Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz — July 16, 2019
You work for an electrical services firm and have been sent out on a job for a first-time client. It's an office building, and you meet with the HR manager who doubles as the facilities manager.
The complaint is that “old breakers” keep tripping at inconvenient times. He takes you to the electrical room, where you notice a box of fluorescent lamps leaning against the bottom of the circuit panel door. This is “proof” that nobody is operating the breakers, else the box would have been moved. He's kept track of the rogue breakers (all supply receptacles, none supply lights) and wants them replaced.
Should you replace or troubleshoot? If the latter, how?
If you can solve the real problem, you will score major customer loyalty points. Those lamps don't belong in the electrical room, and the “box trap” doesn't prove anything.
Since the loads are selectively shut off (just equipment), it sounds like a disgruntled employee might be the source of the problem.
You need to determine whether the breakers are tripping or being manually opened. That means seeing the trip indicator. So, ask the client to monitor for a few days and snap a photo of any “rogue” breaker before resetting it.
The next step is to secure the room by keeping it locked and controlling access to it.
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.