Commissioning the Circuit Breaker

List of Checks and Inspections

DANGER

HAZARD OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, EXPLOSION, OR ARC FLASH Apply appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow safe electrical work practices. See NFPA 70E, CSA Z462, NOM-029-STPS, or local equivalent. This equipment must only be installed and serviced by qualified electrical personnel. Turn off all power supplying this equipment before working on or inside equipment. Always use a properly rated voltage sensing device to confirm that power is off. Replace all devices, doors, and covers before turning on power to this equipment. Beware of potential hazards, and carefully inspect the work area for tools and objects that may have been left inside the equipment. Failure to follow these instructions will result in death or serious injury.

When starting up new equipment, or following lengthy downtime, a general check takes just a few minutes. Such a check reduces the risk of a malfunction due to error or oversight.

The following table indicates the checks and inspections to be performed according to the event:

When to carry out the check or inspection	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K
Before commissioning	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	–	✔
Periodically during operation	✔	–	–	–	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
After carrying out work on the switchboard	–	–	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Periodically during lengthy downtime	–	–	✔	–	✔	✔	–	✔	✔	–	✔
After lengthy downtime	–	–	✔	–	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
After lengthy downtime and modification to the switchboard	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
A Insulation and dielectric strength tests B Carry out temperature rise tests C Inspect switchboard D Check compliance with the diagram E Inspect mechanical equipment F Check connections G Check mechanical operation H Check auxiliary contacts on devices I Check earth-leakage protection (for earth-leakage circuit breaker only) J Check pairing of the wireless devices with gateway or panel server K Clean equipment

A: Insulation Tests and Dielectric Strength Tests

DANGER

HAZARD OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, EXPLOSION, OR ARC FLASH Apply appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow safe electrical work practices. Insulation and dielectric strength tests must only be carried out by qualified electrical personnel. Disconnect all power sources before performing maintenance inspections.Assume that all circuits are live until they are de-energized, tested, grounded, and tagged. Consider all sources of power, including the possibility of backfeeding and control power. Always use a properly rated voltage sensing device to confirm that power is off. Replace all devices, doors, and covers before turning on power to this equipment. The protective cover for the connections must be reconnected without fail following dielectric tests. Failure to follow these instructions will result in death or serious injury.

Insulation and dielectric strength tests are carried out before the switchboard is delivered. These tests are subject to the currently applicable standards.

Dielectric strength tests impose great stress on the equipment and can cause damage if performed incorrectly. In particular:

• Reduce the value used for the test voltage according to the number of consecutive tests on the same piece of equipment.

• Disconnect electronic equipment if necessary.

For earth-leakage circuit breakers (ELCB):

To perform a dielectric test for earth-leakage circuit breaker, do the following procedure:

WARNING
LOSS OF EARTH-LEAKAGE PROTECTION The dielectric switch must be in the retracted position while the circuit breaker is in use. Failure to follow these instructions can result in death, serious injury, or equipment damage.

A: Insulation Tests and Dielectric Strength Tests with PowerTag Energy F160

PowerTag Energy F160 is an electronic device which needs to be disconnected before dielectric tests. Follow this procedure before carrying out a dielectric test:

Step	Action
1	Disconnect the voltage take-offs of the PowerTag Energy F160.
2	Carry out the dielectric test, as described.	–
3	Connect the voltage take-offs of the PowerTag Energy F160 after the dielectric test.

B: Temperature Rise Tests

Temperature rise tests are carried out before the switchboard is delivered. ComPacT NSXm circuit breakers comply with product standards IEC/EN 60947-1 and IEC/EN 60947-2.

For general-purpose systems, tests are carried out at an ambient temperature of 40 °C (104 °F). Above 40 °C (104 °F), thermal protection characteristics are slightly modified and the values defined in the derating tables must be taken into account. These values are valid for circuit breakers with or without terminal shields.

C: Inspect Switchboard

Check that the circuit breakers are installed:

• In a clean environment, without waste from assembling the equipment (such as wiring, tools, shavings, metallic particles).

• In a properly ventilated switchboard (unobstructed ventilation grills).

D: Check Compliance with the Diagram

Check that the circuit breakers comply with the installation diagram:

• Identification of the feeds on the front of the circuit breakers

• Rating and breaking capacity (indications on the faceplate label)

• Identification of the trip units (type, rating)

• Presence of additional functions (rotary handle, control or indication auxiliaries, locking, sealing)

• Protection settings (overload, short-circuit, earth-leakage): visually check the position of the adjustment dials on the trip unit

E: Inspect Mechanical Equipment

Visually inspect the general state of the circuit breaker. Check the following items:

• Terminal shields and interphase barriers

• Trip unit

• Case

Check the equipment integrity: a circuit breaker found with a cracked case or burn marks must be immediately taken out of service and replaced.

Check the mounting and mechanical strength:

• Of circuit breakers in the switchboard.

• Of auxiliaries and accessories on the circuit breakers:

  • Rotary handles or motor mechanisms

  • Installation accessories (such as terminal shields)

• Of locks, padlocks and padlock support tabs

F: Check Connections

Check the tightening torque of the power connections and auxiliary circuit connections, as described in the instruction sheets.

G: Check Mechanical Operation

Check the mechanical operation of the circuit breaker:

• Opening, closing and resetting

• Tripping with the push-to-trip button

• Tripping by MN/MX control auxiliaries

H: Check Auxiliary Contacts on Devices

Check that the following are working correctly:

• OF and SD indication contacts

• SDx modules

• Wireless indication auxiliaries

I: Check Earth-Leakage Protection (For Earth-Leakage Circuit Breaker Only)

Check that the earth-leakage protection is working correctly by operating the test button T on the front. This test checks the whole measurement system and tripping on earth-leakage faults.

J: Check Pairing of Wireless Devices with Gateway or Panel Server

Check that wireless communication with gateway or panel server is working correctly:

• For PowerTag Energy F160, LED is blinking green each time data is sent (every 5 seconds by default)

• For wireless indication auxiliaries, LED is blinking green each time data is sent (every 8 hours, or when status changes).

K: Clean Equipment

To reduce dust deposits that can affect the mechanical operation of circuit breakers, clean the circuit breakers when performing maintenance:

• Non-metallic parts: Always use a dry cloth. Do not use cleaning products.

• Metallic parts: Preferably use a dry cloth. If a cleaning product is used, do not apply or splash the cleaning product on non-metallic parts.