Electrical equipment maintenance

[030366]

(Not sure if this thread belongs in the Electrics part of the forum or not. In my own mind, it's directly concerned with safety.)

I just moved into a theatre that should be in better condition than it is......

The first production of the season is almost out of tech, and nearly every day I feel like something is falling apart in my hands. Arcing, insulation falling to bits, bad connections, and so forth. And so once we're open, I want to use my time to perform as much maintenance and checks as I can on everything I can reach. What do you guys suggest? And is checking for continuity with a Gam Chek enough, or do I need to open every plug to inspect it?

 

[techieman33]

I would open up every plug for inspection, especially after noticing insulation crumbling. Hopefully you don't have to take to much of your inventory out of service.

 

[derekleffew]

Lighting Fixture Maintenance - ControlBooth

Also, if you've got $15 to spare,
ANSI E1.32 - 2012 Guide for the Inspection of Entertainment Industry Incandescent Lamp Luminaires

ANSI E1.32 - 2012 provides guidance in the inspection of stage and studio luminaires used in the entertainment industry to evaluate their safety and any needed maintenance. The information contained in this document is intended to supplement the information contained in manufacturers’ maintenance instructions.

 

[zmb]

And is checking for continuity with a Gam Chek enough, or do I need to open every plug to inspect it?

As long as the slightest amount of wire is completing the circuit, it's probably going say there's continuity. But that small bit of wire might not be up too 500+ watts and potentially overheat and pose a fire risk.

 

[MPowers]

If the situation is as bad as you describe,turn around, do not touch anything and walk toward the nearest exit as quickly as possible. You don't say what kind of facility this is, school, community, LORT, .... What is your position there? Can you release funds for repairs or do you need to get it approved by a board or a higher up. Are you the ME or TD or.......????
If any equipment is an immediate danger to you or anyone else you should do everything in you power to take it out of service NOW. Remember, now that you have become aware of a problem, if you don't report it or at least atttempt to rectify it, you might becom liable if something happens or someone is injured.

Now, if it's bad but....safe....for the immediate time, then you need to find a way to get the equipment into a maintenance mode asap. Take a reasonable number of pieces out of inventory so designers don't expect access to them. Then start a major maintenance/repair program with the equipment not in the show. More than a GAM check, YES. It sounds like every piece of equipment needs a complete work over. Open every plug, lamp socket, check all the leads for cracks or breaks in insulation, check porcelain sockets for cracks, check terminal screws for tightness or proper torque. Download factory maintenance manuals, take a look at ANSI E1.32 - 2012 Guide for the Inspection of Entertainment Industry Incandescent Lamp Luminaires and go through the entire routine step by step. Replace parts as needed. Don't let equipment go back on line if it is not safe.

Because I'm not there to look at the actual equipment, I can't really tell how serious it is. It may not be bad at all and I'm over reacting,....or it may be so bad you should shut down and fix things before you let actors, technician and the public back in the building. From here I simply can't tell.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[lwinters630]

In our auditorium, what started as a simple change of a pigtail from 2p&g to Edison, became a total replacement of the electrics. The wire inside the pigtails showed crumbling when they were cut off and stripped back. Upon opening up the electric raceway a lot of the wires had the insulation just falling off and bare wires. This was a fire waiting to happen.

Knowledge became responsibility. I immediately shut down and locked the power to the electrics and notified the building architect/engineers in writing. Negligence will breach any corporate or employee vail.

It nearly delayed the opening production, but we opened with all new electrics and me sleeping well.

 

[teqniqal]

Three things to be aware of:
1. Electrical testers like the GAM check do not test for reversed Neutral and Ground at receptacles (outlets).

2. NFPA 70E - Electrical Safety in the Workplace. Get a copy and understand it before you even think about attempting inspections or repairs. This should be a part of your facility library along with NPFA 70 - National Electric Code, NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and NFPA 80 Standard for Fire Doors and other Opening Protectives [i.e. Fire Curtains].

3. Always disconnect the power (Lock-Out-Tag-Out) to equipment before attempting work (this applies to thermal, pneumatic / hydraulic, electrical, and mechanical energy sources).

 

[Namlit]

It nearly delayed the opening production, but we opened with all new electrics and me sleeping well.

It often takes courage and tough choices to do the right thing, when faced with poorly maintained electrical gear. Sadly, I think a lot of people who should know better tend to "overlook" such problems because they don't want to make waves. Such was the case when I became the ME at my current theatre. Though I hadn't worked in the space before, I knew a few people who had as both LD and ME; people who know their stuff electrically. Well I got into my job, and before too long realized I had to do a complete cable rehab. It was terrible! 70% of the cable and 90 % of the connectors had to be pitched. Burned plugs, crumbling insulation, and cable rot everywhere. You know it's been bad when a 50' length of cable can't even be salvaged into a 20' length.
I thought about walking out the door, but there was going to be a fire or other disaster for sure if I had done that. So I fixed it, and many other things in my theatre...the job is ongoing. What still bothers me though, 2 years later, is that these people I respected, who should have known better, did multiple productions in the space prior to my arrival and never bothered to fix anything. Maintenance, at the hands of so-called professionals, had been neglected for years.
My example was an egregious case, but I think it happens all the time....

 

[stuart]

As an actualy electrician in my day job i ran into this issue at a small local theater, it was so bad that i chose to shut off and lock the main disconnect for the entire stage, which they discovered that evening when they called me confused and upset. I explained to them the issue and said if the electrical inspector had seen it that the building would be closed as well and they agreed to work with me to fix the issues.

 

[teqniqal]

Lighting Fixture Maintenance - ControlBooth

Also, if you've got $15 to spare,
ANSI E1.32 - 2012 Guide for the Inspection of Entertainment Industry Incandescent Lamp Luminaires

UPDATE: As of April 2013, this document is now available for no charge.