Circuit Breaker Service Levels

Low Voltage Breakers (600V class)

 

I. Preventive Maintenance:

• General Cleaning
• Inspection for defects or damage
• Dressing the contacts and adjusting for proper over travel and pressure
• Checking for proper mechanical operation and lubricating where necessary
• Checking the auxiliary devices for proper operation
• Complete electrical testing including:
  Insulation resistance tests
  Contact resistance tests
  Overcurrent trip device tests (Primary or Secondary Injection, depending on overload type)
  Auxiliary device tests (Anti Pump,Undervoltage pickup or dropout, Bell Alarm, etc.)

 

This process is a reliable, preventive maintenance type of breaker service, but its value is dependent on the condition of the breaker.

 

II. Recondition: (Includes the above preventive maintenance plus)

• Complete disassembly and inspection of the operating mechanism
• Disassembly of the contact pivots
• Cleaning of the operating mechanism and contact pivots
• Complete lubrication of the mechanism and contact pivots during reassembly
• General cleaning, inspection of breaker including all other ancillary parts
• Complete testing after reassembly

 

This service will bring the breaker back to a good operating condition and gives a good indication of the breakers physical condition.

 

III. Refurbishment: (Includes both of the above services plus)

• Complete disassembly and inspection of all circuit breaker components to their smallest allowable parts
• Silver plating of copper parts as necessary at an additional cost
• Zinc plating of all previously plated components. All hardened parts will be baked to eliminate hydrogen embrittlement
• Cleaning and painting of all previously painted parts
• Complete cleaning of all breaker components
• Complete lubrication of all pivots during reassembly
• Complete testing after reassembly

 

Medium to High Voltage Breakers (600V class to 34KV class)

 

I. Preventive Maintenance:

• General Cleaning
• Inspection for defects or damage
• Dressing the contacts and adjusting for proper over travel and pressure
• Checking for proper mechanical operation and lubricating where necessary
• Checking the auxiliary devices for proper operation
• Complete electrical testing including:
  Insulation resistance tests
  Contact resistance tests
  Timing Test
  Anti Pump test

 

This process is a reliable, preventive maintenance type of breaker service, but its value is dependent on the condition of the breaker.

 

II. Recondition: (Includes the above preventive maintenance plus)

• Complete disassembly and inspection of the operating mechanism
• Disassembly of the contact pivots
• Cleaning of the operating mechanism and contact pivots
• Complete lubrication of the mechanism and contact pivots during reassembly
• General cleaning, inspection of breaker including all other ancillary parts
• Complete testing after reassembly

 

This service will bring the breaker back to a good operating condition and gives a good indication of the breakers physical condition.

 

III. Refurbishment: (Includes both of the above services plus)

• Complete disassembly and inspection of all circuit breaker components to their smallest allowable parts
• Silver plating of copper parts as necessary at an additional cost
• Zinc plating of all previously plated components. All hardened parts will be baked to eliminate hydrogen embrittlement
• Cleaning and painting of all previously painted parts
• Complete cleaning of all breaker components
• Complete lubrication of all pivots during reassembly
• Complete testing after reassembly

 

For Vacuum breakers the tests are similar to the Medium to High Voltage Breakers with the inclusion of the Vacuum Interrupter Integrity Test or Hi-Potential Testing.

All above services include incidental repairs but do not include major component replacement (i.e. arc chutes, pole bases, contact assemblies, operating mechanisms, control devices, etc.). If life extension is the customers' objective refurbishment would be the procedure of choice.

 

It is our experience that control wiring is normally in good condition unless the breaker has been mishandled. Therefore, rewiring is not performed with our refurbishment program. The wiring integrity will be tested and if the breaker required rewiring it would be an additional cost item.