Dissolved Gas Analysis - Part 1

Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) - Part 1
The importance of DGA for new installations

If a newly installed and energized transformer survives the first ten cycles, and then the first ten seconds, and then the first ten minutes, chances are pretty good that it will also survive the first ten years. However, manufacturers offer a warranty period for a reason. New transformers may have defects that can lead to failure. Frequently, such defects will leave signature dissolved gases in the oil. A timely DGA may catch the fault as it begins, and before it advances far enough to do permanent damage.

Manufacturers often recommend that you run a specific schedule of initial oil tests, usually including dissolved gas analysis, on a newly installed transformer. The schedule of tests is so critical during the first month in service (sometimes longer) that the manufacturer may require specific testing in order for the warranty to continue to be valid.

Even if the manufacturer does not have a specific set of recommendations for this testing, tests during the first thirty days could potentially indicate incipient faults, and minimize eventual damage to the unit, consequential damages to the rest of the system, and lost production caused by that damage. Even though the manufacturer may be responsible to pay for repairs or to replace a failed unit under warranty, a much better solution is to identify a fault before it leads to failure.