Why the Flow Coat Price is Worth It
Electrical transformers maintenance is very critical for many livelihoods. Essentially, there are many programs and utility services responsible for ensuring that all households have adequate power to cater to the needs of all people. Normally, to avoid disruptions and keep the electrical power services up, most maintenance jobs are done during downtimes or scheduled outages.
Typically, this is the best time to paint or coat the transformers. Despite the flow coat price that some may consider high, the flow coat has been gaining traction due to its effectiveness and efficiency. While a simple flow coat preparation can take a few hours, traditional painting requires service shutdown and disruptions.
Apart from being expensive, these disruptions were also inefficient. Here, we will tell you why the flow coat price is worth it. Additionally, we will tell you about flow coat preparation and why you should not compare flow coat price with the price of traditional paint jobs.
Benefits of Flow Coat Painting
Many utility programs tend to overlook the importance of electrical transformer coating or painting. In essence, this might happen when the utility service providers have a higher preference for efficient power delivery to consumers. Now, painting and coating an electric transformer allow appropriate cleaning and a close evaluation.
This is very crucial for avoiding regular blackouts. Failure to properly maintain an electrical transformer can lead to the surface or internal damages that would be expensive for the company. Now, when it comes to painting electric transformers, you get value for the flow coat price. The following are some of the advantages of using flow coat paint on your transformers.
100 Percent Coverage
If you were to paint a transformer, the task would not be that simple. Normally, a transformer has many parts and contains many surfaces that may not be accessible through traditional painting. With flow coat painting, you get 100 percent coverage. Without 100 percent coverage painting, unpainted areas may form a breeding ground for rust. This rust will consequently transfer to other areas and cause damage.
In the long run, you might have to incur very high repair costs or make a replacement of the transformer. In the past, the most common method of painting was spray painting. However, it only covers a portion of the surface that needs to be painted. Areas not accessible to the spray gun would go unnoticed and unpainted. This would, in turn, lead to corrosion and rust damage.
Minimal to No Service Interruption
In the past, achieving full coverage painting required dismantling the entire transformer and taking it to a painting factory. Once the painting is done, the technicians would have to reassemble the transformer parts. This was a very expensive process apart from time wastage and inconvenience caused to the power consumers. On the other hand, flow coat preparation and application are minimally invasive and require minimal interruption of the power services. These benefits are especially evident when you don't have the option of shutting down your transformer.
Well Maintained Old Transformers
Currently, electrical generation and distribution companies use outdated programs in regards to maintaining the electrical transformers. Consequently, this has led to costly deficiencies, inefficiencies, and extremely high repair costs. Currently, most of the transformers around homes, schools, and other companies are several decades old. Without proper maintenance, they can fail and bring service outages to many households.
Normally, as a power generator or distributor, you will want to ensure that all your transformers are checked for good performance and maintained to avoid damage from the elements. Usually, the old transformers still have a usable ability to deliver electricity to the households. However, lack of maintenance may render them incapable. With coating or painting, these transformers can still be used to deliver power to homes and organizations without disruptions.
Prevented Corrosion
Erecting the transformer means having to weather element damage and all other factors that might bring about wear and tear. Now, the cost of purchasing a new transformer each time one fails to perform can be quite high. Therefore, you will need to outsmart the elements to keep the essential power distribution and delivery services up. For instance, you can paint the exterior of your transformers to avoid corrosion.
Usually, apart from contaminated high voltage insulators, transformer body corrosion is the most common cause of transformer failure. Typically, painting or coating a transformer requires very little investment. However, failure to regularly paint the transformer may expose it to expensive damages that might be unbearable for your company.
Making the Most Out of Your Transformer
When dealing with electrical machinery such as transformers or substations, you might want to do all the repairs and assume the painting job. Normally, every aspect of an electrical machine is critical since it plays a big role in the efficiency, effectiveness, and ability to deliver. An average transformer can last for up to 50 years while in operation.
Now, despite the ability to last long, the paint that comes with the transformer is not as long-lasting. A few years of hard sunshine, rain, dust, and other elements may corrode the original paint out. With painting or coating, you get to ensure that the life of the transformer is extended. Additionally, a properly maintained transformer is more likely to be utilized to its full potential than one that is not.
Prevented Rusting
Rust can be a very expensive damage to your transformer. When the exposed exterior of the transformer gets exposed to the air, the consequent chemical reaction of the surface material and air leads to the development of rust. Failure to control or eliminate rust in time can cause damaged surfaces, leakages, and resultant service disruption. Preventing the formation of rust is a very inexpensive undertaking. However, when a transformer becomes extensively damaged by rust, you may procure costly repair services or a complete replacement. This can be very expensive and may lead to poor service delivery and the inability to maintain quality services. In comparison, the flow coat price is quite reasonable.
Protection of the Transformer Against Ultraviolet Light
Considering that most electrical transformers are erected in the open, they are constantly exposed to the sun's most dangerous rays — UV light. Essentially, excessive lighting is bound to bring corrosion to the transformer surface material over time. When ultraviolet light combines with water droplets, it becomes even more devastating.
Normally, if your transformer is well coated with paint, it can weather this light. However, direct contact of the ultraviolet light with the steel surface will damage the transformer. If the damage is not discovered in time, you may have to procure expensive repair services or replace the entire transformer.
Protection of the Transformer against Precipitation Corrosion
Transformers in areas with many industries that emit polluting substances are at a high risk of precipitation corrosion. Typically, when air polluting substances are released into the atmosphere, they combine with moisture and form rain. In most cases, transformers that have their painting intact are less likely to be negatively affected by these conditions. However, if the transformer's paint has peeled off and the bare steel is exposed to acidic precipitation or rain. The damages incurred can be devastating in terms of repair or replacement. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all the transformers are painted or coated regularly to avoid this problem.
Minimal Dust Abrasion
Dust particles are especially damaging to transformers. Though most repair and maintenance services overlook this problem, it can be as devastating and expensive as any other corrosion problem. In most cases, when the dust particles are blown into the transformer casing, it can cause an abrasion of the paint. If the paint is already peeled out, the dust particles will stick to the bare steel and cause abrasion. Frequent painting ensures that these dust particles are removed and that they cannot damage the transformer. Though the damage by dust particles may not be evident initially, long durations of exposure can lead to paint chipping, peeling, and even transformer body corrosion.
Protection Against the Effects of Pollution
Pollution is mainly known for its negative effects on the environment. If a transformer is located in an area where pollution is high, the probability of damage becomes even higher. For instance, a transformer located in an industrial area where there are a lot of emissions is bound to experience more damage. Essentially, the contaminants in the polluted air get to stick to the transformer. This can lead to corrosion and the development of holes in the casing of the transformer. With flow coat and painting, you get to avoid the damage costs that arise from pollution.
Protection of the Transformer Against Effects of Temperature Changes
Normally referred to as thermal recycling, exposing electrical transformers to extreme temperatures can be susceptible to damage. Normally, the steel casing will suffer when the transformer is exposed to very high temperatures and later very low temperatures. Consequently, the paint is bound to peel off. This consequently leads to exposure of the bare steel which opens it up for corrosion and damages of all kinds. It is therefore important to regularly paint the transformer to keep it in shape.
Flow Coat Preparation and Painting Process
Flow coat preparation helps to ensure that the process is completed successfully. Though you might need to hire a professional for flow coat preparation, you can do a quick evaluation of your transformer for factors that might inhibit the process. Normally, you will need to ensure that the paint job on your transformer has no gaps. Additionally, you will need to ensure that no wildlife can access the interior of the transformer. Flow coat preparation is, therefore, an essential step that can help you save essential time. The following are the steps of flow coat preparation and painting process:
Cleaning - This is a very important step in flow coat preparation and painting. Now, if you paint the dirty surfaces of the transformer, the paint may not adhere. Therefore, you must get a flow coat cleaning team to ensure all the surfaces are well cleaned.
Transformer Protection - Flow coat preparation also involves protecting the cleaned surfaces once the cleaning has been done. Normally, this protection involves wrapping up parts that don't need to be painted and removing materials or signs on the surface. Rusted materials are also removed during this step of flow coat preparation.
Applying the Flow Coat - Once the flow coat preparation is complete and relevant surfaces are protected, application of the flow coat is made. Normally, a containment unit is constructed around the transformer. This unit helps to control the release of paint into the general environment. Normally, the containment unit also serves as a paint recycling unit to avoid paint wastage. The painters will thin the primer and finish coat paint by up to 50 percent for an even painting job. This process also occurs during flow coat preparation.
Priming - Once the flow coat application is made, a primer is applied to ensure long-lasting results.
Finishing Coat - The finishing coat is applied to act as protection against external elements. Normally, this coat is made up of poly-silicone that also has light-reflecting capabilities. These capabilities are critical in helping the transformer dissipate heat.
In essence, the flow coat preparation and painting process is relatively quick and easy than the traditional methods. Now that you know about the preparation and application of flow coat paint, you may have the following questions: What is the flow coat price? Is the flow coat price higher than traditional methods of painting? Is the flow coat price worth it?
Flow Coat Price
Are you looking to buy some flow coat paint for your transformers but you do not know the flow coat price? Now, the flow coat price may appear to be high. However, considering the damage and repair costs you would have to undertake, the flow coat price is worth it. Depending on your preferences, the flow coat price of a 250 ML container goes for an average of $13.95. This price may also be subject to discounted bulky purchases, which means it can go even lower.
On Amazon, it’s difficult to find flow coat paint, and you’ll probably need a professional to quote you the flow coat price. In essence, the flow coat price might appear expensive when you look at the price unit-wise. However, the cost of damages and using traditional painting methods may be way higher than a simple flow coat preparation and paint job.
Conclusion
Flow coat painting relieves you of inefficient methods of maintaining your transformers. Additionally, it ensures that the painting is effective and reaches all surfaces. With traditional maintenance jobs, the aggregate cost of maintaining a transformer was very high. The flow coat price per unit or job may be higher but way cheaper than the aggregate cost of using traditional methods.
