Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz, Nov. 12, 2013

Nov. 12, 2013
What should you do if the administration building storeroom is really hot, there’s a buzzing sound, and the room contains three 150kVA dry-type transformers?

The plant engineer at one of your company’s older plants just retired, and you received a promotion to take the vacated position. On your first day, you do some walking tours with various department heads. You notice several enclosures with unused openings not closed, and you see speaker wire cable-tied to EMT, violations of NEC Sections 110.12(A) and 300.11(B), respectively. Thinking this might be the tip of the iceberg, you make a mental note to conduct an electrical inspection.

On your second day, the HR manager pops into your office and says, “The administration building storeroom is really hot and there’s a noisy buzzing sound.” But the “storeroom” contains three 150kVA dry-type transformers.

What’s your next step?

This “storeroom” situation presents several NEC violations. The first thing you must do is put a lock on the door [110.31(A)(4). Next, assess the PPE requirements for entry, and have suitably protected electricians move the illegal items to another location.

Confronting this issue so soon is potentially dangerous to your career. You don’t want to alienate people, but you also can’t be negligent and let someone get hurt. Once you secure the room, meet with the HR manager and plant manager to discuss the NEC and OSHA requirements. Seek their advice and support; don’t criticize your predecessor.

Next, turn your attention to the heat and noise problems. You may need to add ventilation, move loads to other transformers, or take other remedial action. Don’t decide anything until you’ve used a power analyzer to look at waveforms and other power quality information.

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