In order to assure that mixing water with electricity is a safe process, several power companies have run extensive tests on washing energized insulators. The first recorded tests were done in 1941, by Pacific Gas & Electric of California. In 1947 the same company re-conducted and documented the tests. They wanted to determine the following results:
- The true effectiveness of cleaning the insulators with water.
- Record the amount of leakage that had occurred through using different water streams.
- Test various nozzles sizes and shapes, different water resistivities and “new” water resistivity testers.
- Evaluate the economics of washing, using this method.