If regular maintenance is not performed, incident energy in electrical systems is likely to:

If regular maintenance is not performed, incident energy in electrical systems is likely to:

• A. Decrease
• B. Stay the same
• C. Become unpredictable
• D. Increase

Answer: (D)

Regular maintenance keeps equipment in good condition, preserving insulation, clean and tight connections, and functioning safety devices. When maintenance is skipped, insulation can degrade, connections loosen, and moisture or contaminants can accumulate. Protective devices may also wear and not operate as intended. All of these issues can lead to a fault arc that carries more current and lasts longer before it’s interrupted. Since incident energy depends on how much current the arc delivers and how long it lasts, neglecting maintenance tends to raise the energy released during an arc. So incident energy is likely to increase.

Regular maintenance keeps equipment in good condition, preserving insulation, clean and tight connections, and functioning safety devices. When maintenance is skipped, insulation can degrade, connections loosen, and moisture or contaminants can accumulate. Protective devices may also wear and not operate as intended. All of these issues can lead to a fault arc that carries more current and lasts longer before it’s interrupted. Since incident energy depends on how much current the arc delivers and how long it lasts, neglecting maintenance tends to raise the energy released during an arc. So incident energy is likely to increase.