A method monitors a vacuum interrupter for leakage or loss of vacuum. The vacuum interrupter includes a line side, a load side and separable contacts electrically connected therebetween. The line side has a line side voltage and the load side has a load side voltage. The method includes determining whether the separable contacts of the vacuum interrupter are intended to be open or closed, comparing the line side voltage to the load side voltage, and determining the leakage or the loss of vacuum when the separable contacts of the vacuum interrupter are intended to be open and when the load side voltage is within a predetermined amount of the line side voltage.