Dry Ice Blasting for Electrical Panels & Switchgear
Dust, carbon, and contamination on electrical equipment is a fire risk, an arc-flash risk, and a code-compliance issue. Most cleaning methods make it worse — water shorts equipment, solvents leave residue, compressed air just moves contamination around. Dry ice blasting is the clean answer: non-conductive, non-aqueous, no secondary waste, In some applications, cleaning may be possible without taking equipment offline, but only after review by the client’s qualified electrical authority, site safety team, and applicable lockout/tagout procedure.
Final decision on energized cleaning always remains with the client’s qualified electrical authority, site safety team, and applicable lockout/tagout procedure.
What we clean in electrical equipment
- Low and medium-voltage panels — Cabinets, busbar, internal frame, breaker compartments
- Switchgear — Air-insulated and SF6 switchgear externals
- Motor control centres (MCCs) — Compartments, busbar, wiring channels
- Transformer enclosures — External grime, salt deposits, soot from fires
- Generator sets — Engine bays, alternator cooling fins, control compartments
- Substations — Outdoor switchgear, structural steel, control buildings
- PLC cabinets and instrumentation enclosures
- VFDs and drive cabinets
Why dry ice over alternatives
Non-conductive. Solid CO₂ doesn’t conduct. Many panels can be cleaned live, depending on engineering review and local electrical authority requirements. (We won’t recommend live cleaning without a competent person’s sign-off.)
Non-aqueous. No water means no shorting risk during cleaning, no drying time before energizing, no insulator damage.
Non-abrasive. Doesn’t damage paint, busbar plating, label etching, or sensitive components.
No secondary waste. No grit to vacuum out of busbar gaps. No solvent residues. CO₂ sublimates.
When operators call us
- Annual or biannual maintenance — Dust and contamination buildup on schedule
- Post-fire / post-flood — Soot, smoke residue, water-damaged panels (panel replacement vs. clean is an engineering call we can support)
- Pre-thermography — Clean panels read more accurately on infrared scans
- Code compliance — Insurance or insurer-required cleaning
- Pre-acquisition / pre-commissioning — New equipment install or facility turnover
- Turnaround — Plant shutdown windows when everything else is being cleaned anyway
Safety, permits, and pre-qualification
- Pre-qualified and compliant for industrial sites — see Credentials
- Working through ISNetworld pre-qualification for Sarnia Chemical Valley
- Site-specific safety orientations welcomed
- Lockout/tagout coordination with site team
- Cold Jet certified operator
Pricing for electrical equipment cleaning
- Single panel or piece of switchgear: typically a half-day clean
- MCC or multi-panel cleans: typically a full-day project
- Substation, plant-wide, or turnaround: multi-day quote with deposit
- Travel within 60 minutes of Wallaceburg included
Get a quote for electrical equipment cleaning
Call 226-627-4878 to discuss your project.
How a typical electrical equipment cleaning project runs
Every electrical cleaning job starts with an engineering review. We meet with your qualified electrical lead and site safety team to walk the equipment, agree on energized vs. de-energized work, confirm arc-flash boundaries, and align on lockout/tagout. We send certificate of insurance, JSA, and operator credentials before mobilization. On site, the crew works through the panel/MCC/transformer enclosure section by section with the agreed safety procedure in effect.
Pricing
Electrical work is typically quoted day-rate because access, condition, and safety procedure vary by site. A two-person crew with full equipment runs $2,400–$3,200/day in Southwestern Ontario. Substation outdoor work, height work, or restricted shutdown windows push the number up. See our cost guide for typical ranges.
FAQ
Can you really clean energized panels?
Sometimes — and only after engineering review with the client’s qualified electrical authority. Dry ice is dry and non-conductive, which makes some live cleaning possible. The final call always belongs to the client’s electrical lead, site safety team, and applicable lockout/tagout procedure. We will not recommend live cleaning without competent sign-off.
Will it damage breakers, sensors, or busbar coatings?
No. Dry ice is non-abrasive on hard surfaces and the pressure is tuned for delicate equipment. We mask anything sensitive (touchscreens, marked labels, sensor lenses) before starting.
How is dry ice better than blow-out with compressed air?
Compressed air relocates the contamination — it doesn’t remove it. Dry ice mechanically lifts the carbon and dust off the surface and leaves the cabinet clean. After-air-purge is faster and the substrate is cleaner.
Do you do MV switchgear?
Yes — medium-voltage switchgear externals and accessible internals are within scope after engineering review. SF6 and air-insulated switchgear, MCCs, generator sets, and substations are all standard work.