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Tip of the Week: Power Quality, Part 2

Oct. 23, 2017
If you think you may have problems related to equipment failure, here are steps to take to begin addressing some of the issues.

If you suspect power quality problems that are due to equipment failures and other symptoms, how do you respond? It is unlikely you have the required expertise in house, and you probably have to go through a process before you can bring in a firm with that expertise.

While that process is in progress, what can you do to start addressing at least some of these issues?

• Perform voltage measurements on all feeders, then on all branch circuits. Measure line to ground and line to line, RMS. You’re looking for low voltage, high voltage, and voltage imbalance. The sheer scope of the work may require hiring an electrical services firm. While awaiting approval, take the measurements for your critical equipment.

• Inspect for grounding and bonding errors. If you see a ground rod on the load side, that’s a red flag that something is wrong. This rod serves no electrical purpose, and is probably substituting for proper bonding.

• Check all transformers (except auto-transformers) for proper grounding; the National Electrical Code (NEC) considers them to be separately derived sources.

One way to turbocharge this process is to start keeping a spreadsheet of the problems as they occur if they seem related to power quality.

If you note key information, you can sort in a way that will enable you to conduct a Pareto analysis. This will, for one thing, reveal patterns that can lead to quicker resolution.

Include these fields:

• Whether the supply is a branch circuit or feeder.

• Nominal voltage.

• Building or area where load is situated.

• Affiliated production line, if applicable.

• Type of equipment served (use standardized codes, such as 1 for production motor with drive, 2 for production motor without drive, 3 for lights, 4 for HVAC, 5 for computers, etc.).

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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