Your Online Guide to Deenergized Testing
Many industries rely on their electrical equipment to maintain their productivity, and malfunctioning equipment is detrimental to success. As a result, preventive measures are crucial. Motor testing instruments, like the selection at ALL-TEST Pro, identify issues early so they can be addressed immediately and prevent unwanted downtime. Some of these instruments use deenergized testing methods.
What Is Deenergized Testing?
Deenergizing equipment means removing the source of energy from its circuits. As a result, deenergized testing is performed while the machinery is not connected to a power source. This testing method is nondestructive. This means that the test method determines the condition of the motor without further stressing of the motor which can cause further damage or destroy the motor if faults exist. The deenergized testing method has proven to identify faults that are masked and undetectable when the motor is operating. Identifying these problems early allows them to be addressed early and avoid an unforeseen shutdown or possibly catastrophic failure later. Deenergized testing is a safe and proven method to determine the motor condition or health of your rotating equipment. Deenergized MCA™ testing allows for testing before the motor is connected and is a very powerful tool for acceptance testing.
The frequency of deenergized testing will depend on factors such as:
- Duty cycle
- Equipment age
- Load conditions
- Critical status
- Manufacturer recommendations
- Environment
How to Test Deenergized Motors
The first step of deenergized test instructions is planning since the equipment will be shut down and cannot be used. After verifying that the machinery is deenergized, testing can begin. Every step of testing needs to adhere to OSHA deenergized work standards 1910.269(d) and 1910.269(m).
A common method for deenergized testing is Motor Circuit Analysis (MCA™), which assesses the electrical motor system from the motor control center (MCC) or at the motor. It will examine phases, rotors, grounds, coils and resistances to check for the presence of faults that may cause issues in the future. The instrument performs a series of tests from either the MCC or the motor using low voltage AC & DC signals to fully exercise the insulation system to examine the motors entire system from the MCC including, the insulation and connections within the motor as well as the connections, cables, from the motor controller. MCA™ will identify faults on the rotor, in the windings as well as the groundwall insulation.
Deenergized testing quickly determines loose connections, winding faults, contaminated windings, grounded windings or cabling & rotor condition.
Applications That Use Testing for Deenergized Motors
All industries using electrical motors to operate the facilities such as automotive, power generation, wastewater and mining to name a few, rely on MCA™ deenergized motor testing to keep their machinery operating in the most reliable condition. The testing equipment at ALL-TEST Pro helps equipment operators identify issues and provides solutions to provide maintenance with the correct recommendations to fix them the first time. The instruments provide fast answers and on screen instructions which reduces time spent on both testing and interpretation of the tests and removes the guess work in determining the cause of fault and provides the knowledge to improve the reliability of all electrical equipment.
Deenergized testing instruments are valuable for:
- Reliability testing
- Transmission and distribution transformers of any size
- AC/DC motors
- Commissioning testing
- Machine tool motors
- Troubleshooting
- Control transformers
- Generators and alternators
- Servo motors
- Machine tool motors
Deenergized Motor Testing Products at ALL-TEST Pro
At ALL-TEST Pro, we have several instrument options to perform deenergized testing:
Each is equipped with our patented technology that provides clear and accurate data about your motor’s health. Your team can rely on these results to make informed decisions about maintenance and upkeep to ensure your motor performs reliably and enhances productivity.
Request a Quote for Deenergized Testing Instruments From ALL-TEST Pro
ALL-TEST Pro has the equipment you need to perform predictive maintenance on your motors. Request a quote for your deenergized testing systems or contact our team to learn how you can conduct efficient deenergized testing today.
