Free checklist
Power distribution unit (PDU) quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly power distribution unit round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against NFPA 70B, NEC (NFPA 70). Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 6
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The electrician or facilities tech on the quarterly electrical round.
When in the schedule
Every quarter, energized, catching load imbalance and hot connections before they turn into an outage on the loads downstream.
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.
Status and load
- 1 photo
Front-panel status and alarms read
Metering display active, no standing alarms or fault flags, input and output within the unit's normal indication.
- 1 photo
Per-phase load checked for balance
Each phase read at the metering, not just the total, imbalance between phases noted for follow-up.
Cooling and enclosure
- 1 photo
Cooling fans and filters checked
Fans running, intake filters and louvers clear, air moving through the section with no hot-smell or discoloration.
- 1 photo
Branch breaker positions verified
Breaker on/off state and labeling matched against the panel schedule, nothing tripped or fed from an undocumented position.
Thermal scan
- 2 photos
Connections scanned under load with the thermal camera
Breakers, lugs and bus joints imaged while energized, any warm connection flagged against its phase mates on the same load.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Load read only at the main, so one phase quietly running hot goes unnoticed while the total still looks fine.
- Thermal scan skipped because the covers were left closed, and a loose lug cooks undetected between visits.
- Intake filters blinded with drywall dust from ongoing work in the room, so the cooling fans run the section hot.
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 6 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 distribution unit (pdu) quarterly checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering status and load, cooling and enclosure, thermal scan. 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 electrician or facilities tech on the quarterly electrical round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, energized, catching load imbalance and hot connections before they turn into an outage on the loads downstream.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 6 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 distribution unit (pdu) quarterly inspection?
- Load read only at the main, so one phase quietly running hot goes unnoticed while the total still looks fine. Thermal scan skipped because the covers were left closed, and a loose lug cooks undetected between visits. Intake filters blinded with drywall dust from ongoing work in the room, so the cooling fans run the section hot.
- 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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