The Silent Curse of Botched Repairs
Generally, you can classify a botched repair as either incomplete or incorrect.
A repair is complete only when the reasons for the repair have all been addressed. For example, a motor failed. An incomplete repair consists of simply replacing the motor. A complete repair consists of identifying the cause of the failure and solving it (e.g., voltage imbalance caused it to overheat).
An incorrect repair is one with errors. For example, a blown 2A fuse was replaced with a 10A fuse because that's what was available. A common type of incorrect repair is the introduction of contaminants into a system. This usually happens due to a combination of poor work habits and poor working area hygiene.
Identify reasons you can address. A repair may be incomplete due to time pressure, parts unavailability, poor scope definition, poor training, poor procedures, or poor attitude. A repair may be incorrect for the same reasons it would be incomplete, but to the list you can add parts damage from poor storage practices, poor diagnosis, poor work habits, poor work area hygiene, poor plant hygiene, worker inattention, and incorrect post-repair testing.
About the Author
Mark LamendolaMark 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.