The Aging of the Electrical Power Grid

It has been said many times that our power grid is under severe structural strain. The aging of our infrastructure from generation to transmision to control by the consumer, has pushed our system to its limits. Added to that are extended OEM lead times for equipment and parts and the mission of used electrical equipment dealers like National Power Equipment, Inc. (NPE) becomes more obvious and critical. Providing reconditioned equipment, custom solutions, aftermarket parts, and support for field service organizations. Players like NPE are crucial to both the everyday operation of our electrical grid and times when it is under stress from things like extreme swings in weather patterns. It has been said, over and over, when the power is down and the lights are off, call NPE for fast, cost effective solutions, as they say, "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

Our "aftermarket parts" section of the website has  new parts, manufactured by NPE in small batches, with an eye for quility, that endevours to eliminate inherent defects in the original part that caused the failure in the first place. These parts are kept in stock in limited quantites, but larger qty's are generally available with lead times measured in days, not weeks or months. 

Overview - Switchgear Lifecycles and Base Pressure

We use the term "switchgear" to refer to the electrical equipment responsible for protecting sections of our power supply, locally and regionally. It consists of circuit breakers, disconnect switches, relays, fuses and other protective panels. It is the foundation for manufacturing, hospitals and government facilities. The base age is 25-60 years ( but 80 yrs old is not out of the question!) makes failures, something that the OEM's have a difficult, if not impossible time supporting because of manufacturing and base material logistics and limitations.

Organziations like NPE fill in that void with inventory that is in stock, the expertise to understand the application and find fast, cost effective solutions to help manufacturers and service organizations alike to keep the lights on, and production producing. if you give us a a call, send us an emai to www.info@npeinc.com or send us a fax, (yes we still have one of those!(216) 898-2684, one of our experienced sales engineers will search our inventory of literally thousands of air circuit breakers (acb's, vacuum circuit breakers (vcb's), primary switches from 2400 -15,000 vac, panel mount protective relays and parts inventory).

Almost every day we get calls, texts and emails asking if we would like to make an offer on purchasing different types of electrical equipment and what types we can supply to them. 

The field of electrical circuit breakers and associated equipment includes a vast variety of products. This includes a range from motors, generators, air and vacuum circuit breakers, primary switches (2300 vac to 15 kvac), medium voltage motor starters and contactors, fuses, panel mount relays, and of course, molded case circuit breakers, especially for residential use. In general, our customer base includes utilities, factories and service companies that maintain and upgrade this equipment. 

So to clarify this, National Power Equipment, Inc. is a stocking distributor and service center for all makes and models of industrial and commercial low and medium voltage air and vacuum circuit breakers from 480 volt to 15,000 vac, primary load break switches from 2300 vac to 15,000 vac. We also carry parts for this equipment. Manufacturers include Westinghouse, General Electric, ITE, BBC, ABB, Federal Pacific/Federal Pioneer (FPE) and lesser known brands, as well. The vast majority of our inventory is advertised on our website. Prices are not listed for the majority of our equipment due to all the different options for various modifcations. If you need help finding what you need, try our parts replacement guides. We have developed an app (NPE on the Go) that can help guide you through the process of getting us all the details we need to quickly and efficiently get you a competitive quote. The product lines vary in age, from current production going back to World War II era equipment. You would be suprised how much of the older stuff is still out there. To NPE, nothing is ever obsolete, it can most likely be upgraded with new parts with better materials and trip units.

We generally do not handle anything for residential use or single phase equipment.

We are centrally located southwest of Cleveland OH, near the airport and major transportation hubs. Stock equipment normally ships in 1-2 days from receipt of order. Full Class One Rebuilds are custom built and vary in completion times. 

Give us a call, 800-647-0815, send us an email, info@npeinc.com, or even send us a fax, 216-898-2684, or you can use our quick and easy form to aid in the process, http://m.npeinc.com/sell.php. We would be happy to make you an offer on your valuable, used inventory and help us maintain our motto, "The right equipment, at the right price, right now!"

We look forward to working with you!

The integrity of your power system can only be relied upon when regular maintenance is performed to the system, and this is especially true for larger equipment.

Simply put, all equipment regardless of frame size (amperage) or voltage class. However, the unfortunate truth is that larger, more powerful equipment can cause larger and more deadly problems. This reality means that circuit breaker repair, testing, and upgrades should be an integral part of every plant’s maintenance program.

What to Include in Your Circuit Breaker Maintenance Program

Regular, documented observations

This breaker maintenance process starts with simple observations. These reviews should be conducted by technicians who are familiar with the equipment and how the gear looks, acts, and even smells. Technicians should review every part of the system, including:

• Air circuit breakers
• Vacuum breakers
• Switches
• Protective relays
• Auxiliary equipment

Continuation with regular, documented tests according to manufacturer’s requirements, cannot be overstated. Any equipment that fails to trip or otherwise clear a fault, can harm or even fatalities, cause fires, damage equipment and increase arc flash hazards to workers or others nearby.

Insulation testing

This maintenance includes testing of the insulation. Test reports will include the breaker type, manufacturer and model number, serial or SO number, insulation tests, and overcurrent production tests. These tests should verify the insulation’s:

• Integrity
  
• Contact resistance
  
• Overcurrent protection of the device overall, as well as its individual components

How NPE Maintains Strict Maintenance and Testing for Circuit Breaker Equipment We Sell

As the go-to source for switchgear and circuit breaker needs, we ensure that our inventory is ready to ship when you need it.

NPE ensures that all of its technicians are up to date with testing requirements and procedures and follow guidelines by accredited organizations like PEARL (Professional Electrical Recyclers League) and AVO, as well as its own integral guidelines learned over time.

All tests are documented and confirmed with our own internal test reports and photos which are provided to the customer with the shipment. Upgrades include updated overcurrent protection with specific modern trip systems and new and improved parts from NPE's aftermarket parts inventory.

Solve Your Industrial Switchgear and Circuit Breaker Challenges with NPE

At NPE, we provide more than just cabinets and parts, we provide solutions for customers from every spectrum of the electrical industry.

Our warehouses are filled with thousands of circuit breakers and switchgear cabinets, and tens of thousands of parts, and we can work with you to help you get the right equipment, at the right price, right now.

Give us a call at (800) 647-0815 or contact us online to get the parts you need to keep your building production and systems running trouble free.

Replacing Bottles in GE Magneblast Switchgear

The General Electric Magneblast is one of those iconic circuit breakers that if you spend any time in or around switchgear, you will have reason to deal with them. Manufactured from the 1950's through the early 1970's, they are usually found in large manufacturing facilities, from automotive plants to steel mills to repurposed properties that once had high volume production runs of one kind or another. It is sometimes called a "vertical lift" breaker. It is characterized by a unit that rolls into an enclosure and then lifted vertically into place and then connected to the line and load side by means of a vertical lift mechanism.

With ratings from 2.4kV through 15kV, frame sizes of 600, 1200, 2000 and even 3000 amp and interrupting ratings from 50MVA to 1000MVA, these breakers cover almost every conceivable industrial, commercial and utility application. Documentation for most of these frames can be found on our website www.npeinc.com/resources  or by contacting NPE personnel with specific requests at info@npeinc.com, 800-647-0815 or by fax 216-898-2684, yes, we still have one!

We have found over time, the original "tar pitch" that was used to insulate the primary conductor in the center of the primary disconnect bottle has outlived its useful lifespan. It can crack and absorb moisture and loosen the connection inside and eventually lead to catastrophic failure. That's where NPE and our experience can help to increase the safe, useful lifespan of your switchgear with our repotting program.

Regardless of what your GE Magneblast breaker and switchgear needs are, you will find that NPE has "The right part, at the right price, right now!"

National Power Equipment, Inc. is your one stop shop for air and vacuum circuit breakers, switchgear, primary switches, motor starters and of course, parts!

Allis Chalmers/Siemens Allis Cell Bottles...Almost Everything You Wanted to Know, but Didn't Know to Ask!

The cell bottles (primary disconnects) in Allis Chalmers horizontal drawout switchgear can be a little tricky to replace. These bottles are typically found in cabinets designed to operate FC, FB, FCV, FSV - 500 MVA - 1000 MVA circuit breakers. For example, FC-500, FB-500, FSV-500, FCV-750, etc. This follows all assembles rated 1200 amp or 2000 amp.

The assembly consists of a porcelain "bottle" with a round conductor on the inside which terminates in a flat conductor on the outside. The entire assembly is sealed on the outside with a molded insulation. The assembly is held in place with a steel mounting ring.

Of the six bottles in the cell, there are three different sizes. Three different ones on the line side so that the buss staggers to meet the cross buss and three of the same size on the load side. The tallest of the three measures roughly 16". The medium size measures around 12", and the shortest size measures approximately 9" from the base to the top of the conductor on the bottle.

Short                                                     Medium                                                         Tall

When these assemblies need to be replaced this information will need to be conveyed to our salesman to enable him to ensure that you will receive the correct assemblies. 

So give us a call or send us an email with as much information as you can and we'll take it from there!

NPE where our motto is "The right part, at the right price, right now!"