Can dry ice clean live MV switchgear without shutdown?
No — not by us. We only clean switchgear that has been isolated and proven de-energised.
Verdict
It depends
Isolation and proving-dead by a licensed electrical worker is a precondition, not an option. We shorten the outage; we do not eliminate it.
The detailed answer
No. We do not clean energised switchgear — that's a WHS-regulation prohibition (model reg 154), not a technical limitation. A licensed electrical worker isolates the switchgear, locks it out and proves it dead, with our own lock and tag also on the isolation point, before a nozzle is picked up. What dry ice contributes inside that outage is speed: CO₂ pellets are non-conductive and leave no residue, so there's no drying time before your electrician re-energises. Insulation resistance is preserved (and often improves as accumulated dust is removed). Per-asset photo log + IR test sheet produced for asset register. Annual maintenance contracts standard with utilities and large industrial sites, scheduled around your outage window.
Related questions
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