How Important is Electrical Maintenance?
To answer this question simply – Electrical maintenance is crucial. A majority of the time, outside of new installations electricians aren’t called to a building unless a noticeable issue is present. This is generally within some aspect of the wiring or the terminations sockets or fuse board
Therefore, interim maintenance is essential to maintaining a safe building. Routine inspections allow you to detect any underlying issues before they grow to a detrimental status. Furthermore, they allow a quick resolution that will likely be more efficient in terms of safety and costs.
If you are uncertain as to why electrical maintenance is such a necessity – here are some crucial reasons
Equipment protection
A well-maintained electrical system that undergoes routine inspection, will likely contribute to the longevity of the system itself. Modern technology is a very large part of a modern business and therefore it needs to be protected from electrical damage. A faulty circuit or socket can easily damage a high-cost piece of technology causing a large replacement cost. Besides, there is the possibility of lost working time while it is replaced
Maintenance will allow any issues to be quickly resolved so that your system can avoid being subject to extensive refurbishment due to undetected issues.
Examples of equipment that can be affected by electrical problems
- Computers, servers, and data switches
- Ceiling lighting and decorative lighting
- Office equipment such as photocopiers, printers, and scanning equipment
- Audio Visual equipment
- Kitchen equipment such as fridges, ovens, hot taps etc
It is a key preventative
By upholding regular electrical maintenance, you are ensuring that the likelihood for potential problems to develop is minimised and that current ones cannot develop into greater issues
In the example above we have seen the effect that can occur when your equipment isn’t protected. However, the first step should be to avoid exposure to that equipment by the electrical system never becoming faulty
With regular testing, faults can be highlighted and fixed before they cause a problem. Electrical testing can be undertaken on overall electrical wiring and specific appliances. The testing of appliances is referred to as Portable Appliance Testing. The regularity and requirements for appliance testing will depend on the type of building and the equipment within.
For a more detailed explanation of Portable Appliance Testing, please visit our article here “What is PAT Testing?”
Avoiding Down Time
Whenever a piece of equipment is damaged it is generally rendered out of use. In some situations, a workaround can be employed. However, some equipment affects the overall running of the business through a single point of failure. For example, if your communications room should have a power failure, your entire technology operations would fail to operate. Therefore, no phones, no computers, no Wi-Fi, and no incoming broadband services
Sometimes the simplest of failures can have the most disastrous of consequences
Regular maintenance will maintain that these failures don’t occur and if they are found to cause a potential problem that can be rectified in advance
Electrical Maintenance Safety
Safety is one of the primary factors of any establishment. However, without correct routine maintenance, you are effectively positioning both yourself and your fellow staff at a greater risk of hazards. By implementing regular checks, you will be able to ensure the safety of everyone.
Potential electrical hazards can include
- Overloading of electrical systems
- Damaged sockets or wires
- Incorporation of extension leads and used in the incorrect manner
- Faulty electrical equipment
Any of the above can cause a hazard which can lead to electrical shock or fire. Regular electrical maintenance will highlight these situations and create a plan for rectifying
More efficient energy costs
With an electrical maintenance engineer regularly assessing your energy consumption, any potential consumption issues can be detected and reduce energy wastage. The electrical wastage may contribute to excessive bills. By correctly electrical faults or reducing electrical waste, this efficiency will ensure that your costs are accurate and not overstated due to an issue.
Some additional energy efficiency can also be achieved by
- Removing old-style lighting and swapping for LED
- Installing efficient heating
- Eliminating unused equipment that is still being powered such as old servers
- Improvements to communication rooms and their energy usage
Electrical Maintenance Summary
Essentially, the importance of regular electrical inspection and maintenance cannot be overstated enough. Should you require advice or a consultation on how we can assist with your electrical maintenance, please contact our project team for an initial discussion
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