NETA Testing for Temporary Equipment

[roba2686]

Good morning.

I am not an electrical engineer, but am a mechanical engineer working as a consultant on a project that includes a substantial amount of electrical upgrades. Some of these upgrades necessitate the installation of temporary equipment due to the phasing requirements associated with replacing components (transformers, switch gears, etc.) that serve existing-to-remain systems.

The specifications require NETA testing for many of these systems but do not explicitly specify whether this testing is required only for permanent systems or is also required for temporary systems.

Is NETA testing typically required for temporary systems?

Thanks!

Rob

 

[rcw retired EE]

Only if you want to make sure it doesn't blow up when energized.

However, the extent of the tests may be reduced. Without knowing the age of the equipment, the voltage, the cost of an outage to the loads, and many other factors, it is difficult to say which tests are not needed.

 

[cuky2000]

Roba2686,

There is no deterministic answer to your problem

However, you can make an engineering judgement considering the expected level of reliability using temporary equipment taking in consideration the following factors:
1) How critical is the temp equipment of the event of a fault.
2) Aging and conditions of the equipment. As older the equipment additional test and condition assessment may be required to determine the actual conditions.
3) cost of the test vs. consequence of a failure. That could justify the testing and commissioning budget
4) Redundancy of installation. Primary and backup
5) Availability of spare equipment in the event of failure
6) Duration of the temporary installation.

Take in consideration that if you move equipment, some part may be disassemble and there are uncertainty if the equipment deteriorate during rigging or transportation. One way to understand the actual condition is performing test to validate if the equipment is in suitable conditions to be energized.

 

[rkvbobby123]

Any equipment Temporary or Permanent needs to be verified before use and extent of verification depends upon its application and function. A light Switch can just be visually checked but a motor may have to be meggared before it is put to use.
Thanks.