Richard Bingham

Contributing Editor at Electrical Contractor

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Articles

The Five W’s and an H: Where to begin, part 4

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

Back in my elementary school days, we were taught about writing an article for a newspaper using the five W’s paradigm—what, who, when, where and why (and how). A successful PQ investigation starts with what we are trying to determine and ends with how we do it. The last two articles have dealt with most of the W’s. Now it’s time for the H to take center stage with a look at several typical scenarios.
Which One for My Job? Where to begin, part 3

1 month ago | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

The past two articles covered how to get started with a power quality Job, including safety, connections and setup. For someone who doesn’t do PQ measurement and monitoring tasks often, a PQ meter, monitor, analyzer, instrument, software and systems might be a bit confusing. Even more puzzling is what piece of equipment from which vendor should be used. Let’s take a look at these issues before delving into what to do with the data once it’s collected.
Where to Begin?: Performing power quality troubleshooting

Jan 15, 2025 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

For most people who have limited experience performing power quality troubleshooting or benchmarking audit surveys with a power quality analyzer, understanding what to do first can be a bit daunting. Asking where to begin is a frequent call to tech support.
Reason for the Season: The mystery of a space heater and a dimming light

Dec 10, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

As the winter months get colder, taking action to keep warm can produce similar results as in the summer when people try to keep cool. Once such incident occurred recently at the residence of an architect, who designed and helped build an addition to his house 20 years ago. The master carpenter who taught me that trade often said that part of an architect’s training should be to spend a year as a carpenter’s apprentice to see what it takes to turn drawings into stable structures.
Do the Math First: Rising electricity bills raise important questions

Nov 14, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

In many areas this past June and July, the average temperature was 2–3 degrees warmer than the last decade. Not surprisingly, the overall electrical consumption went up by 5% for June 2024 versus June 2023, according to the Energy Information Administration. Astoundingly, some customers saw their electric bills double—or more—for the summer months. One such area is southern New Jersey, where angry consumers have gotten the attention of lawmakers to investigate why.
Multiple Sources of Confusion: What can happen in the real world, not the textbook

Oct 14, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

The camping trailer case study last month illustrated the difference between solving electrical problems in textbooks versus in the real world. Determining what sources, loads and wiring are there can be a challenge. Wiring diagrams or schematics may not be up-to-date. Loads might be changed out without the facility manager’s or electrical staff’s knowledge. And there are the added effects of multiple sources of electrical energy.
The Unhappy Camper: Small-scale systems have problems, too

Sep 10, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

No matter how big or small the electrical system is for which you are trying to diagnose electrical problems, the process used is basically the same, and the same electrical laws still apply. Such was the case with a small camping trailer’s electrical system. The 3-year-old, 18-foot trailer is similar to a tiny house, with many of the conveniences of a full-size home. It has a kitchen with a stove, microwave and refrigerator and a dinette area.
Mind the Gap: Flickers, sags and swells

Aug 13, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

For a while in the World of power quality standards, there has been a characterization of RMS variations called sags (or dips) and swells. The generally accepted limit for a sag or swell was +/—10% of nominal voltage, respectively. For 120 VRMS nominal, a sag was often when the RMS voltage dropped below 108 VRMS. This limit was decided since equipment starts to misoperate below this voltage, though each type has its own limit.
A Shift in the Wind: An alternative way for electrical contractors to sell PQ monitoring services

Jul 14, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

My last several articles have looked at the changing electrical environment. (Editor's Note: see "Both Sides Now?" and "Where Are We Going?") New types of generation include some connected at the distribution level and others linked to the transmission system. Distribution is affected by these and sectionalizing switches to limit the effect of interruptions from breaker operation at substations.
Where Are We Going?: Two experts weigh in on the effect of DERs and EVs on PQ

Jun 13, 2024 | ecmag.com | Richard Bingham

In business as in life, it is helpfulto plan for the future by learning from the past. The power quality industry is no exception. Instrument companies and practitioners in the PQ monitoring and troubleshooting business must focus on moving forward. In my May column, I explored how changes in the supply and use of electricity affected the power quality. Now let’s consider how monitoring and analysis of PQ data has been changing and where it seems to be heading.