Monsoon on the way : Follow these 4 simple steps to safeguard your WMS against damages due to rains and lightning.

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Even though weather monitoring stations (WMS) are designed to perform in extreme weather conditions, certain precautions need to be taken to avoid damages in the rainy seasons.

A data logger burnt due to the lightening.
A data logger burnt due to the lightning.

Damages due to lightning, water and dust ingression and short circuits are common during rainy seasons if proper precautions are not taken. Lack of preventive actions results in damage to costly sensors and data logger along with chances of fire and other safety hazards. With our weather monitoring stations operating at more than 350 sites, we thought of creating a handy document which could help plant personnel to take preventive actions to avoid damage to WMS due to rains.

Here Is a Quick Pre-Monsoon Checklist To Safeguard Your WMS:

Weather monitoring station with a lightening arrestor
Weather monitoring station (WMS) with a lightning arrestor

Install a Lightning Arrestor:

A lightning arrestor safely releases the lightning into the ground and prevents the damage it could possibly do to the data logger and sensors. Lightning generates high surge because of which data logger and sensors might get burnt. Considering the high cost of sensors and data logger, installing a lightning arrestor is a very cost-effective solution. It will also prevent the loss of data because of damage to the WMS.

As per our experience, lightnings do cause serious damage to the weather monitoring station. We have not received a single incidence of damage due to lightening at sites having a lightening arrestor installed.

Go For Independent Power Supply:

Rains increase the chances of short-circuits which damage PLC which results in damage to data loggers and sensors. It is very important to take precautions to avoid short circuits. At the same time, instead of using power from AC source, using a DC panel based independent power supply for WMS will certainly reduce the chances of short circuit and will bring down the quantum of losses happening on account of short circuits.

Check For Water Logging Possibilities:

If the drainage systems are not functional, water logging might take place. As a precaution, normally, DC box containing battery and circuits is placed at a height from the ground. If the drainage system is not functioning properly, it is possible for the water levels to reach the battery resulting in damage to the battery and other circuitry.

Close The Enclosures Properly:

Even though the data logger comes with an IP65 enclosure, many times, because of human error or negligence it is not closed properly. Even a slight gap will allow dust and water to go in and damage the data logger. It is, therefore, necessary that operators and plant personnel are made aware of the importance of closing the enclosures and locking them properly.

Weather monitoring systems

You could also visit   7 types of weather instruments you should know about  to get more information about this article.

In case, if you’ve any questions, please feel free to get in touch with our team, and our support expert will be more than happy to help you.