Electrical Preventive Maintenance for Hospitals

Hospitals and healthcare facilities depend on their electrical supplies to keep their buildings running smoothly. When essential electrical systems are neglected, major malfunctions can occur, resulting in dangerous conditions and costly repairs. The best way to avoid electrical issues is to sign up for an electrical preventative maintenance program for your hospital that includes professional services to identify and resolve potential problems before they occur.

Here are some of the top preventive maintenance methods that professionals like Lippolis Electric use to keep your hospital safe and help save your facility money over the long term.

Table of Contents

• Infrared Thermography
• Visual Inspections
• Partial Discharge Testing
• Ultrasonic Listening
• Voltage Analysis
• De-Energized Maintenance

Infrared Thermography

Infrared thermography involves scanning electrical equipment to identify potential problems in the electrical systems that could cause service disruption or hazardous conditions. This type of scanning will detect any hot spots of infrared energy so these trouble areas can be fixed before damage occurs. Through advanced technology, infrared thermography scans find problems that may be missed by other conventional detection methods. 

Infrared thermography scans should be performed at least once a year, but more frequent scans could be beneficial depending on the condition of your equipment. If you’re experiencing shutdowns and system failures on a regular basis, you may want to increase the frequency of this service.

Importance of Electrical Maintenance

Visual Inspections 

Visual inspections of your electrical distribution systems are essential and should always be part of your hospital preventative maintenance plan. When you hire professionals like the team at Lippolis Electric for preventive maintenance services, our visual inspections include:

• Perform an initial check to make note of any damaged or corroded wiring. 
• Ensure the correct wiring is used in patient care areas.
• Check for bonding between panelboards.
• Check for tamper-resistant outlet coverings.
• Verify that branch circuits are wired correctly and that there is a correct number present in each location.

We know how to keep your electrical systems in compliance with the numerous guidelines and standards that healthcare facilities must adhere to. We can make any necessary adjustments to ensure your equipment is up to code. 

Partial Discharge Testing

Many electrical equipment failures over 1,000 volts are caused by partial discharge. Partial Discharge (PD) occurs inside medium and high voltage insulation flaws, cracks, voids, irregularities. These inadequacies create voltage stress and will eventually lead to failure of the insulation. Insulation failures start with and are identified by detectable releases of energy or partial discharge.

Partial discharge identifies voltage problems that result in insulation breakdown and generation of partial discharge. The specimen does not need to be visible for partial discharge to be detected (IR cannot detect insulation breakdown).

Partial discharge is performed online with no shutdown of the electrical distribution system required. The test is performed by placing a sensor over the cable to read for PD in ultra-band width mode. Upon completion of the field test, the information is then analyzed using a proprietary T-F mapping software and developed into a graded report not pass or fail.

Ultrasonic Listening

Before a major electrical problem occurs, there are often small indicators that an issue is developing that may not be visible or audible. With ultrasonic listening, several major electrical system issues can be detected that would be unidentifiable otherwise:

• Electrical corona: Electrical corona is a luminous discharge that is caused by ionized air around an electrically charged conductor. It is characterized by a colored glow that may be visible in a darkened area, and it also emits a nearly imperceptible humming that ultrasonic listening can easily capture.
• Electrical arcing: Electrical arcing occurs when electricity jumps from one wire or conductor to another. This “arc flash” of electricity can reach extremely high temperatures of nearly 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which can cause an electrical fire, serious injury or death. 
• Electrical tracking: When conducting tracks form on insulator surfaces due to transient leakage, this damage is known as electrical tracking. 

The sound waves that these conditions emit would be virtually impossible to detect without the help of listening devices. Ultrasonic instruments work by translating noise emissions to an audible range for the human ear, which are then heard through headphones or speakers. Ultrasonic listening devices are typically compact and handheld, and they have the capability to sense for airborne sound and structure-borne signals.

Voltage Analysis

Electrical equipment has standard voltage measurements that indicate the voltage levels you should expect under normal load operating conditions. Deviations from standard voltage can cause damage and equipment failure, which can cause injury and is extremely costly to fix. 

Professional electricians like the team at Lippolis Electric use a range of specialized tools and testers to analyze voltage in electrical systems and equipment and objectively identify deviations from the standard voltage measurement. Some of the different types of testers include:

• Non-contact tester: Allows the electrician to check for voltage in wires and equipment without having to touch any of the parts. The tip of the tester is placed in an outlet slot or the outside of a wire or cable. 
• Multimeters: Versatile testers that can analyze many different system functions and provide precise readings of AC and DC voltage.
• Digital clamp meter: Combines the function of a multimeter with a current sensor and includes jaw clamps that can grip wires for highly accurate voltage measurements.

Whichever tool is used, accurate voltage analysis will identify any areas with voltage issues so you can repair or replace them before they cause major problems.

Preventative Maintenance Help

De-Energized Maintenance

De-Energized maintenance is critical when maintaining the health and safety of your electrical distribution system.

De-Energized maintenance can eliminate hazards such as dust, corrosion, and lose connections through maintenance and testing methods such as:

• Torque Check
• Corrective Maintenance
• Lubrication
• Winding Resistance Service
• Insulation Resistance Test
• Transformer Services
• And More

At Lippolis Electric Inc. we have the knowledge and skill to properly shut down your buildings power and perform the de-energized maintenance and testing needed to ensure your hospitals electrical distribution system will be safe, and free of business interruptions.

Choose Lippolis Electric for Hospital Preventive Maintenance  

In hospitals and healthcare facilities, a reliable supply of electricity is crucial. Hospitals have complex and critical electrical systems and equipment, and they can’t afford to have major issues that put patients and staff at risk. 

At Lippolis Electric, we provide preventive maintenance for healthcare facilities and offer a combination of services to ensure we’ve addressed all of your electrical system and equipment needs thoroughly. By approaching maintenance with a multifaceted strategy, we have the best chance of catching minor issues before they develop into major problems. 

If your hospital is in need of preventive maintenance, contact the professionals at Lippolis Electric today. We are a family-owned and operated business with the skills and experience to provide the essential services that your facility needs.