They say water and electricity don’t mix, but at Bay Power we’ve developed electrical solutions for hundreds of water-based systems in the Bay area. We’ve worked with hospitals, wastewater facilities, dairy farms, irrigation companies, glass plants, and many other customers who use water on the job.
Our goal is to solve customer problems, not just to sell parts, and that means we can often reduce lead time, save money, and custom-fit the solution to your unique needs or environment. Whether you’re a contractor looking to build a solution for your customer or an end-user with a tricky situation in your plant, we’ll help you get the job done right.
Here are a few of the ways we’ve put our expertise to work in the water and irrigation industry.
Custom Pump Solutions With Minimal Lead Time
Lead time on pump control panels and parts can sometimes reach 4-6 weeks or more when you order from the manufacturer, and some issues require custom solutions that aren’t manufactured anywhere. At Bay Power, we keep standard parts in stock so we can turn orders around quickly and cut that lead time down by days or weeks. In some cases, we can get systems back up and running in a matter of hours. We also work with each customer to create the solution they need, even if it means developing a custom design.
When one of our irrigation customers needed a custom VFD package, we were able to work with them on modifying the original design and getting it built. In cases like this, we keep records of the design and components so that if the package needs work in the future, we can figure out what went wrong and what part they need. That’s something that often isn’t the case if they build it themselves since the project manager may not leave a diagram of the custom build if he leaves the company.
Electrical Panels for Corrosive Environments
Corrosion will quickly bring your electrical system to a grinding halt, and that’s a big problem for panels situated in highly corrosive environments like farms. One of our dairy customers used standard painted metal panels to operate their pumps. These panels, which should have lasted a decade or more, had become completely corroded in just five years.
Our team worked with the dairy to enclose the electrical components in a 4X fiberglass panel with a corrosive rating. This not only stretched the life of the product so it would last longer, but also provided a competitively priced solution that would work better in the harsh environment. Our custom design has worked so well that we’ve sold it to several pump companies who needed a similar solution.
ABB Soft Start Motors Save Money and Boost Productivity for Irrigation Companies
When an irrigation company needs a reliable, cost-effective way to start their pump motors, we recommend soft starters or variable frequency drives (VFDs). That’s because these solutions give more control over how much power is used so you can save on operational costs. With traditional starters, you pay for full power from the moment you start it up, while soft start motors and VFDs allow you to pay only for what you’re drawing, not for the full amperage.
Even if you’re using a soft starter, however, that doesn’t guarantee you won’t have problems. One irrigation company came to us when they were experiencing constant problems and reliability issues with the brand of soft starter they were using. We recommended an ABB package soft starter, which is one of the highest quality, reliable brands on the market. Our team worked with theirs to build a custom design based on their initial concept, and we delivered it to them with a much shorter lead time than they would have dealt with through a manufacturer.
When a customer comes to us with a pump issue, we research the situation, ask plenty of questions, and develop a solution to make that pump or irrigation system as efficient as possible. We’ll never sell you a part you don’t need, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best solution at a competitive price.
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