Industrial Circuit Breaker Maintenance

The maintenance and testing of industrial circuit breakers is crucial because of their important role. There are different kinds of maintenance actions that can be taken for different types of circuit breakers, such as molded case, low-voltage, medium-voltage, and high voltage Circuit Breakers. The frequency of maintenance as well as maintenance procedures differ depending on what type of circuit breakers you are dealing with. As always, safety should always be the number one priority when maintaining and testing industrial circuit breakers.

Routine Maintenance Tests for Industrial Circuit Breakers

In order for industrial circuit breakers remain in top shape and perform their basic functions, tests need to be completed. There are tests to make sure that the circuit breakers are not overheating, that the mechanical operation of the breaker is acceptable, and that there are no loose connections, to name a few. Maintaining the industrial circuit breakers helps to find any wiring problems with the electrical system so that they can be fixed before anything dangerous happens. There are certain routine maintenance tests that need to be performed on different types of circuit breakers. For instance, the molded circuit breaker should have the insulation resistance test performed on it while another type of circuit breaker may not need that test.

Frequency of Maintenance Tests for Industrial Circuit Breaker

While molded case circuit breakers require little to no routine maintenance throughout their normal lifetime, the other types of circuit breakers usually need to be maintained more frequently if it is a higher voltage circuit breaker. The low-voltage circuit breaker needs to be checked every one to three years while the medium-voltage circuit breaker should be checked annually. The high-voltage circuit breaker is the one that needs to be checked the most, with maintenance being done every six months to a year.

Effects of Lack of Maintenance to Industrial Circuit Breakers

If industrial circuit breakers are not properly maintained, then there are issues and problems that can arise. The fact that there may be an issue at all may not be obvious because industrial circuit breakers usually remain idle. When maintenance is not done on them for a long period of time, electric transmission system breakups and damage to equipment can occur. The industrial circuit breaker also may not operate properly if there is dust or other materials inside the box. Therefore, inspection and maintenance should occur at least once per year if it is a molded case circuit breaker and every three to five years is when routine testing should take place.

Maintenance and testing is vital to industrial circuit breakers. Performing the proper tests helps to keep the circuit breakers functioning properly. If the industrial circuit breakers are not maintained properly then there are many problems that can come as a result. Maintenance and testing is definitely necessary for industrial circuit breakers.