Predict and prevent electrical system issues before it becomes a problem.
Houle offers preventative maintenance solutions to ensure compliance of your systems and mitigate the risk of equipment failures, injuries, and possibly even death. Our power quality team will work with you to determine the right solutions and maintenance requirements for your facility.
Arc Flash Analysis & Coordination Studies
Hotter than the surface of the sun and capable of exploding with the strength of 8 sticks of dynamite, an arc flash is an electrical release of energy that could seriously injure a person, cause death, and/or cause a fire.
Houle will partner with you to minimize your risks of arc flashes by performing calculations to determine the amount of energy that will be released from the equipment due to an arc or fault, identifying the presence and location of potential hazards, identifying categories of PPE required, determining safe work distances, and providing recommendations for flash protection and safe work practices.
Our coordination studies will analyze the impacts of short circuits and equipment failures at your facility and how it may affect your facility’s operation. We will help you achieve an optimum balance between equipment protection and selective isolation that meets the operating requirements of the overall power system. Houle will also provide accurate single-line drawings which are essential in not only meeting the National Fire Protection Association Guidelines (NFPA 70E), but also for troubleshooting and communicating information about your power systems. The results of the coordination study will be summarized in a final report, with our conclusions and recommendations included.
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Electrical Operating Permit Inspection
If you hold an electrical operating permit for your facility, you may be required to have a bi-annual electrical inspection of your systems. Houle will take the nuisances away from you by managing the whole process. We will coordinate with the city to request an inspection of your facility. On the day of the inspection, one of our qualified electricians will meet the inspector on-site and perform the walk through with the inspector. Should the inspector report any issues that need to be addressed, Houle can immediately respond to the issue.
High Voltage Maintenance
Routine three year maintenance on your electrical vaults is mandatory to ensure your vault is compliant with WorkSafeBC rules. As a certified high-voltage contractor, Houle will de-energize your whole vault, take the equipment apart, clean the components, perform an oil sample for each transformer, test and check the vault for any needed repairs, and then restore power. We will provide you with a deficiency report and recommend cost-effective solutions that will aid in improving your electrical system reliability.
Inventory & Reporting
Knowing what electrical equipment you have in your facility and the service history behind them can help you manage your assets and ensure that equipment does not deteriorate to the extent that it may put you and your staff at risk.
With reports generated by Houle, we provide you with the information you need to know what equipment you have in your facility and the service history behind them. When you experience an equipment failure, the reports enable you to advise the Houle dispatcher the service history behind the equipment and any other pertinent information. Equipped with this information, the Houle technician can bring along the right materials even before going to site, reducing/eliminating any unnecessary trips to obtain needed equipment. This results in time and cost savings to you. The reports also aid in the annual maintenance we perform at your facility. With the service and maintenance history, we can focus on servicing and maintaining equipment that requires special attention.
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Infrared Thermography/ Thermal Imaging
Protect your investments from electrical system failures by identifying deficiencies in your equipment through the detection of abnormal heating.
Houle can help you detect impending damage to your electrical equipment before equipment faults lead to equipment failure, loss in electricity supply, or electrical fire. We can also help you reduce wasteful energy consumption by discovering heat loss, and moisture intrusion at your facility. Through the use of infrared thermography, our top-of-the-line FLIR cameras can detect abnormal heating generated because of high resistance or excessive current flow. In addition to providing you with a thermographic image, we will also provide you with digital images with the name plate information, which you can use to help you manage your inventory.
Since Houle utilizes only certified electricians to perform the tests, we are able to test electrical equipment that other non-electricians cannot access. As a result, we are able to provide extremely detailed and factual reporting with thorough analysis and recommendations, enabling you to make informed decisions regarding your equipment.
Combine infrared thermography with ultrasonic testing for the most comprehensive inspection.
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Power Outage Reduction
Regular preventative maintenance is the best protection you can have against sudden and costly power outages.
Houle can help you protect your investment through preventative maintenance, utilizing tools including infrared scanning, vault maintenance, metering, and visual inspection to identify and analyze electrical issues that can result in costly failures. In the event you do have power outages stemming from reasons other than Acts of God, Houle can investigate the root causes of the outage and fix the issue, often on the spot. If you had work performed by other contractors, bring us in to inspect the work prior to your warranty expiring so that we can help you fix any issues while the equipment is still covered under warranty.
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Ultrasonic Testing
By identifying deficiencies in your equipment through the detection of high frequency sounds produced by arcing, tracking, and corona, you can protect your assets from electrical system failures.
Houle can help you detect impending damage to your electrical equipment before equipment faults lead to equipment failure, loss in electricity supply, or electrical fire. Through the use of ultrasonic testing, we can detect faults in your equipment that cannot be detected by infrared thermography alone. Our electricians will use a scanning module while listening through headphones and observing a display panel. Any faults in the equipment will produce a high-frequency sound, which is translated down into audible ranges for analysis by our electrician. If any critical issues results from the ultrasonic test, we will work with you to make informed decisions regarding your equipment.
Combine ultrasonic testing with infrared thermography for the most comprehensive inspection.
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