Watch Out For Burnouts On Hard-To-Start Loads
Mar 1, 1998, Robert J. Lawrie
A deceptive cause of motor failure is the hard-to-start load. You must take special care when choosing premium-efficiency motors to drive such loads.Motor...
What Is A CMMS, And Why Should You Care?
Mar 1, 1998, Daniel Teachey
You work in a facility that doesn't computerize maintenance operations. Several people keep telling you a CMMS will allow you to retire your fire ax and...
Four Key Steps In Performing A Power Site Survey
Feb 1, 1998, By John DeDad, Editorial Director
Use these steps as a starting point when troubleshooting power quality problems. By organizing your approach, you'll ensure an effective investigation,...
Water Seepage Spells Disaster For Electrical System >By Paul E. Pritzker, P.E., C.S.P.
Feb 1, 1998,
A major electrical short caused by an accidental spilt pail of water in an older 20-story building not only caused loss of power but also resulted in...
Reducing Costs With An Effective Bar-Coding System
Feb 1, 1998, Maggie Connors
All bar-coded tool systems are not the same. You need sound criteria by which to evaluate the many options available. A good bar-coding system will reduce...
Dead Ducks Prove There Was No Fowl Play
Jan 1, 1998, Paul E. Pritzker
Humane efforts by homeowner coupled with amateur heat source spelled trouble.At first glimpse, the destroyed home looked like an igloo covered with gobs...
Efficient Motor Operation: Why Safety Comes First
Jan 1, 1998, Robert J. Lawrie
When working with motors, a thorough knowledge of safety procedures may save you from serious injury and prevent damage to equipment.No one ever said...
The Case Of The Unheard Smoke Detector
Dec 1, 1997, Paul E. Pritzker, P.E., C.S.P.
A recently married upscale professional couple seemed to enjoy their comfortable life. They owned a modern two-story home valued in excess of $300,000....
How Do You Ship Fluorescent And HID Lamps To Recyclers?
Dec 1, 1997, Sandy Factor
At one time, we simply sent old fluorescent or high intensity discharge (HID) lamps to landfills. In fact, we often sent them there with little regard...
The Case Of The Charmed Electrician
Nov 1, 1997, Paul E. Pritzker, P.E., C.S.P.
Drilling in the basement It seemed like just another ordinary day on the job. An electrical contractor was working in a high-rise medical facility in...
Assuring dependability: field testing MCCBs
Dec 1, 1996, Shanks, John
Effective maintenance of molded-case circuit breakers demands careful attention to minor details combined with a thorough testing program.Basic maintenance...
Capital equipment and operational materials
Nov 1, 1996,
Trenching and boring equipment advances, along with new OSHA-compliant products, lead the way to greater efficiency and safety.Trenching is not the error-prone/guesswork-intensive...
Electrical maintenance in the 21st century
Nov 1, 1996, Kuisley, Joseph R.
Maintenance of electrical equipment, and the maintenance function in general, are key subjects today for managers of plants and facilities. One important...
Developing an effective gen-set maintenance program
Oct 1, 1996, Demot, Richard; Olson, Gary L.
Conducting maintenance procedures at certain time intervals will improve engine generator set reliability and lengthen unit life.The failure of an engine-generator...
Top testing tips for better maintenance management
Sep 1, 1996, Lawrie, Robert J.
A progressive, forward-thinking mindset at a recently built semiconductor manufacturing plant in the Southwest results in electrical maintenance capabilities...
Determining DC motor rotation direction
Aug 1, 1996, DeDad, John A.
While DC motors are applied mostly in special applications, knowing how to properly connect them is important to their required performance.You're about...
Determining motor rotation direction.
Jun 1, 1996, DeDad, John A.
While being a fundamental motor installation task, determining rotation direction is critical to the coupled load's operation.You've just had a motor...
Troubleshooting PLCs
May 1, 1996, Rosandich, Ryan G.
Once you get over the "black box" syndrome, PLCs are actually easier to troubleshoot than traditional hard-wired control systems.Programmable logic controllers...
Testing large solid-state devices.
Mar 1, 1996, Huseman, John M.
You have to perform a dynamic test on these devices to determine their condition.Solid-state devices that handle large amounts of power are widely applied...
The case of the triple threat.
Feb 1, 1996, Lofdahl, Craig S.
Triplen harmonics lead to poor laser scanner performance and power circuit damage.The consolidation of equipment was supposed to make things easier for...
