Hipot (or high potential testing) is a non-destructive test that has many names: overvoltage testing, dielectric breakdown test, dielectric withstand test, or insulation resistance tests. All of these tests are designed to make sure that the insulation used in your electric motors are doing their jobs.

If the insulation is defective or not performing as expected, the results can lead to power leakage or short circuits which may cause the motor to fail or damage it. Another huge danger of defective insulation is the risk of shock to anyone who comes in contact with that motor.

A Hipot test often is conducted in conjunction with other non-destructive tests such as an IR thermographic study, or an electric motor vibration analysis. A Hipot test uses a high voltage current to “flow” through the insulation to make sure that it doesn’t break down or cause problems within the motor. A Hipot “tester” measures any leakage of the current within the unit.  This test may reveal issues with nicked or crushed insulation, stray wires, contaminants around conductors–such as moisture or dirt, terminal spacing problems, and other defects that might occur during the manufacturing process. A Hipot test can identify these issues before they damage the equipment or endanger an operator.

The Hipot test is the best test to use to uncover these issues.