Maintaining your undersea cables properly will save on downtime and the cost of replacing damaged gear. In this blog series, we present a 5-step plan for inspecting and testing your cables, along with some tips for general handling to help you make the most of your equipment:
- Step 1: Visual Inspection
- Step 2: Electrical Conductor Resistance Testing
- Step 3: Insulation Resistance Testing
- Step 4: Fiber Optics Testing
- Step 5: Termination Handling & Inspection
- General Handling Advice: Storing and Unpacking
- General Handling Advice: Reeling, Installation and Deployment
- When should you call DeRegt?
In this blog, we’ll cover how to test your cable’s electrical components to ensure that they are working properly.
Perform Regular Inspections
Make sure to perform regular inspections to check whether your equipment is still in good condition. The cables and connectors should be inspected regularly throughout the service life as part of the operating procedure.
It’s recommended that the equipment be inspected before major operations, offshore shipping, and storage. We also advise you to keep a cable log that records the hours of use, faults, maintenance, and inspections. This will come in handy later when you want to compare a baseline with future test results.
Conductor Resistance Testing
Before testing any type of electrical equipment, ensure that all connectors are de-energized during inspection, cleaning, connection, or disconnection. Also, it’s essential to make sure that both ends of the connectors are clean and dry.
Using a conductor resistance (C.R.) meter, first test the resistance of the leads and calibrate the meter to zero. Then attach the test clips to both ends of the cable and measure the conductor continuity and resistance on each core and screen. Record the results and compare with the last results and the original manufacturing results.
If there is no continuity of the signal or if the electrical resistance across the cable has increased compared with previous results, this could indicate damage to the cable or the connections. You may need to replace the connectors or cut out the damaged section of the cable and re-terminate it before redeployment.
Benefits of Testing and Inspection
Keep your subsea cables and terminations operational and prevent downtime and the resulting high costs by maintaining a regular schedule of inspection and testing. Together with DeRegt, we can help ensure your equipment remains operational during its full lifetime, saving you time and money in the long run.
For a fresh perspective and more helpful hints and tips to keep your marine cable in top shape, download the DeRegt Seismic Guide on Cable Handling.
