Harmonics installation

The harmonics in your business’s electrical system need to be controlled. Problems like voltage sags and voltage surges – and the Canadian Electrical Association says it costs Canadian companies $1.2B annually and approximately $200M annually in Ontario.

If your business’s electrical system is fraught with problems, stop losing money and call us at Integrity Electricians to regulate the situation. Harmonics is the interruption/distortion of utility power supplies.

The problem with harmonics is that they often are higher voltage frequencies and currents and are caused by non-linear power loads in the electrical system. When we talk about non-linear power loads, think in terms of computers, printers, TVs, servers and telecommunications operations that use power conversion technology.

Most, if not all, businesses use many of the types of business equipment listed, so they are vulnerable to harmonic problems in their electrical system.

There are a number of clues to indicate harmonics problems like overloaded neutral conductors, motors and transformers that are overheated, breakers tripping constantly/blown fuses, your power factor correction capacitors continually failing, and timing errors in electronic equipment.

Solutions For Harmonics Problems

At Integrity Electricians, we can provide a number of different solutions, depending on the harmonics problems you are experiencing. One such solution is installing a harmonics filter to even out power distribution in your system.

Harmonic filters are a regulator of sorts, and they are used to smooth out excess electrical currents that flow in and out of the equipment at your facility. When we install a harmonics filter in your system, it can mitigate excessive amounts of harmonic distortion from causing equipment damage, operation downtime and cost increases related to the operation of your business.

There are other steps that can be taken to deal with harmonic problems. We can install K-rated transformers, look at the circuit load that works with the K transformer, recommend using harmonic mitigating transformers, change the wiring configuration to a delta-wye wiring format, and use a zig-zag winding configuration.

Other options include installing non-linear loads upstream in the electrical system, identifying and locating all non-linear loads and grouping them together, adding/creating separate sources, identifying transformers with different connections that reduce problems, and adding reactors to systems with variable speed drives.

Harmonics Analysis

If you think your facility has problems, harmonic analysis is the quickest way to deal with them. A harmonics study measures harmonic distortion and on-site filtering requirements to determine whether the voltage and current levels are acceptable.

Why The Study Is Important

• Avoid equipment damage due to excessive amounts of harmonic currents in the transformers and capacitor banks.
• Protect your sensitive electronic equipment from the excessive voltage that harmonic distortion creates.
• The power supplier (utility) will have harmonic distortion and voltage requirements that will demand compliance.

Operating your business most efficiently requires a stable electrical supply to power to keep the lights on and the equipment working.

When the time comes to harmonize your harmonic distortion problem, call us at Integrity Electricians for a free quote.