Power quality issues are a result of disturbances that cause mis-operation or damage of equipment. There are many different types of power quality issues that produce different types of symptoms. Common symptoms of a power quality issue:
- Electronic equipment shutting down unexpectedly
- Equipment overheating
- Flickering lights
- Dim and/or bright lights
- Motor tripping offline unexpectedly
If you are experiencing these or any other power quality problems Lewis County PUD is here to help.
A few common causes of power quality issues are:
- Voltage Sags (10% -90% voltage reduction for less than 1 minute)
- Voltage Swells (110% or greater increase of voltage for less than 1 minute)
- Bad grounding
- Bad neutral connection
- Harmonic distortion
- Equipment switching on or off
- Failing equipment
Most power quality issues are created from some piece of equipment, however it can be difficult to find the source of the problem.
Lewis County PUD provides information, guidance, and assistance in determining the source(s) of the disturbance for our customers who have power quality problems. We will deal with the source of the cause if it is determined to be on the electrical system or provide some guidance to the customer in mitigating any of their own problems.
How you can help
If you believe you are experiencing a power quality issue, there are a couple things you can do to help diagnose the issue.
- Create a disturbance log (PDF). Record the following information for each event or disturbance.
- Date/Time
- Location
- Effected Device(s)
- Symptom(s)
- Concurrent Events
- Inspect electrical equipment.
- Check to see if effected device is failing
- Check electrical connections
- Check breaker panel for audible noise, overheating, and melted or burnt spots.
- Fill out and submit the form below with as much detail as possible.
If you are Interested in more information and/or assistance, please complete the form below.