Maintenance, Repair & Operations

Electrical Troubleshooting Quiz — Aug. 3, 2021

Aug. 3, 2021

How to address a scary power quality report

You’re the plant electrical engineer. While you were on vacation for a week, a sales rep from a power quality equipment vendor visited the plant. He met with the plant manager and the plant engineer. They allowed him to perform a harmonics analysis on various circuits in the plant.

They were alarmed to see just how bad the harmonics are and tempted to move a purchase forward before you got back. The plant engineer handed you a thick report full of scary-looking images, noting “Given how bad our power is, I don’t understand why things haven’t been failing often.

They want your feedback on the report within the next few days. What issues should you address in addition to the report’s contents?

There is a difference between an equipment sales rep with one instrument looking at one component of power quality and a qualified electrical testing firm conducting a proper power quality analysis.

The absence of a high failure rate means you probably don’t have a significant problem. The presence of harmonics doesn’t mean anything is wrong. If you have excessive 3^rd or 5^th harmonics, then you may need to implement mitigation or coping strategies. You can probably ignore the other harmonics.

Now that power quality is so top of mind, you have a golden opportunity to purchase that power analyzer you always wanted — or take a related action, such as hire an electrical testing firm to conduct a proper power quality analysis. In the meantime, use a DMM to check for voltage imbalance on your motor circuits.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.