Understanding Your Business’s Breaker Panel

Technology has been growing faster and faster in recent years, and your business seems to need to use it all to keep up with your competition. All those computers and other technological devices that are helping your business grow are taking up more power and space in your business’s breaker panel, which can lead to trouble after a while.

That means that your breaker panel eventually may not be large enough to handle everything and you may find that your company will go in the dark every so often. There are a few signs that you should look out for to see if it is time to replace your business’s breaker panel. One of the most noticeable things that you will see are flickering lights. While you may think that your light bulbs just need to be changed, the fact is that you may need a new breaker panel installed instead.

Another sign may be that your panel switches keep tripping and shutting things down. This may not be a big deal the first time that it happens, but after a while, it can affect the productivity of your work. You should also be able to read what each panel switch is connected to, and if you can’t then it can be difficult to know which panel switches to flip when you need to cut the power to something in your office.

Strange buzzing noises or popping sounds are never a good sign either, and anything like that can quickly cause an electrical fire to start. You may want to try to ignore many of these signs, in hopes that you can just get by to save money, but we recommend getting these things fixed immediately.

Here at we offer for sale an abundance of reconditioned electrical surplus options. All our reconditioned breaker panels meet the strictest safety requirements, and if it weren’t for the lower cost, you would have no idea that these units were reconditioned when you look at them.

We can find a new breaker panel that will fit your current and future needs in our reconditioned electrical surplus and install it quickly, so that your business does not experience too much downtime. Since these breaker panels are ready to go, all we need to do is hook them up and attach everything before turning them on. This is much cheaper than rewiring and the many other options that some other electrical companies offer.

We know that your time is valuable to your business, and we have found that using reconditioned electrical surplus items can save you that time as well as a lot of money.

Learn more about J & P Electrical Company and their vast line of new, surplus, and refurbished industrial electrical components including: circuit breakers, bus ducts, bus plugs, disconnects, fuses, panel switches, tap boxes, and transformers at www.jpelectricalcompany.com. To contact one of our product reconditioning specialists, call 877.844.5514 today.

How Are Bus Plugs and Ducts Used in Manufacturing?

All buildings whether commercial or residential require some sort of electrical power in order to provide lighting, outlets and other electrical devices. For commercial buildings, you have power needs for machinery, lighting, cooling systems, and other types of electrical needs. Typically, in a residential building, you have electrical service entering the house with cables. This is different then how electrical power is distributed in commercial and manufacturing settings.

Commercial buildings, especially those used by medium or large-scale manufacturing businesses use a larger type power distribution system that requires a much different way to run power through the manufacturing spaces of the building. Unlike residential power distribution which uses cables to carry the power throughout the home, commercial building use bus ducts or sheet metal runs with either aluminum or copper busbars.

History of the Busway Power Distribution System

The busway and bus bars were first introduced in the US back in the 1920’s at the request of the auto industry in Detroit, Michigan. The system gave them the necessary versatility that was needed for supplying power to the assembly line equipment that was being used in the manufacturing facilities at the time. Over the years since, there have been numerous innovations that have improved on the original design and installation procedures.

Commercial Power Distribution System Components

Heavy duty machinery typically found in manufacturing plants have unique power requirements which cannot be served by typical power distribution systems that are found in most residential homes and most commercial buildings. For these unique power requirements, there is a power system that is designed especially suited for this type of need. Bus Ducts and Bus Plugs are combined to deliver the necessary power to each machine

Bus Ducts – Bus Ducts also referred to as busways are sections of sheet metal with bars attached to them that are made of either aluminum or copper. The sections are connected together in order to reach each piece of machinery that is needing the power. This type of power distribution system requires trained, certified professional electricians to install them and ensure that they are in full operation at all times.

Bus Plugs – Bus Plugs are specially designed components that work in tandem with the busbars in a unique type of power distribution system that is typically installed in a large-scale manufacturing facility. Each bus plug is used to connect directly to busways that are running throughout building to deliver the power to equipment like large motor starters and other power switching equipment.

Indoors and Outdoors Power System

One of the benefits of using this type of system in a manufacturing facility is that it can be used both indoors and outdoors to deliver the necessary power to different parts of any operation. The unique design of the system helps to prevent voltage drops across each of the numerous sections of the bus ducting throughout the building.

The system can also be fitted with a trolley system that is designed to deliver power to equipment that is designed to move frequently. There are also cables that are used to deliver the power directly to the trolley itself.

Fused Disconnect Switch vs Circuit Breakers

For all those people who are looking for major differences between fused disconnect switches and circuit breakers, this post will eradicate all your confusions and help you to make the best choice. Before proceeding further, let’s shed some light on why you need devices such as circuit breaker panels and fused disconnect switches.

Electrical circuits in residential and commercial establishments are designed to carry a certain amount of current. Due to any reason, if more current passes through them, it can lead to dire circumstances where sensitive appliances and equipment can be destroyed. In some situations, this overflow of current through electrical circuits can also result in a fire that can prove to be extremely fatal for the inmates of the building.

In order to prevent such a situation from happening, different devises such are used that serve the purpose of protecting overcurrent in wires. These devices, in a current overflow situation, disconnect or open the circuit. This helps in preventing the fire from erupting. Thus, there are fewer chances of any damage to be caused to appliances and equipment installed in the building. Devices such as circuit breaker and fused disconnect switch also work in case of short-circuit situations.

Now that you are aware of the basic function of both these devices; let’s now have a look at major differences between them.

Fused Disconnect Switch

A fused disconnect switch, as the name suggests, is a combination of a fuse and switch. The fuse shuts the circuit off and switch disconnects it in case of an issue. Switches are designed to be shut the power off manually. On the other hand, fuse works in the opposite way. They are made up of a small filament that melt down in case of a current overflow. A fuse’s current rating is preset. Thus, when the current exceeds the rating of the fuse for a longer period of time it melts automatically. As a result, the circuit is disconnected.

A point to note here is that when a fuse disconnects the circuit, it can be used again. Power can only be restored if the fuse is replaced by a new one.

Circuit Breaker

With circuit breaker, there is no issue of getting a new fuse every time it turns the power off due to the overflow of current or short-circuit. Thus, it is often considered a better option for many appliances. Circuit breaker panels can also be turned off in a manual way as they also serve the functions of a switch. This feature makes them handy if you want to do get some electrical work done in the building.

A circuit breaker disconnects the circuit automatically with the help of an electromagnet it features when it detects overflow of current or a short-circuit. After the problems have been fixed, it only needs to be turned back on for restoring power.

A Final Word

To sum it up, both these devices can help a great deal to eliminate issues caused by the overflow of current or short-circuit. As stated above, a circuit breaker disconnects the circuit both automatically and manually and a fused disconnect switch offers the same purpose. The difference lies in their design and functionality. Thus, when selecting them, take into consideration the electrical requirements of your premises for taking the best decision.

How Are Circuit Breaker Panels and Disconnects Used?

Circuit Breaker Panel

A circuit breaker panel is the main point from where electricity is passed around to other electrical circuits. Power for your house comes through the service entrance which passes through the electrical meter which records the amount of voltage you use. It then flows through the circuit breaker panel. The panel usually gives out 100 to 200 amps of power. The panel, in short, is just a bunch of switches.

The service entrance wires are attached to terminals called lugs. Lugs are always energised with electricity unless your local power company shuts it off. A dead front cover, which is a metal panel, covers all the lugs and electrical wiring connected to the panel. The dead front cover provides access to every breaker and switch.

The circuit breaker panel always consists of a main breaker which is a large switch. If the main breaker is shut down, then electricity access to every other circuit is cut off as well. However, the lugs remain energised with electricity. Main breaker activity does not affect the lugs. The circuit breaker panel always has two rows for the branch circuits. It includes circuits which provide 15-20 Amps of energy for lighting or fans or other outlets in a kitchen or garage. Branch circuits which are labelled with 40-50 amps of energy are known as ‘double pole breakers’. These supply electricity to high voltage appliances such as dryers or air conditioners. A large breaker may also supply electricity to a sub-panel which is mainly used for electricity in detached r quarters. The panel also has hot & neutral bus bars. Moreover, the ground wires prevent electrocution from happening due to frayed hot wires. Many circuit breakers also consist of disconnectors.

Disconnectors

A circuit breaker disconnector is used to isolate the electrical circuit from electricity to maintain or repair it. A disconnector is only used for safety purposes and can be operated either manually or automatically. Circuit breaker disconnectors are off-loading devices which means that they do not contain the workings for controlling electric arcs and should be opened after the current is interrupted by another device.

A circuit breaker disconnect consists of a lock-out tag-out that prevents inattentive operations from happening. These locks are part of a trapped-key interlock system so that there is steady stream of operations. A switch disconnector combines the properties of a disconnector and load switch.

In disconnecting circuit breakers, the disconnector is integrated so that there is no need to use separate disconnectors. This has the advantage of being reliable and the need for maintenance decreases. The usage of this device is, however, limited as compared to a disconnector because there may be problem which arise while maintenance takes place.

A fused disconnect is used to replace a circuit breaker as it works in the same way and is cheaper. It can turn a circuit on or off and its fuses can provide protection. Having more information about electrical breakers and disconnectors can help you in every-day life. If a small electrical problem was to arise, you’d be able to solve it yourself.

Using Bus Plugs and Ducts in Manufacturing

There are millions of different pieces of manufacturing equipment and electrical components on the market today that only make sense to those who use them in their line of work. Most of which make little to no sense to those of us who don’t use them. For example, what use would you have for bus plugs and bus ducts, what are they and how do they improve manufacturing.

Bus duct and bus plugs are used to distribute power around manufacturing facilities and industrial buildings such as processing plants, metal fabricating plants, and throughout heavy manufacturing areas where the machines aren’t stationary or need to be moved around from time to time.

All manufacturing buildings are powered differently. For example, power is distributed through hardwiring in the walls of residential buildings so as to connect to all of the electrical outlets in a room. Industrial buildings such as factories, on the other hand, feature larger open floor plans with various machinery dispersed all around the facility, none of which are near any wall or permanent structure. They require a source of power, and in this case, a giant industrial electrical plug, which is where bus plugs and ducts come in.

A bus plug is essentially a component of a busway (industrial extension cord) that is used for delivering power to the appropriate equipment and circuits. Think of a busway as the extension cord you have at home that you use to plug in several connectors, the same applies to the busway and bus plug system, they enable flexibility and can be disconnected and rearranged to allow whatever manufacturing equipment that needs to be powered on virtually any floor of an industrial building. There is no physical hard wiring to the building, a manufacturing business can bring in more equipment without having to wire or rewire the entire electrical system; they simply have to plug in a bus plug into a busway, and voila, they are up and running.

Like with many electrical systems, bus plugs also require circuit protection, which in this case, is through a circuit breaker or a fuse depending on the application. Using bus plugs and ducts is the most economical and efficient way to power large commercial facilities or manufacturing plants and feed all manufacturing equipment, particularly, in areas of the building where the power distribution keeps changing.

5 Reasons To Consider Reconditioned Electrical Components For Manufacturing

Just because you think something is broken or doesn’t work anymore doesn’t mean it’s true. There is such a thing as product reconditioning in the electrical industry. Companies need to be aware that this is a great way to get electrical components for your company especially if working with limited resources. Just because they are reconditioned components doesn’t mean they are of lesser quality than if you were to purchase new components. In fact, many times the bugs and kinks have all been worked out of the reconditioned components therefore making them more valuable. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t think less about reconditioned electrical components and use them for your company.

Lower Costs

Every business is concerned with saving money. Buying refurbished industrial equipment will save your company a great deal of capital. On average, your company will save about 50% to 70% when buying refurbished industrial equipment over new equipment. You’ll be able to use this money in other areas of business to help you grow.

Greater Peace of Mind

Not only do reconditioned electrical components cost less, but you can rest assure that the products you’re getting are completely rebuilt, inspected and tested multiple times to make sure everything works as if it was new. Another benefit as mentioned earlier is that equipment that has been used for awhile and reconditioned has had a chance to have the kinks worked out. Problems that often arise with new equipment have been worked out and dealt with.

More Stringent Standards

Companies that are in business to reconditioned electrical components know when a product still life has to offer. Therefore, it is important to purchase components from a reputable company. This will help to ensure you are getting quality parts that have been processed at the highest of standards. You will be sure to get the best in reconditioned equipment and components.

Like New Appearance

Reconditioned electrical components are not only rebuilt and cleaned before being inspected, but they are also painted using quality paint and exclusive acrylic enamel chosen for its durability so that they look as good as new.

Increased Inspections

To ensure all refurbished industrial equipment runs right, the product is tested and re-tested again to meet or exceed the manufacturer’s UL certification. Each component is not only cleaned but also lubricated, reassembled and thoroughly tested before being allowed to be resold.

7 Things to Know About During Asset Recovery

Asset recovery is the specialized technique that allows companies to go into facilities and complete electrical tear downs and manufacturing plant clean outs. Companies specializing in asset recovery take resources that are no longer being utilized and resell them after they are put through the reconditioning process. This technique allows materials that would be normally disposed of and allows them to be sold. Electrical surplus recovery companies do complete manufacturing plant clean outs, taking materials that are going to otherwise be disposed of and turning them into usable assets. Below, we are going to look at the definitions that one should know during asset recovery and purchasing electrical components that are new, used, recycled, or refurbished.

Recycling:

Harmful materials and disposal costs of material waste can be reduced with recycling. In the recycling process materials are converted during plant clean outs, generating income as well as preserving resources.

Reuse:

Equipment and electrical components often can be reused in other manufacturing facilities after a plant is closed. Re-using equipment allows older equipment to be replaced with internal resources before the need arises to make an external purchase. If the equipment is not currently needed but could be used in the future can be put into storage for later use. Reusing idle equipment helps companies reduce depreciation, taxes, and capital.

Reconditioning:

This process begins with electrical components and machinery that has previously been used. Companies recondition components by taking them completely apart and rebuilding them. This process is done often during plant clean outs as a way of generating capital. Components are refurbished and sold to other users at a discounted price. The process of reconditioning reduces waste and allows companies to offer like new components for resale.

Reclaiming:

This process involves solvents, chemicals, lube oils and more that have been used to be reclaimed and reused, most often in a manner in which they weren’t initially used. This allows companies to cut down on waste while being environmentally friendly.

Reselling:

When used or reconditioned surplus inventory is sold. This occurs when it is no longer viable or useful to the company and there is no reason to store it for reuse later on.

These processes keep companies from literally throwing money away in dumps. Manufacturing plant clean outs allow materials to be reconditioned or sold as used through electrical surplus recovery shops. Companies that go in and process industrial plant clean outs greatly help companies recover capital from their previous investments. It is important to extract every bit of value out of your initial investment.

Purchasing Refurbished Equipment Over New

Running a business of any kind can be an expensive endeavor, especially when it comes to companies offering any kind of manufacturing. Manufacturing equipment has a number of pieces that are constantly in motion which leads to components needing to be replaced and maintained frequently. One way to stay within a budget while purchasing and maintaining equipment is to look into refurbished products. Purchasing and using refurbished equipment and replacement parts can save upwards of sixty percent when compared to new. The best part, it is as equally as reliable especially with regular maintenance.

Pros of Purchasing Refurbished

Low Upfront Costs:

When purchasing reconditioned equipment and reconditioned parts business’s can save a great deal of money. Usually the cost of equipment, in any business, is the most expensive aspect of a new business venture. You can start-up a new endeavor at a fraction of the cost without putting all of your money into equipment and leaving yourself without a financial cushion.

Overall Value:

Purchasing equipment that has been reconditioned, especially when it comes from a reputable source with proven knowledge and experience. When equipment is well maintained, no matter if it was brand new or purchased refurbished, it will function for years.

Wear and Tear:

The biggest benefit of purchasing refurbished equipment is that the known wear and tear on the equipment can be addressed when it is reconditioned. If we know that an axel always fails after 4 hours of constant use, then the issue can be addressed during the refurbishment process. Although the exterior of reconditioned equipment can show wear and tear the internal aspects will be even better than new.

There are a number of reasons that purchasing refurbished electrical components and equipment makes sense for your business. Reconditioned components allow you to save money without sacrificing quality.

Dispelling Myths About Reconditioned Electrical Components

Many businesses and manufacturing facilities must purchase equipment and parts for maintenance & repairs. One of the key goals with purchasing equipment and parts is that they will serve them for the longest possible amount of time at a reasonable and affordable price. Refurbished machinery and reconditioned parts can be a great alternative for all business owners, especially those just starting out and are working within a budget. There are certain myths surrounding reconditioned components, especially electrical, that can deter business owners from making a purchase even when it’s the most logical option.

Below we will look at these myths and share advice on how to make a wise investment when purchasing reconditioned electrical components and refurbished machinery for your business.

Myth 1: Reconditioned electronics are slow and operate poorly in comparison to new components.

The truth is that how well a refurbished electrical component operates today has little to do with how new it is. It does however, boil down to the quality of reconditioning, maintenance, and use. New electrical components operate based on how they were constructed, and the software used to create them.

Myth 2: Reconditioned electrical components are junk.

Electrical components are termed as junk if they are no longer being used. However, once an old piece of electronic equipment is refurbished, it can work better than a new piece of equipment. When reconditioning the piece issues that have been exposed over time can be addressed. If one part is always breaking on the component, then when it is refurbished that element can be fixed properly to avoid an issue later down the road.

Myth 3: Refurbished gadgets and used devices are the same thing.

A used device is one that has been used and is experiencing wear and tear whereas reconditioned gadgets are those that are taken, dismantled and given a new lease on life. This means that it is rid of issues and malfunctions that could affect how it functions.

Myth 4: Reconditioned electrical components have a shorter lifespan.

Authorized refurbishing companies make significant investments on their reconditioned electrical components and as such, it is to their benefit if the refurbished equipment works for the longest time possible. So just because the electrical equipment is refurbished does not mean that it will not serve you for a long time in fact many times the exact opposite is the case.

Three Reasons Your Circuit Breakers Keep Tripping

Electrical issues tend to create a feeling of anxiety and frustration to the homeowner. In this age, reconditioned electrical components are a blessing that has helped much to improve the electrical sustainability in the home; but still, many people are not using it due to a lack of awareness. The homeowners don’t know what’s wrong, but rather suddenly, they lose access to the power.

To repair the circuit breaker, they are habitual of spending lots of money repeatedly but don’t invest in refurbished electrical components because they don’t know what’s going on at the back. Let’s have a look.

Firstly, you would have to understand what is a circuit breaker trip?

It comes because of a circuit fixed to your electrical switch surpassing its sheltered parameters. They can be recognized by a sudden loss of energy to machine or loss of power in your home that is restricted to a zone. There is a lot of issues that can bring about circuit breaker trips and following are the some of the top 3 reasons for an electrical breaker stumbling in your home.

Overload

A circuit over-loading is effortlessly the most widely recognized explanation behind a breaker trip. This basically implies that you have quite recently got excessive stuff stacked on the breaker. Breakers have a proper safe limit of energy from which they supply to your appliances and home. In the event, if it would be exceeded, the breaker will trip. You will witness this frequently when you endeavor to introduce another appliance where your electrical framework cannot bolster it, or if you connect to a powerful machine like a space radiator in a zone that does not have the entrance to safe amperage.

For example: If anyone has a 20-amp electrical circuit with 25 amps of electrical current running through it and at some time if you are using iron, hair dryer, and washing machine, then eventually the circuit breaker will trip to save itself from preheating.

Short-Circuiting

This thing happens when a hot wire encounters another hot wire(s). You will generally observe darkening around the outlet or burning smell when this happens. Also, in case you are managing a short-out, don’t interface with your outlet by any means. Leave the breaker tripping, and call emergency help as soon as possible.

Ground Fault

A ground fault is genuinely like a short circuit, if not indistinguishable. The distinction is in the collaboration. A ground fault is a point at which a hot wire meets your establishing wire, and along these lines, the protected establishing of your outlet winds up void and dangerous. Handle this in a similar way you would do the precautions with the short circuit.

Now you would have an idea about the reasons why your circuit breakers keep tripping and what you should do when it does.