What do you do before working on electrical equipment?

If I were asked to check a piece of equipment already installed with no other information, this is what I'd check:

1. Check the voltage and amp requirements of the equipment

2. Verify it is fed from a panel and breaker of the proper voltage and amperage

3. Verify wireways are properly installed

4. Verify that proper size wire is used and that the equipment is properly grounded

5. Verify terminations are made properly

6. You may want to verify with a meter that proper voltage is being supplied. In most cases you can trust the labeling on the panel but it never hurts to check.

In all these verifications you are checking for workmanship, not just technically accurate installation. If something doesn't look right, check it out closely and look for other "red flags" that might signal someone didn't know what they were doing.

For single phase equipment and three phase equipment without a motor you are ready to turn it on. NEVER look at a breaker or equipment terminals when energizing. You only have one set of eyes.

For three phase motors you need to check rotation. This is done by "bumping" the motor by turning it on only for a moment. If it rotates correctly you are good to go. If it doesn't, switch any two leads either at the equipment or at the breaker and bump again. It should rotate in the right direction and should be ready to go.