If your facility has motors that need to be changed out quickly to keep critical operations up and running, then it is important to have an effective motor replacement plan. This plan should take into consideration the following factors that can hinder motor changeouts:

• The availability of an electrician on site


• The need to follow NFPA 70E specified safety procedures


• The availability of replacement motors


• The need to ensure correct motor rotation before startup.

Switch-rated plugs and receptacles with dead front construction are an important part of an effective motor replacement strategy. They can help prevent each of the above factors from extending downtime during motor changeouts and they lower equipment costs by eliminating the need for auxiliary disconnect switches and mechanical interlocks. (Pictured, left, connecting a motor; below, wiring a receptacle, and a typical prewired motor.)

Problem: Electrician Availability at the Job Site

Solution: Switch-rated plugs and receptacles can eliminate the need to perform on-site wiring work as they allow workers to safely and easily make and break electrical connections under full load. Dead-front construction and enclosed arc chambers prevent contact with live parts and exposure to arcing. When switch-rated plugs and receptacles are used to connect equipment, a qualified technician can perform the motor changeout at the job site after the electrician has prewired and tested it at the motor repair shop.

Problem: Maintaining Compliance to NFPA 70E Standards

Solution: When switch-rated plugs and receptacles with dead front construction are utilized, NFPA 70E compliance is simplified, workers can changeout a motor without having to "suit up," and management does not need to establish flash protection boundaries because the plug and receptacle ensures an electrically safe work condition.

Problem: Replacement Motor Availability

Solution: To minimize downtime, spare motors should be stocked and they should be prewired with a male inlet that will mate to the appropriate switch-rated receptacle. This can enable plug-and-play motor replacement.

Problem: Incorrect Motor Rotation

Solution: Qualified technicians can safely connect motors that are properly prewired with switch-rated plugs and receptacles simply by plugging them in. There is no need to jog the motor, the correct motor rotation is ensured.

• When switch-rated receptacles are installed, a motor rotation meter can be used to verify that the intended polarization is achieved. Improper phasing can easily be corrected by switching wire locations on the receptacle.


• Test receptacles with matching polarization should also be installed at the motor service shop. This allows the electrician to verify that the intended direction of rotation has been achieved each time a plug or inlet is wired to a motor.