Maintenance Archives - Southwest Electric

Maintenance

Transformer Maintenance Strategies: A Step-by-Step Approach

Whether you have one or hundreds of transformers in your fleet, you need a maintenance plan to keep everything running optimally.  The task of maintaining a fleet may seem daunting, but we can help you accomplish it in 5 steps. Your transformers play a crucial role in generating, transmitting, and distributing electrical power across your […]

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Substation Upgrade | 5 Ways to Save Money & Minimize Downtime

Your facility is adding new equipment this year, and you are tasked with upgrading, installing, and maintaining the existing substation with minimal downtime and a very limited budget. How do you do it? Apply these 5 recommendations to your new substation upgrade and deliver on-time and within budget, while keeping your workforce safe and your […]

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5 Questions to Ask Before Replacing or Upgrading Switchgear

Replacing or upgrading switchgear can be overwhelming, especially when you have limitations on footprint, downtime, access, and budget. Here are 5 questions to ask before making the decision to spend money on your equipment. 1 – What is Driving the Need to Replace or Upgrade? The reason behind your need to replace or upgrade your […]

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Everything You Need to Know About Vibration Analysis

Vibration analysis is an essential maintenance process for electric motors today. This article breaks down everything you need to know about vibration analysis to ensure your facility’s motors are running at peak efficiency. What is Vibration? In a dictionary, you might see vibration defined as “to swing back and forth; to oscillate.” In the electric […]

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The 5 W’s of Transformer Oil Analysis

The 5 W’s of Transformer Oil Analysis Transformer oil testing and analysis is often overlooked yet is an integral part of keeping your transformers maintained. The process is very similar to a blood test you might have performed by a doctor. The results tell us what is going on inside and give us the chance […]

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Your Electrical Distribution System Checklist

Industry retirements and maintenance department budget cuts often result in lost knowledge and documentation gaps that can be difficult to replace. Electrical department managers and employees can find themselves lacking the history and background needed to understand the critical systems that keep production moving. People often overlook the electrical distribution system until the lights go […]

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Neutral Grounding of Electrical Power Systems

To ground, or not to ground – that is the question.  There are many factors to consider before selecting the best method of neutral grounding for your electrical system.  This article discusses the requirements and techniques of four different methods of system grounding to help you choose which one is best for your needs. Background: […]

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3 Steps to 3 Phase Motor Rewinding

During the life span of every 3 phase electric AC motor, the stator windings will need to be rewound. The timing of a needed motor rewinding will vary according to the application and environment. Mechanical failures could also cause the rotor to fail unexpectedly, calling for a rewind. When stator windings do fail, there are […]

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5 Electrical Distribution System Mapping Methods

People often overlook the electrical distribution system until the lights go out and production comes to a standstill. When that happens, system drawings and operational plans are critical to recovery. In this article, we will discuss 5 electrical distribution system mapping methods to improve your electrical documentation on design, settings, and operational configurations. 1 – […]

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3 Avoidable Electric Motor Issues

The following article was previously published by Utilities Tech Outlook. Read the original article here. Electric motor owners often ask how long their motors will last under current conditions. Exact timelines can’t be determined, but identifying the most common, avoidable electric motor issues, we can prevent premature failures. Adhering to proper maintenance practices can extend run […]

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