Infrared Inspections

should be an integral part of any electrical preventive maintenance (EPM) program. This type of electrical infrared inspections can help save money by verifying equipment is operating at peak efficiency and reducing costly downtime in the event of electrical system failure. It also can help save the costs associated with the damage that a fire may cause if an electrical system overheats or fails catastrophically. This inexpensive inspection program has evolved into a valuable preventive maintenance tool. The following information discusses the benefits of infrared inspection and explains how the inspections are conducted. The heating effect continued to increase past the red, in a region that is now called infrared (“below red”). He measured radiation effects from fires, candles and stoves and deduced the similarity of light and heat. Today, devices can be designed to detect, amplify and display radiation from the visible or infrared portions of the spectrum.Using infrared for electrical infrared inspection and by using infrared technology as part of an electrical infrared inspection program works on the principle that electrical equipment normally gives off heat, but malfunctioning or overloaded electrical equipment will give off excessive heat due to increased electrical resistance. This heat can be detected with the use of infrared inspections. Using an infrared camera or video recorder, the heat can be converted to an image that can be seen and recorded for analysis. The infrared camera can display various temperatures that are being recorded and the temperature differential between “normal” and malfunctioning equipment during. The images can be used to identify exactly what equipment is affected and how serious of a problem exists based on temperatures and temperature differentials. The images can be inserted into a report to help explain the problem and any suggested repairs or improvements. Infrared should be scheduled prior to a major scheduled shutdown. This allows the greatest flexibility in resolving problems found during the inspection. Infrared inspections are a non-destruction test that should be completed during normal business operations while equipment is running at or near capacity. Equipment should run for at least one hour before inspection. There is no need for downtime or special tear-down of the equipment to perform the electrical infrared inspection. However, equipment covers must be removed to ensure effective scanning. Because busway conductors are so close to enclosures, the covers may not need to be removed during infrared inspections for electrical equipments.