Dairy Farm Energy Management Handbook - Wisconsin Department ...

Appendix - Equipment Maintenance Checklist
Do you have a regular inspection and maintenance program for
electrical equipment?
Outside motors, crowd gates, barn cleaners, feed-making equipment, plugins,
electric tools, bulk tank motor, washing and drying machines, and even
sump pumps and well motors are just a few examples of items that require
attention to make sure they’re operating properly and efficiently.
Have you recently reviewed installation/operating manuals for electrical
equipment?
You may want to list (or make copies of) recommended, routine maintenance
procedures and schedules and then link these items to a calendar. You can
find the recommended items by gleaning from installation/operating manuals.
Do you have a recordkeeping system that organizes and tracks the
preventative maintenance and repairs work on electrical equipment?
Keeping separate records of maintenance work performed (i.e., specific work
done, parts and labor required, and other cost items) will, in the long run, help
you uncover trouble spots and make decisions on preventive maintenance,
future repairs and replacement of the equipment before it fails or burns out.
Do you have an organized recordkeeping or file system on equipment
and/or parts suppliers that is easily accessible?
Taking the time to set up and organize a file system can reduce a lot of
hassles if and when parts or replacement equipment must be ordered.
Do you have your fencers and cow trainers protected from lightning?
Locate electric fence chargers at least 10 feet away from buildings to reduce the
risk of damage by lightning, according to Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln. Do not
connect the output ground terminal of any charging device to the electrical
system. Also, follow NEC recommendations on where and how many lightning
arrestors to install on fencers.