Electrical

Electrical

Purpose of Training

Working with real world components and instruments found at their facility, students in this "hands-on" course will learn how to fix electrical problems, plain and simple. Using practical field troubleshooting techniques they will be able to go back to their facility and immediately find and fix problems they've never been able to identify or fix before. They will learn new skills from expert electrical instructors who have actually done this type of work themselves. Passing on the secrets, knowledge and experience of true veterans of the trade is what this course is all about.

What you will Learn

  • Common-sense electrical troubleshooting techniques
  • How to save big money by performing common electrical maintenance tasks
  • When and where to use CAT Ill industrial meters for troubleshooting
  • How to troubleshoot pushbutton, relay, motor starter and other common component problems How to wire basic electrical circuits using wiring diagrams and then troubleshoot faults inserted by the instructor.
  • How to use phase-rotation meter, Megohmmeter and different types of multimeters and voltage testers for different troubleshooting needs
  • How to measure three-phase power values and understand what those readings mean. What PPE to wear while troubleshooting

Who Should Attend?

Electrical Troubleshooting is a fundamental skill all personnel working in maintenance related jobs need to understand. This course is designed for them and anyone else who needs to troubleshoot electrical equipment and systems at their plant, building or facility. Our instructors have broad industrial and commercial knowledge so students come from a large variety of industries, skill-levels, company sizes and job titles.  Mechanics, Technicians, Cross-Trained and Multi-craft personnel, Apprentices, Machine Operators, and even Engineers and Electricians who need a refresher or are looking for new ideas will benefit from this class.

Training Outcomes

After this seminar, students will be able to:

  • Interpret OSHA requirements for troubleshooting and working on energized circuits
  • Determine the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements for electrical troubleshooting.
  • Correctly verify a circuit is de-energized.
  • Perform basic circuit checks for shorts, opens and ground faults using a multimeter.
  • Read and interpret common ladder and schematic diagrams. 
  • Perform continuity and resistance checks on relay coils and contacts, overloads, fuses, circuit breakers, switches and other control circuit components.
  • Wire and troubleshoot basic electrical control circuits
  • Develop a logical, systematic approach to troubleshooting.
  • Take clamp-on ammeter readings on 3-phase circuits and interpret readings.
  • Measure voltage on 3-phase Wye and Delta connected circuits and calculate percent phase imbalance as part of troubleshooting motors.
  • Test single-phase power distribution systems for correct wiring.
  • Use a Megohmmeter to perform Spot Reading, Dielectric Absorption Ratio, and Polarization Index insulation resistance tests for troubleshooting motors and distribution systems..
  • Identify power quality problems and apply troubleshooting techniques for facility distribution systems, three-phase loads and commercial lighting.
  • Read and interpret basic PLC ladder diagrams.
  • Measure VFD output characteristics and observe proper VFD operation.
  • Read and interpret their facility's own one-line electrical drawings and electrical floor plans.
  • Identify components of a successful electrical preventive maintenance program.

Discussion Topics

  • Basic Skills for Electrical Troubleshooting
  • Safety First
  • OSHA Requirements Regarding Troubleshooting and Qualified Persons
  • Using Electrical Drawings
  • Using Meters (multimeters) and Circuit Measurements
  • Developing a Logical, Systematic Approach to Troubleshooting
  • Troubleshooting Control Circuits
  • Relays, Motor Starters and Control Devices
  • Reading and Interpreting Ladder Diagrams
  • Power Loss
  • Control Circuit Industrial Applications
  • Electric Motor Drives
  • Solenoid-Operated Valves
  • Heating Elements

Troubleshooting Motors:

  • Most Common Motor Problems
  • Electrical Problems
  • Testing Windings for Shorts, Opens and Ground Faults
  • Phase Unbalance
  • Mechanical Problems
  • Phase Rotation Testing

Troubleshooting Power Distribution:

  • Wye and Delta Systems
  • Overcurrent Protection
  • Branch Circuits

Troubleshooting Power Quality Problems:

  • Sources of Power Quality Problems
  • Test Equipment for Troubleshooting Power Quality Problems
  • Harmonics

Troubleshooting Lighting Circuits:

  • Lighting Terminology
  • Types of Lighting Circuits
  • Incandescent Lighting
  • Fluorescent Lighting
  • HID Lighting

Troubleshooting Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC's ):

  • Programmable Logic Controls Overview (PLC's )
  • Reading PLC Ladder Diagrams
  • Status Indicators and Error Codes
  • Force and Disable
  • Startup Procedures

 Troubleshooting Variable Frequency Drives:

  • VFD Terminology
  • VFD Basic Operation Components

Pulse Width Modulation:

  • Types of VFDs

Common Problems & Corrective Action

Electrical Preventive Maintenance:

  • Why Perform Electrical Maintenance
  • Overview of an Electrical Maintenance Program
  • Building Your Own Walk-Through Inspection Checklist Seminar Agenda

Training Philosophy

Our training is designed with practical, real-world facility and industrial applications in mind. It is unbiased, unaffiliated and non-commercial so you are assured of a real education and not a product sales pitch. It focuses less on theory and more on the actual steps students need to properly maintain equipment or fix specific problems at their own plant or facility. Doing this in just a few days while reinforcing worker safety is a serious challenge. That's why our instructors have the freedom to tweak each session to the specific needs of the students in each class. Our instructors will simplify the subject matter for the novice or go in-depth to answer an engineer's toughest question.

About our Instructors

All instructors are required to have a formal education and real world work experience. They need to be leaders in their field. We don't hire field people without teaching experience, and we don't hire teachers without field experience. They must have both.

Training at Your Facility

We can bring this or any of our other courses directly to your facility for training.