Free checklist
Power factor correction capacitor bank annual maintenance checklist
The annual capacitor bank service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 70B, NEC (NFPA 70). Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 8
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The facility electrician recording the inspection during a planned outage, inspecting cans and connections after discharge while the testing firm performs the electrical tests.
When in the schedule
Once a year during a scheduled shutdown, coordinated with the NETA technician so the bank is locked out, the discharge resistors are given their full time to bleed the cans down, and it's inspected and tested before returning to service.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Isolation and discharge
- 2 photos
Bank locked out and cans fully discharged
Feed isolated, discharge time allowed per the manufacturer before contact, absence of voltage tested at the cans before any work begins.
- 1 photo
Discharge resistors inspected
Discharge resistors or bleed devices confirmed intact and connected, no open or burnt resistor that would leave a can charged.
Cans and connections
- 2 photos
Cans, reactors and connections inspected and torqued
Cans cleaned and checked for bulging or leakage up close, reactor and bus connections checked to torque, no discoloration at the terminations.
- 1 photo
Contactors and controller wiring inspected
Stage contacts checked for pitting and wear, controller sensing wiring and current transformer connections landed tight.
Testing observed and recorded
- 2 photos
NETA electrical tests witnessed and logged
Capacitance and insulation-resistance results from the testing tech recorded per stage, cans reading low or out of range flagged for replacement before re-energizing.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Work started on the bank before the discharge resistors have had their full time to bleed the stored charge, leaving live cans behind an open disconnect.
- A capacitor that already reads low on the testing tech's meter left in service because it 'still switches', so the bank quietly loses correction.
- Reactor and connection torque checked but the discharge resistors themselves never inspected, so a failed resistor leaves the next crew a charged can.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 8 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this power factor correction capacitor bank annual checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering isolation and discharge, cans and connections, testing observed and recorded. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The facility electrician recording the inspection during a planned outage, inspecting cans and connections after discharge while the testing firm performs the electrical tests.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year during a scheduled shutdown, coordinated with the NETA technician so the bank is locked out, the discharge resistors are given their full time to bleed the cans down, and it's inspected and tested before returning to service.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a power factor correction capacitor bank annual inspection?
- Work started on the bank before the discharge resistors have had their full time to bleed the stored charge, leaving live cans behind an open disconnect. A capacitor that already reads low on the testing tech's meter left in service because it 'still switches', so the bank quietly loses correction. Reactor and connection torque checked but the discharge resistors themselves never inspected, so a failed resistor leaves the next crew a charged can.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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