THE POWER OF PREPARATION:

How A Simple Electrical Preventive Maintenance Plan

Can Save Time and Money.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

What To Expect From This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Introduction: What Is Electrical Preventive Maintenance (EPM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Part I: The Case for Electrical Preventive Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Measuring the Benefits for Electrical Preventive Maintenance

The Cost of Repair vs. Replacement

Part II: Building an Electrical Preventive Maintenance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Inventory Creation and Checklist Development

How to Hire Qualified Electrical Personnel

Part III: Performing the EPM Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Hazards That May Appear During Inspection

Pre-Outage Thermographic Inspection

Other Testing and EPM Procedures

Conclusion: Schedule a Service Call to Set Up a Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS GUIDE

By the end of this guide, you should have a firm grasp on the concept of electrical preventive
maintenance. It’s our goal that you will be able to:

• Understand the financial, safety, and efficiency benefits of an EPM program well enough to
explain them to decision-makers at budget meetings.

• Understand the hazards that occur when an EPM routine is not thoroughly employed.

• Have a working knowledge of the electrical and mechanical components that should be
included in your EPM routine.

• Know what to look for when hiring electricians.

• Feel comfortable with every step of the EPM routine and understand the available technology to
detect problems before they happen.

So, let’s take an in-depth look at electrical preventive maintenance and why it’s so important.

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INTRODUCTION: WHAT IS ELECTRICAL
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE?

According to the NFPA, 24% of all fires in the industrial and manufacturing settings are caused by
electrical distribution and lighting equipment. This is the leading cause of fires in these settings,
followed by heating equipment. It is also the most preventable. Crucial to that prevention is electrical
preventive maintenance. This is an easily preventable source of fires, which is why electrical preventive
maintenance is so crucial to keeping these disasters from happening.

Twenty percent of all structure fires on industrial properties are caused by electrical failures or
malfunctions, which is the leading cause of these kinds of fires. These fires happen mostly in
processing and manufacturing areas where dust, lint, sawdust, excelsior and other fibers or flammable
liquids act as tinder.

Regular inspections are critical to detecting fire hazards like these. Proactive preventive measures will
reduce the possibility for industrial fires.

Why Should Every Facility Have an Electrical Preventive

Maintenance Program?
Without regular inspection and maintenance, equipment failure can lead to catastrophic safety hazards,
inefficiency, and inflated maintenance costs. The average failure rate of electric equipment increases by
300% without an EPM program.

There are many reasons a facility may not have an EPM program in place. One of the most common is
budgetary restrictions. Often, budgets for maintenance programs are underestimated and underfunded.
There is a belief among some facilities managers and financial decision-makers that the most fiscally
responsible strategy is to wait until after a breakdown. Often, they postpone or overlook maintenance
for working machinery, seeing failure as the only indicator that maintenance is needed.

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What some may not realize is that they can easily prevent equipment failure while spending less money
and gaining more efficiency. The lack of mechanical maintenance can cause electrical failure. Poorly
functioning machine components put additional stress on the entire machine. Electrical failure can
happen when improper maintenance leaves machine components:

• Ungreased
• Misaligned
• Generally worn

There is a better strategy, though. You can prevent more than two-thirds of equipment failure by
treating your electrical equipment the way you treat an automobile: by performing regularly scheduled
checkups and maintenance.

Later in this guide, we’ll cover in-depth the benefits of electrical preventive maintenance.

How to Define Your EPM Routine

We know that electronic and electrical equipment degradation and failure is a matter of when not if.

Moving from a reactive approach to a proactive one, involves changes in thinking and practice. EPM
routines are about inspecting, detecting, and correcting those problematic conditions before they cause
outages, safety hazards, or other problems.

But the next question is: How?

At first glance, this concept may seem too imposing and too vast to accomplish. How do you monitor
all the electrical equipment in your facility without anything slipping through the cracks?

Fortunately, many operations worldwide rely on EPM routines to prevent extremely catastrophic
failures, and there have already been standardized routines developed. (Just think what would happen if
degraded electrical equipment were used in environments such as the healthcare industry or
the military.)

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Routine Types of Electric Preventive Maintenance

The elements of any routine fall into three categories (inspection, testing, and servicing) and include:

• Inventory: Every single piece of electrical equipment within your facility should be cataloged and
ranked by the level of harm that would occur should it fail. These will become your inspection
checklist. In this guide, you’ll find a pre-made sample checklist to get you started.

• Inspection: Every item on your inventory will have a regular inspection period. Some will undergo
the standard inspection every year, but some -- such as critical equipment, or equipment used in
conditions that cause faster wear -- will need to be inspected more often.

• Regular Observation & Testing: Observation is a great way to check for faltering components.
Search for odd sounds, smells, or visual cues that indicate vibration. Look for dust and debris
that can ignite. Though this is a great first line of defense against issues, it shouldn’t be the
only way you monitor your equipment. There are times when extensive testing needs to be
performed on the power distribution system to ensure reliability and to identify potential
future failures.

• Record-Keeping: Extensive records should be kept of every piece of electrical equipment. This
includes a report of every operational problem you encounter (even the little ones) as well as all
corrections, replacements, maintenance dates, contacts, etc. Every failure to boot up, every light
that powers out for five minutes before powering back on, and every replaced screw should be
logged. This will help your technicians troubleshoot issues with your equipment more quickly.

• Repair & Replacement: This is one of the final steps in your routine. Any faulty or
underperforming equipment must be adjusted, repaired, or replaced based on its needs. It’s
also a good idea to build a list of parts for each machine as well as documentation from the
manufacturer that may help with correct part identification, ordering, and troubleshooting.

• Analytics: As with any extensively detailed dataset, there’s great value in keeping meticulous
records about your electrical equipment. Over time, you’ll build up enough data to confidently
predict the behavior and durability of your equipment. You can use this information to refine
your EPM procedures and make them even more cost-effective.

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PART I: THE CASE FOR ELECTRICAL
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

On Friday, November 21, 1980, inside a Las Vegas hotel restaurant called The Deli, an improperly
installed refrigerated display case caught fire.

Had the machine been inspected regularly, someone would have noticed either the ungrounded
conduit, or the improperly installed fan, and disaster might have been averted. Instead, The Deli -- and
the entire first floor of the MGM Grand Casino and Resort where it was located -- became engulfed
in flames.

Eighty-five people were killed and 627 more were injured. MGM Grand Hotels lost $1 billion. Because
the MGM Grand was one of the largest tax contributors to the local gambling industry, the closure cost
the local government about $1.7 million.

It remains to this day the deadliest disaster in the history of Nevada, and the third-deadliest hotel fire in
modern U.S. history - and one that may have been avoided with an electrical preventive
maintenance plan.

Measuring the Benefits of Electrical Preventive Maintenance

As we’ve seen, an organized EPM program is about more than just equipment functionality. It’s about
protecting both your investment and your community: that means your employees, customers,
and neighbors.

Financial Benefits

The most basic financial benefits of EPM are right up front: electrical failures, electrical fires, and
equipment outages cost big dollars. In fact, electrical failure costs businesses millions of dollars in
losses annually. EPM is shown to reduce most major problems, minimizing the need for expensive
reactive maintenance.

But the cost of an equipment failure isn’t just immediate. There are also secondary financial
repercussions, such as payouts when injuries happen in unsafe workspaces, higher electricity costs
from inappropriately calibrated machinery, not to mention expensive equipment replacements.

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Operational Benefits

EPM helps facilities achieve maximum operational efficiency and reliability. As a result of EPM
maintenance practices, there are fewer unplanned downtimes. When they do occur, they’re shorter and
more predictable.

When EPM isn’t employed, operational efficiency suffers drastically. Often, the malfunctioning
equipment refuses to reveal itself without a detailed inspection that requires a mechanical or facility
shut down.

Compromised systems or components such as circuit breakers or relay switches will cascade
problems downstream and compromise additional systems. These are headaches that can be avoided
with regular EPM routines.

Safety Benefits

Electrical machinery is dangerous and there are strict safety codes and precautions employees must
take to use it. When something out of the ordinary happens with the machinery, the stakes are raised.

In the case of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, thorough electrical preventive maintenance could have
saved dozens of lives by alerting maintenance staff to dangerous electrical hazards early, before they
caused deadly problems.

EPM also helps protect critical safety equipment, such as fire alarm systems, generators, UPS systems,
emergency, and egress lighting. Many of the front-line defenses used for safety in commercial facilities
can be kept in functioning order with the right protocols.

The Cost of Repair vs. Replacement

Taking a reactive approach means the ultimate moment of equipment failure will be an unknown,
unpredictable challenge you’ll have to face - likely sooner than necessary.

Unplanned shutdowns due to equipment failures are just that – unplanned. They are never convenient.

More often than not, your equipment will fail in the middle of operations causing production delays. You
could try to schedule emergency repairs on short notice, but you’ll pay premium service costs for
the effort. Additionally, it’s important to consider the labor costs you still have to cover during
this downtime.

When machinery breaks down due to neglected inspection and maintenance, it’s often too late for
simple repairs. This is where those hefty costs come in.

Worse, when it comes to electrical distribution systems, new equipment doesn’t always replace the
failed equipment in a 1:1 way. Modifications may be needed to make the system work, further adding
to your costs. There are many times when replacement electrical parts are non-stock or obsolete items,
which can cause an even longer delay in getting your equipment back online.

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PART II: BUILDING AN ELECTRICAL PREVENTIVE
MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

Inventory Creation and Checklist Development

Building an inventory and maintenance checklist that’s customized to your facility is one of the most
critical steps in developing a new EPM program. It’s recommended you consult a qualified professional
during this process. Without prior knowledge, it’s easy to overlook less obvious pieces of equipment.

For instance, it’s important to include the building’s internal electrical distribution system on your
checklist. Additionally, many facility managers are under the false impression that electrical equipment
without moving parts won’t break down. The truth is, this equipment needs to be monitored and
maintained just as frequently as the rest.

When building your customized inventory and checklist, you should:

• Identify and denote critical, high-value systems.

• Consult manufacturer documents for recommended maintenance windows.

• Use the data in your records to fine-tune the schedule for equipment that may need
maintenance a little more often than previously anticipated

Scheduling
When first establishing your EPM schedule, it’s important to understand that this process will be tricky
and may require some fine-tuning as you go along. It’s also important to understand the difference
between the three primary types of scheduling.

• Calendar-Based: Inspections, detections, and corrections performed on a regularly scheduled

basis based on the date or interval of time between previous maintenance.

• Predictive: Inspections and maintenance performed because something has caused suspicion
of a looming breakdown.

• Prescriptive: Inspections and maintenance performed as a result of a breakdown.

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The goal of EPM is to rely on calendar-based scheduling as much as possible, while implementing
predictive maintenance only when necessary.

How often should you schedule a system-wide EPM inspection? The answer is multi-faceted.

First, most electrical manufacturers recommend a period of two to three years. This should be the
absolute longest interval between maintenance and inspections on your equipment.

However, some inspections should be done in between those system-wide inspections. These include:

• Inspect critical pieces of equipment (such as equipment that would cause dramatic service
outages or safety hazards in the event of a failure).

• Inspect equipment used in harsh or external environments that may be exposed to sand, dust,
moisture, corrosive road salt, or other materials causing faster degradation.

• Inspect equipment with more frequent maintenance intervals recommended by

the manufacturer.

• Verify electrical equipment enclosures are rated for the environment they are installed to protect
the interior components. This happens all too often and almost always leads to
premature failures.

Consulting with an experienced engineer while building your schedule can help you make sure that
you’re attending to all of your machinery frequently enough. It’s advised that you coordinate your
mechanical and electrical repairs to minimize downtime.

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Record-Keeping
Record-keeping is one of the most overlooked components of an EPM routine. However, it’s
fundamental to the ultimate goal of trimming down costs without sacrificing safety or productivity.

It also allows for accurate metrics to measure your facility’s full electric KPIs (Key
Performance Indicators).

A competent electrical preventive maintenance record includes:

• An itemized list of all electrical equipment in the facility.

• A list of wear and damage on all electrical equipment, including non-critical and critical damage
that impedes or will soon impede operation.

• A record of all EPM procedures and repairs (regular and otherwise) performed on each piece of
equipment in the facility.

• An inventory of all spare parts stored within the facility.

• A list of outages and abnormalities involved in every piece of equipment in the facility.

• Important documents such as instructions, schematics, warranties, and any other official
paperwork.

• Records showing the correlation between production and maintenance, such as machine
performance records (positively affected by efficient and reliable machine components) or
employee performance records (positively affected by well-lit, efficient and safe
working environments).

Keeping careful records ensures timely inspections and repairs. It tracks the results of tests over time
to help identify potential failures. It also informs your technicians of machinery that may be overdue for
maintenance and helps them troubleshoot problems.

A clear, concise, preferably digital record-keeping system will reduce the average amount of time from
failure to repair.

How to Hire Qualified Electrical Personnel

Inspecting, testing, and repairing electrical equipment is best performed by qualified, licensed
electricians. The people who perform your EPM procedures should be trained in the use and
maintenance of every piece of equipment that they inspect on your property. Certain vital pieces of
equipment, such as electrical distribution systems, may require additional certifications.

When considering assistance with your electrical systems and maintenance, be sure you are aware
of their qualifications and experience. It’s important to know the difference between an entry-level
electrician and a journeyman, so you’ll have a better idea of what to expect from their work, or what to
look out for.

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The varying levels of experience include:

Apprentice: Because the duties of an electrician are varied and critical, electricians spend three to six
years training on the job and in the classroom as an apprentice. An apprentice is someone currently
engaged in that training. They may have the experience, but they are not certified to work without the
supervision of a higher-ranking electrician.

Journeyman: Journeyman electricians have passed skills and knowledge test in order to receive their
license. They are qualified to work independently on most electrical components. Once they have the
qualifications necessary, they may elect to test for the Master Electricians license in their state.

The requirements a journeyman must meet to be licensed vary by state. However, they typically include:

• Five years and 8,000 hours of on the job experience.

• 1,100 classroom instruction hours.

• Completion of certification testing that verifies jobsite experience, knowledge of electrical codes,
and the ability to understand schematics and technical material.

Master: Master electricians have expanded experience and expertise and have passed skills and
knowledge tests to receive licensing. In Wisconsin, Master electricians have fulfilled the
following requirements:

• Completed 12 months of experience as a licensed journeyman electrician.

• Logged experience in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical wiring over the course of at
least 60 months, accruing at least 10,000 hours of experience during this time OR at least 1,000
hours per year for at least 7 years.

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PART III: PERFORMING THE EPM ROUTINE

Hazards that May Appear During Inspection

The purpose of your physical EPM inspections should be to keep your equipment clean, dry, and tight.
This will keep stray debris and moisture from entering and causing damage. It will also keep loose parts
from causing more damage.

The most frequent cause of electrical distribution failures are loose connections or parts (which cause
around 30% of electrical distribution outages) and exposure to moisture (which causes around 17% of
outages). Together, these cause approximately 50% of all facility power outages.

Loose connections and electrical components are hazardous (like we saw earlier in the case with the
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino) because they can lead to erratic operation, unintended load distribution,
and power fluctuations. Moisture can interfere with electrical conduits and cause short circuits.

A number of other common hazards include:

• Line disturbances
• Foreign objects
• Defective, improperly installed, or inadequate installation
• Exposed wiring
• Load changes or additions
• Circuit alterations
• Potential for collision
• Improperly set or selected protective devices
• Lightning damage
• Overloading or inadequate capacity
• Dust, dirt, and oil
• Temperature extremes (both hot and cold)
• Water damage hazards

Remember, not all damage to electrical equipment is caused by human error. General “wear and tear” is
standard with all machinery. As such, it’s important to track all degradation that has occurred over time.
The effects of which are especially multiplied in environments with harsh weather or dramatic
cold seasons.

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Pre-Outage Infrared (IR) Scan
Occasionally, you will need to have planned downtime to inspect all instruments and make necessary
adjustments. It’s a good time to get an overview of the total health of your system and the perfect time
for intensive testing.

Before your scheduled outage, it’s prudent to conduct a thermographic inspection, also known as an
Infrared (IR) Scan, of cable and bus connections, switchgear, motor control centers, distribution panels,
and starters. IR scans should be done during a peak load time to accurately gauge equipment stress.

These scans are critical in preventing equipment failure. They help detect connections that need to be
cleaned or tightened, circuits that are overloaded or imbalanced, or improperly installed equipment.

During a scan, a specifically trained electrician uses an infrared camera to read for high-temperature
excursions -- a likely sign of loose connections, failed components and load imbalance.

Thermographic or IR scanning is non-invasive and will reveal equipment likely to need tuning or repair
-- ultimately helping facility teams focus their resources in the right areas when the power is shut down
for a scheduled outage.

A thermographic inspection should only be done by certified thermographers using specialized

equipment. They have the necessary education, experience, and judgment to determine the best course
of action (for example, whether a device should be repaired or replaced) based on test results. They can
also determine a level of urgency for the repairs based on the results.

Other Testing and EPM Procedures

After the scheduled outage is in effect, there are other tests that will reveal the health of your equipment
that can be performed by a contracted specialist. These include:

• Relay and Circuit Breaker Tests: Relays and circuit breakers are protective trip devices that
need to be routinely checked for functionality.

• Oil Tests: Transformers, circuit breakers, and disconnect switches all use oil to function. This oil
needs to be sampled and screen-tested to determine its quality.

• Dissolved Gas Test: Oil from transformers can be dissolved into gas, and the gas tested, which
can reveal any problems within the unit.

• SF6 Gas Leak Testing: Breakers requiring SF6 gas can be tested for contamination to ensure
insulating integrity.

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Additional EPM checklist items:

• Check and test all transformers

• Inspect and test arc fault circuit breakers (AFCI)
• Inspect and test ground fault circuit breakers (GFCI)
• Inspect and test voltage regulators
• Check electrical panels
• Verify metering works correctly
• Inspect, maintain and clean motor controls
• Inspect and test switchgear
• Inspect electrical grounding system
• Verify correct over-current protection
• Check all grounding and overcurrent protection devices
• Inspect lights and light fixtures, including:
• Recessed
• Track
• Security
• Motion-sensored
• Parking lot and garage
• Ballast and lamp replacement for HID and fluorescent lighting
• Special systems, such as:
• Generators
• Alarm systems
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems
• Surge protection for a building
• Telecommunications
• Video and cable
• Battery power

Download a Detailed Checklist

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If it’s time for your company to expand or establish your electrical maintenance program, we’re your full-
service partner. Our complete list of electrical services includes:

• Technical Support
• Preventive Maintenance
• 24-hour Emergency Service
• Infrared Testing Technology
• Industrial Electrical Repair
• Design Assistance
• Variable Frequency Drives
• Machine and Process Control Wiring
• Renewable Energy Sources
• Photovoltaic Solar Panel Integration
• LED Replacements and Retrofits
• Energy-Efficient Fixtures
• Building Automation Systems/HVAC Controls
• Occupancy Sensor for Touch-Free Lighting
• Air Filtration and Sanitizing Systems for Virus-Free Environments
• Electric car charging systems
• Electricians licensed through the Milwaukee Electrical Joint Apprenticeship Training
Program (MEJATC)

Lemberg is the one-stop-shop for electrical maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting. We’re customer-
service-driven, provide prompt service from licensed technicians 24/7, and it’s our mission to be your
preferred provider with a personal touch.

Schedule a Service Call

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 Contact
4085 N. 128th Street

Brookfield, WI 53005

(262) 781-1500
www.lembergelectric.com

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