THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE TO ELECTRICAL SUBSTATIONS

Let’s analyze the subject in this way, the transformer is the heart of the electrical installation and the wiring networks are the arteries, for the whole body to function properly we need a strong and healthy heart.

Substation maintenance is not an issue that we can ignore or handle lightly, it requires time, planning and a correct diagnosis made by experts in order to achieve the main objective, the optimal functioning of our electrical installations.

A correct review consists of inspecting each of the elements of the substation visually and mechanically looking for wear, corrosion or any other characteristic that may affect the proper functioning of the substation in the short or medium term, it is a detailed process that involves cleaning of terminals, adjustment of screws, readjustment of the different components, application of antioxidant lubricant to prevent corrosion, tests on transformers to estimate life time and even a thermographic study to detect hot spots.

Even when we are not experts on the subject, the equipment will always give us signs that they require maintenance, it is important to be attentive to these aspects to detect it in time and avoid any further damage, we share some with you:

• In your electric bill you will be able to appreciate a decrease in the power factor

• There will be continuous stoppages in the energy supply

• Oil leaks may occur in the transformers

• Heating can occur both in the conductors and in the components

Just as there are risks derived from the lack of maintenance, there are many advantages of doing it for, these are some of them:

• Guarantee the proper functioning of the substation, as well as the machinery and electronic equipment of the warehouse.

• Avoid interruptions in electrical energy, which can lead to partial or total stoppages in production

• Avoid permanent damage and/or total loss of transformers.

• Prevent accidents or accidents due to an overload or malfunction.

• Periodic maintenance is necessary to comply with some certifications and ISO standards or they are requested by insurance companies. Performing them in a timely manner will be very useful to cover this requirement.

• Performing them periodically can reduce the cost of these services. As you can see, the culture of prevention translates into optimizing time, resources and reducing risks, which in turn is summarized in avoiding economic losses.

Let us bear in mind that the substation maintenance process requires the disconnection of electrical energy for several days, depending on the magnitude and current state of the facilities, and precisely here is where the importance of prevention resides in order to coordinate these services with the scheduled times for break in production.

The process to request advice is very simple, we will only require your electricity bill to have a parameter of the consumption and capacity of your facilities and later we will visit the facilities for physical review.

Our recommendation is to maintain the substations once a year, take it into account in your planning and ensure the correct electrical operation of your facilities. As a last piece of advice from the Nezco team, whoever your provider of this service is, make sure they are professionals in the area with the necessary certifications, the costs of the services can be a factor that indicates that we are dealing with a true expert, Keep in mind that a very cheap service will surely not be the best option.

NEZCO, ENERGIZING YOUR WORLD