A Proactive Approach to Keep Equipment Operating this Winter

One thing we can guarantee about the weather is its unpredictability. That means you never know when the temperatures will drop suddenly, and the first snowfall will arrive. Waiting to winterize equipment after it’s too late can result in damaged components, increased downtime and unexpected repair costs. It is important to have a proactive facility and equipment winter maintenance plan in place and implement it during early fall to ensure your assets can weather an intense storm.

When the temperature drops, the components naturally work harder or can sieze up. Pay close attention to:

  • The display on your machine to see if it is operating at optimum capacity, especially as nightfall approaches. A stressed or frozen unit can be dangerous for the operator and anyone around the machine.
  • Temperature fluctuations, seasonal weather changes or equipment exposed to the elements can adversely affect electrical components causing malfunctions or failure.

Facility managers that get ahead and stay on top of facility maintenance for these important systems will avoid costly expenditures and maximize their facility’s output. Expanse offers comprehensive solutions to keep your facility operating at optimum conditions this winter.

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Prolonged exposure to freezing conditions can:

  • Congeal and prevent the flow of lubricants and operational fluids
  • Cause contraction of ferrous, non-ferrous and alloys and wrought alloy metals making moving parts run under higher load stress
  • Change the resistance and capacitance of electrical and electronic components
  • Increase the stress on power lines due to the added weight of snow and ice
SCADA Monitoring on computer

Add an Asset Monitoring System

The asset monitoring systems of today go far beyond traditional SCADA systems. These systems include edge computing platforms with machine learning algorithms, web accessible dashboards, and conditioning monitoring services. Expanse’s solutions include AI-based analytics with predictive maintenance, providing new avenues for early event detection that enable facilities to correct faults at an earlier stage and optimize maintenance and repair.

A typical monitoring system may be comprised of

  • Power monitoring
  • Operational Information
  • Condition monitoring
  • Equipment lifecycle monitoring
  • Predictive analytics
  • Event detection and notifications
  • Site dispatch

Conduct Winter Preventative Maintenance

It is recommended you establish a complete preventative winter maintenance plan to prep your equipment for the sub-freezing temperatures. Expanse can provide a detailed scope and interval for winter maintenance and the testing of electrical equipment following the guidelines found in Neta Maintenance Standards (MTS), NFPA 70B, and NFPA 70E.

Typical equipment requiring testing and maintenance:

  • 5KV motor controls
  • 480-volt motor controls
  • Variable frequency drives
  • Battery chargers
  • UPS systems
  • Power transformers
  • Switchgear
winter electrical enclosures

Heating System Checks

Freezing temperatures can cause major equipment failure in control enclosures if heating systems do not operate as intended. Expanse utilizes thermal management systems to maintain optimal environmental conditions for MCC Buildings and self-contained PLCs and Drives that have a climate control package on them.

Controlling the temperature can:

  • Maintain the enclosure internal temperature to prevent electrical devices from freezing
  • Eliminate the risk of condensation forming inside the enclosure
  • Prevent capacitor failure
winter pole line

Winter Pole Line Preparation

Performing preventative line maintenance can make a significant difference in how your equipment fares through the winter months, especially in high wind and heavy ice areas. Expanse conducts winter pole line preventative maintenance line drives to inspect and repair any hardware that looks loose, braces that look to be in need of correction and sagging cables.

Typical equipment requiring testing and maintenance:

  • Driving the line to inspect all equipment
  • Tightening all hardware
  • Making any corrections to material
  • Repair any line sag
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Resources At Your Fingertips

Winter Preventative Maintenance Checklist

Winter Preventative Maintenance Checklist

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