Table 3: Remedies for Common Problems in Operations & Maintenance
Indication
High generator
voltage
Possible reason
Ballast heater
burnt
Remedy
Replace the relevant heater element
Ballast breaker
Replace relevant heater element
gets switched off Replace the relevant breaker (MCB)
Comments
Relevant ballast voltage in-
creases when ballast heater
is burnt or ballast breaker
gets switched off.
Faults in TRIAC
(Tirade Alternating
Current Switch) /
thyristor
Replace them
Low Generator
voltage
Capacitor fault
Valve block
Check the capacitor bank. If there is a
damaged capacitor, replace with a ca-
pacitor of same value
Check the valves for blocking / clean
them
Replacing TRIAC / thyristor
– this has to be done by a
competent electrician.
Frequency increases when a
capacitor is at fault.
High frequency
Not enough water
Ballast fault
Capacitor bank fault
Check whether pressure gauge gives exact
pressure, whether enough water flows into
the forebay tank and whether there are
any leaks or blocks. If so remedy them.
Close one valve if there is a multi-jet
turbine and run with the lesser number
of jets.
Replace ballast element
Replace capacitors
With the change in
frequency, the voltage also
changes.
Low frequency
Low ballast
current
High ballast
voltage
Low ballast
voltage
Fluctuation
of the indica-
tor hand of
the electrical
meters
Nozzle block
Not enough water
Damaged heating
element
Damaged heating
element
Damage of TRIACs
or thyristors
Fluctuating load
(consumers
appliances)
Intrinsic errors
in the TRIACs or
thyristors
Check the nozzle and clean
Check trash rack and clean,
mend the trash rack to en-
sure only particles that can
pass through the nozzles are
filtered in.
Check whether pressure gauge gives exact
pressure, whether enough water flows
into the forebay tank and whether there
are any leaks or blocks. If so remedy them.
Close one valve if there is a multi-jet turbine
and run with the lesser number of jets.
Replace ballast element
Replace ballast element
If faulty, replace the respective TRIACs /
thyristors
Check whether highly load varying electri-
cal appliances are used by community
members, and if so, stop it.
Ballast voltage may
increase under this
situation.
Current in ballast may de-
crease in this situation.
Competent electricians must
attend to this.
This will settle with a small
variation in the load (con-
sumption by
consumers)
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