For a facility in Alaska, replacing interrupters instead of the breakers kept GE Power/Vac equipment in place and the project manageable.
Switchgear that has been in service for years or decades eventually needs more than routine maintenance. When it does, the first question is whether to replace the equipment or restore it. For a facility in Alaska operating GE Power/Vac vacuum circuit breakers, its remote location weighed heavily in that answer.
The facility’s electrical team considered the same goals every maintenance team does: getting the most life out of existing equipment, managing the maintenance budget, and avoiding unnecessary downtime. Fully replacing the gear would have worked against all three goals.
Instead, the facility kept the breakers where they were and contacted Vacuum Interrupters. We provided the replacement vacuum interrupters so the electrical team could restore the existing breakers as part of a broader maintenance effort that involved cleaning, lubricating, inspecting, and testing the breakers to restore functionality and support continued reliable operation.
Location Changes the Math
Replacing breakers or switchgear outright is a significant project in any location. Installing new equipment or replacement breakers increases project complexity, as well as adding substantial costs, extended OEM lead times, and shipping challenges. In Alaska, shipping distance magnifies each of those factors. Lead times stretch further, freight costs more, and a delay is harder to make up.
When the existing equipment is a viable candidate for repair, replacing a critical component is the smarter option. If the rest of the equipment checks out under inspection and testing, the frame and operating mechanism can stay in service. A targeted approach avoids the cost, complexity, and logistics of replacing entire breakers or switchgear assemblies.
Support for the Full Life Cycle
Vacuum Interrupters can provide a vacuum interrupter, encapsulated vacuum interrupter pole assembly, and replacement vacuum interrupter parts or components for virtually any manufacturer’s medium-voltage vacuum circuit breaker or contactor. Use our Product Finder to search for the right replacement for your equipment.
Not sure how much life is left in your components? Our MAC-TS4 vacuum interrupter tester uses patented magnetron atmospheric condition (MAC) testing to determine the condition of vacuum interrupters whether you’re in the lab, shop, or a remote location in Alaska.
As a Group CBS company, we offer the Power of One: connecting customers with a broad range of solutions that support the full life cycle of their electrical infrastructure.
Aging switchgear, hard-to-source components, and long OEM lead times don’t have to force a full replacement. Contact us to find out whether testing and replacement vacuum interrupters can keep your existing equipment in service.
