentation

Clear and regular documentation of an equipment’s entire lifecycle, from installation through all maintenance interventions, is akin to providing the medical history of a patient. Anyone who comes across the equipment subsequently will be able to read the notes and identify any prevalent issues, such as wear trends, to check if they are recurring or to note the date when previous components were replaced. If certain components are degrading faster than expected, i.e., being replaced more often than usual, then this usually points to a deeper underlying issue.

Along with notes, changes, and dates, good documentation should also include inspections carried out such as test results, thermal scans, and insulation resistance values.

Conclusion

Electrical switchgear is a crucial piece of safety equipment that enables circuits and equipment to be isolated, improving safety in the event of short circuits or arcing and allowing for greater machine and operator control. As such, its maintenance needs to follow best practice in all respects, but this is often not the case.

Many flaws in electrical switchgear maintenance remain prevalent, including the continued adherence to time-based rather than risk-based or condition-based maintenance scheduling, the lack of maintenance performed by qualified technicians, and the failure to subject electrical switchgear to full functional testing as part of its routine maintenance.  These and other maintenance issues can lead to problems being overlooked and potentially cause more significant issues down the line, such as equipment failure.

At Enercon, we fully understand the vital role electrical switchgear plays within electrical systems. Whether you’re looking to retrofit or install new control panels, or for assistance in maintenance of your current outlay, contact us to get started.