Agricultural
Stray voltage on a dairy farm: what it is, how it is measured, and whose fault it usually is
The cows are holding back in the parlour. Could it be stray voltage?
Blog
Every piece here starts from a question somebody actually asked us or asked on a trade forum, and answers it in the first few lines. No introductions about the importance of electricity. If you would rather just ask, call (717) 821-9166.
Agricultural
Voltage drop on long farm runs: why a wire that is big enough still is not big enough
The compressor in the far shed will not start on a hot day. Is the wire too small?
Agricultural
NEC Article 547 in plain language: what changes once animals or dust are in the building
What does the code actually require in a barn that it does not require in a shop?
Agricultural
The distribution point on a farm, and why most yards get it wrong by accident
Should every building have its own panel, or should everything come off one?
Agricultural
Choosing a wiring method for agricultural buildings: EMT, PVC or cable
EMT, PVC or cable in a barn. What actually survives?
Motors and controls
What a variable frequency drive does, when it pays and when it does not
What does a variable frequency drive actually do, and do I need one?
Motors and controls
VFD ground fault trips when the motor tests fine: what the drive is actually measuring
The drive keeps tripping on ground fault, but the motor megs clean. What is tripping it?
Motors and controls
Running a three phase machine on single phase power with a drive: derating, current and limits
Can I run a three phase machine from my single phase supply using a VFD?
Motors and controls
A three phase motor that hums, will not turn, or trips the overload: the order to check
The motor hums but will not turn, or it trips the overload on every start. Where do I begin?
Power distribution
Three phase against single phase: what changes, what it costs you to go without, and when the answer is no
Is it worth bringing three phase to the building?
Power distribution
Switchgear, switchboards and panelboards: what separates them and when a building needs the real thing
The engineer says we need switchgear, not another panel. What is the difference?
Power distribution
How electrical distribution in a building works, from the service to the last outlet
Where does the power actually go between the meter and the machine?
Service and panels
What a panel replacement really costs: the components of the price and why three quotes never match
What does replacing an electrical panel actually cost, and why is every quote different?
Service and panels
Signs an electrical panel is finished, and the ones that only look serious
How do I know if the panel needs replacing or just repairing?
Service and panels
How to read a panel schedule, and why yours does not match the building
The panel directory says kitchen and there is no kitchen. How do I fix this?
Standby power
What a standby generator costs: the components of the price and why two quotes are never the same
What does a standby generator actually cost, and why are the quotes so far apart?
Standby power
Starting load against running load: why a generator that looks big enough still stalls
The generator is rated well above our load, so why does it stall when the compressor starts?
Standby power
Standby generator maintenance: the real schedule, and why a set that sits is a set that fails
What maintenance does a standby generator actually need, and how often?
Standby power
Transfer switch types: manual, automatic, open, closed and delayed transition, and how to choose
What is the difference between a manual and an automatic transfer switch, and which one does our building need?
Lighting
High bay LED lighting: why brighter fixtures usually do not fix a dark building
The warehouse is lit and people still say it is dark. What is wrong?
Agricultural
A poultry house with no power: how long you really have, and what decides it
The power is out and the fans have stopped. How long do we actually have?
Power distribution
Surge protection: what an SPD actually stops, what it does not, and why one device at the service is not enough
Lightning took out three controllers and nothing else. Would surge protection have stopped it?
Maintenance
Infrared electrical surveys: why the load matters more than the camera, and what the temperatures mean
Our insurer wants a thermographic report. What does an infrared survey actually find?
Service and panels
What size electrical service do you need: how the calculation works and why 200 amps is usually a guess
How do we know what size electrical service the building actually needs?
Power distribution
High leg delta: why one phase reads 208 volts to ground and what must never be landed on it
One leg of our three phase service reads 208 volts to ground. Is something wrong?