CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Littelfuse, Inc., the global leader in circuit protection, provides safety tips and instructions for the restoration of electrical equipment that has been exposed to flood water. Flood waters are often contaminated, and leave conductive and/or corrosive residues inside equipment that can produce shock and fire hazards.
“After a disaster, businesses have many questions about electrical restoration,” said Dave Scheuerman, Littelfuse technical training manager. “It’s critical that electricians and managers of large commercial buildings and industrial facilities understand the hazards of working with flood-damaged electrical equipment.”
In many cases, affected equipment should be replaced or refurbished to avoid risk of fire and electrical shock. All fuses that were submerged, even if they look dry on the outside, should be replaced. Fuses contain filler materials such as sand to quench arcs that form when the fuse elements open. The filler material may absorb water and compromise a fuse's ability to interrupt an overload or short circuit safely. Due to a fuse's design, the filler material will not dry out; therefore, the fuse needs to be replaced.
Littelfuse advises users to avoid mixing fuse brands in a three-phase application. In this case, it is advisable that all three fuses be replaced with new fuses from the appropriate UL Class and rating from the same manufacturer because the performance of fuses of different makes can vary slightly.
Restoration is an opportunity to upgrade old-style fuses such as UL Class H, K5, and RK5 with modern current-limiting fuses. Current limitation reduces the danger of arc flash hazards, improves the short-circuit current rating, and simplifies selective coordination. In addition, Littelfuse suggests upgrading to indicating fuses that allow a quick visual reference to identify which fuse needs to be replaced, thus reducing downtime and increasing safety.
“As experts in circuit protection, we want to share our knowledge of these special situations to help keep workers safe and ensure power reliability,” Scheuerman said. “We want electricians and building managers to know that Littelfuse is here to offer advice.”
Checklist for Electrical System Restoration
To simplify post-flood electrical restoration, Littelfuse offers a checklist with clear, step-by-step guidance. Download the Littelfuse 13-point Checklist for Electrical System Restoration, available at www.littelfuse.com/flood-checklist. The checklist makes it easy to follow best safety practices and get systems back into operation quickly.
In addition, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) offers standards on this topic at www.nema.org/Standards/Pages/Evaluating-Water-Damaged-Electrical-Equipment.aspx.
For more a more information on Littelfuse circuit protection devices or to cross-reference fuse part numbers, visit the Littelfuse website at www.Littelfuse.com/Fuses or call the technical support line at 800-832-3873.
About Littelfuse
Founded in 1927, Littelfuse is the world leader in circuit protection with growing global platforms in power control and sensing. The company serves global customers in the electronics, automotive and industrial markets with technologies including fuses, semiconductors, polymers, ceramics, relays and sensors. Littelfuse has over 10,000 employees in more than 40 locations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit the Littelfuse website: Littelfuse.com.
