Faulty breakers pose serious risks and costly operational disruptions, and our technicians have found that approximately 1 in 10 plants are in this situation. This, and the industry's emphasis on compliance with NFPA 70B standards, makes routine testing and electrical support more critical than ever. Through dedicated expertise, integrated services, and precise troubleshooting, you can enhance the reliability of your operations and minimize the risk of unplanned downtime with our expert services. Learn more about breaker injection testing, its benefits, and how Interstates can provide a full-service package below.
Breaker injection testing verifies the operational integrity of circuit breakers, ensuring they trip under fault conditions. This is crucial for protecting human life and avoiding electric shock, fires, and other hazards caused by malfunctioning breakers.
When breakers trip as intended, your electrical equipment and infrastructure are protected from damaging overcurrents or short circuits. Breaker injection testing helps avoid costly repairs, extends the lifespan of electrical components, and mitigates unplanned downtime.
Regular breaker injection testing helps facilities comply with industry standards, safety regulations, and insurance requirements. Compliance with standards like NFPA 70B demonstrates a commitment to maintaining a safe and reliable electrical system.
When continuous electrical power is critical, breaker injection testing ensures that your electrical distribution systems are reliable, minimizing the risk of unexpected power outages that cause data loss, spoiled foods, or other operational damage.
While many technicians require clients to ship their breakers to a controlled shop, Interstates is able to run tests on-site. Physically shipping breakers off-site costs extra money, risks equipment damage, and causes additional downtime. A process that can take as little as two hours is now stretched to two or more days. By conducting a mobile test on-site, Interstates can eliminate shipping complications and damage risks. A small trailer with a tester and generator is placed directly outside the work area, allowing testing to be conducted in a controlled environment while remaining on-site.
Interstates is a one-stop source for electrical maintenance and testing services. Our ability to coordinate on-site breaker testing with other maintenance activities (like power system studies, arc flash studies, EPM services, and electrical site audits) through connected equipment minimizes downtime and increases cost-savings. This way, your facility benefits from a holistic approach to electrical safety and efficiency. Providing full scope, value-added services allows you to keep your work all under one roof and stay on schedule.
With over 70 years of electrical experience and certified technicians, Interstates has serviced industrial facilities across all 50 states, and has regional offices throughout the Midwest. Our expertise spans diverse operational environments, allowing us to offer tailored solutions that seamlessly integrate with your systems and maintenance schedules. With proper planning, we have the ability to mobilize on a shorter turnaround and provide your facility with the unique support it requires, whether that's breaker replacement, engineering expertise, or other electrical services.
Our testing method not only verifies the operational integrity of your breakers but also provides a detailed, full-service process to keep your facility running at peak production. This includes the performance of each tested unit against specifications, recommendations for replacements, and proactive assessments to help identify potential issues before they escalate. A complete, outlined process ensures that every base is covered and helps eliminate costly issues before they happen.
Take the guesswork out of understanding the code with this checklist. It helps you navigate recent changes, essential for maintaining top safety standards in your facility. Compliance is crucial for ensuring personnel safety and boosting operational efficiency. This checklist provides a practical starting point, simplifying the process of adapting to new requirements and reinforcing your commitment to workplace safety and reliability.
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Below are some commonly asked questions regarding breaker injection testing. If you have a question that's not listed, please reach out—we'd love to answer!
Breaker injection testing involves passing a controlled amount of current through circuit breakers to ensure they trip at the correct amperage and within the designated time frames. According to Adam Dittbenner, Instrumentation Manager at Interstates, "Breaker injection testing passes amps through breakers to ensure they trip at the proper amount of amps and at the proper time. It is important because it proves that the breaker is properly protecting the equipment downstream of it."
This testing is essential for verifying that breakers will function correctly in fault conditions, thus safeguarding electrical systems and preventing costly disruptions or unsafe conditions.
Interstates currently tests in the following industries:
If your facility has circuit breakers and is working toward NFPA 70B compliance, we're there!
Interstates can test your facility's low-voltage, molded-case, and metal-clad direct-acting AC circuit breakers up to 3,000 amps.
Our skilled technicians meticulously evaluate your facility's breakers by temporarily shutting down power, removing the breakers, and conducting comprehensive high-amp injection tests. This ensures each breaker trips within its specific time frames and set points, crucial for worker safety and compliance with NFPA 70B standards.
The frequency of testing is determined by each breaker's criticality, ensuring the most crucial components are inspected regularly to maintain optimal safety and reliability. Based on your facility's conditions and alignment with NFPA 70B, breaker testing can be done every 1-5 years. Regular testing based on breaker criticality helps prevent unexpected failures and keeps your operations running smoothly.
Primary tests are more thorough but complex; secondary tests are quicker and used mainly for functional checks.
Breaker injection testing is no longer a best practice but a standard under NFPA 70B as of January 2023. This regulation safeguards your facility against potential overcurrents that can lead to arc flashes, short circuits, and unplanned downtime.
Malfunctioning breakers can cause these problems at your facility:
Regular testing helps avoid these potential hazards and keeps your facility running at its best.
No, breaker injection testing will not damage your breakers. Testing ensures that breakers will trip at the set current and time prior to a failure, preventing potential injuries, damage, and shutdowns. We have an analogy for understanding the purpose of breaker injection testing:
Imagine you're a baseball player. You have an amazing baseball bat that helps you hit well. You practice batting regularly at the batting cage, making sure that your bat works and your swing feels good. If your bat is working, you'll use it in the game. If it's damaged or worn down, you'll replace it with a new one that does work. You do this because it's better to know that your bat isn't working at batting practice, rather than the bottom of the 9th inning.
Your bat is the breaker. Batting practice is the breaker injection test. And the 9th inning of the game is your operation. It's better to know when your equipment isn't working in a controlled environment, instead of during working hours.
