Cleaning of Electrical Equipment

[tivester]

Many companies are fond of wanting/needing the building to be electrically active long before construction is completed. I am trying to develop a standard for our electrical contractor for the manner in which electrical equipment is to be left when the building is handed over to the owners. Is there an industry standard or suggested method of cleaning electrical equipment (switchgear,transformers,UPS) etc. after building construction is completed?

 

[EEJaime]

I am not aware of a specific standard, there may be some NETA standard, but I include in my specifications requirements for the condition of all equipment that is to be turned over to the owner. I include some of that as part of the commissioning requirements. For example in my junction box, panelboard and switchgear specifications, I make it mandatory that all interiors be vacuumed prior to pulling cables, and again cleaned out prior to energization.

There are requirements in my "Identification" specification. And there is language in the "Basic Electrical System Requirements" section.

This is basically dependant on the type of project one is looking at, the desired quality of installation and just how "picky" you want to be as an engineer. It is wonderful to work with installers that clean as they go, and leave everything in an orderly, clean condition, but that is getting more difficult to find these days.

 

[Zogzog]

Each NETA spec requires the equipment to be properly cleaned and tested. If your commisioning spec call for NETA acceptance testing you should not have any worries. Otherwise you are going to have to be very specific on what you want for commisioning.

 

[dpmac]

The NETA specification states: "Verify the unit is clean and all shipping bracing, loose parts, and documentation shipped inside the cubicals has been removed" Just because a spec calls for NETA testing does not insure the equipment is cleaned when the testing company arrives.

If the electrical contractor does not clean out the equipment, the testing company will make note of it on their test report but I doubt they will clean the switchgear unless they are being paid to do so (which does happen at times).

I have seen owners hire other contractors to go through and clean the switchgear after an electrical contractor is finished. I have also had owners hire testing companies to do the cleaning prior to turning the switchgear over to yet another testing company for acceptance testing. "Two sets of experienced eyes are better then one and the costs are the same" is what I was told when I inquired about that logic. Makes sense.

I don't believe I have read a document specific to how to or how well to clean switchgear after electrical work is completed but I will keep my eyes open.