Do you know the benefits of an IR inspection?

Part 2 of 3: Although there are many factors to consider with preventative maintenance, an IR electrical inspection should certainly be part of the mix.

By David Manney August 18, 2016

Many businesses are aware of the benefits of using a preventative maintenance program. By discovering problems before they become too big of an issue, it is possible to save a considerable amount of money. Although there are many factors to consider with preventative maintenance, an IR electrical inspection should certainly be part of the mix.

What can an IR electrical inspection do for your facility and why should you include it now?

In any electrical system, one of the sure signs that a problem exists is excessive heat.

A variety of problems may cause excessive heat. Some of the issues that could lead to a heat problem and the possibility of failure of the equipment include ground faults, short-circuits, components that need replacing, and electrical resistance. If the issue is not caught soon enough, it could lead to a catastrophic failure of the equipment and a considerable cost, both financially and in the way of downtime for your facility.

In some cases, it may be possible to find the hotspots through other types of testing, including manual or visual inspection. These types of inspections tend to be costly and time-consuming, and when all is said and done, they may not catch all of the problems. Through the use of IR detection technology, however, it is possible to pinpoint any hotspots accurately in the facility. In fact, it is feasible to use this technology to test many pieces of equipment in a single day.

What are the benefits of IR scans?

IR scanning provides multiple benefits to your facility. One of the primary benefits is the ability to see issues that cause excessive heat and could lead to catastrophic failure within the equipment. There are additional benefits as well, including the following.

Reducing downtime: It is possible to reduce downtime at your facility by seeing any issues that may exist before they become a difficult problem to control. This type of preventative maintenance may determine that there are problems that could be repaired before a serious issue exists. If a serious problem does occur and is found during the IR scan, downtime can be scheduled when it is convenient for the facility.

Testing under load: The IR scan takes place while your equipment is up and running. This can prevent a problem with costly shutdowns and keeps your facility operating while the scan is taking place.

Set Priorities: At times, multiple issues may be found, so it is necessary to establish priorities as far as repair is concerned. After the scan takes place and the issues are found, you can set priorities as to when the repairs take place.

IR thermography is a beneficial part of your preventive maintenance program that you should not ignore. By inspecting your equipment without costly shutdowns, it allows for a more thorough maintenance testing without interrupting operations.

—  David Manney is a marketing administrator at L&S Electric. This article originally appeared on L&S Electric Watts New Blog. L&S Electric Inc. is a CFE Media content partner.

Original content can be found at lselectric.com.