In the early 1970¹s, vacuum interrupters started replacing air and oil as the interrupting medium found in industrial circuit breakers and related equipment. Manufacturers rightfully insisted that this astonishing new technology would streamline maintenance and upkeep and lower total ownership costs. However it was anticipated that these vacuum interrupters would be replaced with new gear or new replacements well before they would wear out mechanically, fail electrically or lose vacuum. It is now 30+ years later and those using this vacuum interrupter technology should to be aware of these factors or they could see increased costs as their vacuum interrupters head catastrophically toward the end of their useful lives. Listed here are some of the failures that our contributors have posted. Send yours along with the story of the event, using the form reached via the Submit Now button below, and we will try to post them to help educate the industry at large. We will email a newsletter twice a year dealing with vacuum interrupter failures and will send out service advisories as we find them. On the submission form you can indicate if you would like to receive this service.

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This site is intended as a forum to display and educate people as to the growing issue of ageing vacuum interrupters. All users of vacuum circuit breakers, switches or contactors have or will have a vacuum interrupter failure and should plan, test and be prepared. This site is not for commercial activity and is intended as an educational web site only!

If you have anything you would like posted ‹ a failure, service advisory or warning ‹ send it along via the Submit Now button to the left and we will post it if it is pertinent.