What is electricity
The most costly and widely used energy source within the hospitality industry
explain the electrical systems
- most hospitality operations have their electricity delivered by a local utility
- utility is responsible for providing power at a correct voltage and frequency
- utility provides power through an electric meter that measures the rate and amount of power consumed, this information is used to generate electrical bills
what is voltage?
a measure of the electrical potential provided by the utility
(often compared with water pressure in a water system)
what is frequency
the rate at which AC alternates direction of current flow
50/60 Hertz
what is phases
the number of ‘hot’ wires in electrical system (1 or 3)
what are feeders?
- deliver electricity to various portions of the building and to major equipment
what are transformers
- devices that change the voltage of the electrical supply
step up or step down
what are the design of operating standards
- Electrical distribution system at the property should be designed and maintained according to all relevant codes and standards
- these codes and standards ensure to provide safe and reliable sources of electrical power
what are the codes and standards of system design and operating standards
- National Electrical Code (NEC)
concerned with safety
provisions should be viewed as minimum standards - National Fire Protection Associations (NFPA)
safety issues for employees operating/ maintaining a electrical systems are covered in the NFPA - Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
legal requirements for electrical systems and safety are contained in the OSHA
contains a large number of provisions for electrical safety
what is needed for an effective electrical maintenance program
- current electricity system plans
- knowledge of electrical practices and buildings electrical system
- good housekeeping practices in areas containing electrical equipment
- proper safety procedures
incorporation of electrical maintenance procedures into the facility’s preventive maintenance program
what colour of wire is used for an equipment ground?
green or bare
what colour of wire is used for your power source?
any colour but green, white or bare
what causes a hermetic motor compressor burnout
moisture, high head pressure
single phasing on a three phase unit
start winding not dropping out
how much voltage drop does it take to cause problems to a motor?
10%
how many terminals does a domestic hermetic motor usually have? name them
- Three
- Start
- Run
Common Neutral
if a three phase motor is running backwards, what should you do to correct the problem?
Switch any two legs of power to the motor
what are the operating practices to reduce electrical maintenance needs?
- Keep electrical equipments clean
- Store electrical equipment in dry locations
- use a form grip when unplugging equipment
- match equipment task
- prompt reporting of malfunctioning
- no DIY repairs to be allowed
- Allow for proper access and air circulation in electrical rooms
- Lock out/ Tag out procedures
what are the key safety tips?
- When performing onsite excavations, refer to site maps for the location of any buried electrical cables
- avoid electrical service locations when painting eaves and drain troughs or doing other work on the roof/ sides of buildings
- Avoid downed electric wires
- Avoid any tree or limb touching electrical wires
- Wear safety glasses and rubber soled and heeled safety shoes when working
what are the system components
- Fuses and and circuit breakers
- Distribution panels & wiring
- Electric motors, controls and drive elements
- electronic equipment
- Emergency power systems
- Electrical maintenance equipment
electricity utility billing
- Electricity bill results bulk of utilities bill/costs
- energy = consumption
- charge = capacity
what are the two utility charges
- Energy (consumption) charge
amount of electricity used by customer over the billing period
kilowatt- hours (kwh) - Demand (capacity) charge
based of the business’s highest rate of energy usage - kw
what are the two types of electricity utility metering
- Kilowatt- Hour meter
- used to determine the number of kwh of electricity used
- on a kwh meter, the meter fails are read in sequence from left to right
- the number recorded should be the lower of two numbers that the hand is between each dail
2. Kilowatt- Hour Meter with Demand Meter • maximum demand • demand dails • cumulative demand register • recording demand meters
