It goes without saying that every property, whether it’s residential, industrial or commercial, requires maintenance to remain in good condition. Fulfilling routine inspections and upgrades helps guarantee the safety of all who work or live in the property and will save you money on what could be unnecessary repairs or replacements. Ultimately, the goal of any building is to comfortably manage the demands of those who use it daily, without being overburdened.
The Importance of Maintenance in a Commercial Property
In the case of a commercial property, regular building maintenance will prevent a situation where your business is unable to operate. The chances are that you don’t need to be told about the risks associated with losing an entire day of business or more — especially if there’s a critical meeting with important clients on the line.
Routine maintenance will include updating plumbing, renewing technologies, tackling seasonal landscaping, and cleaning HVAC units. However, electrical systems are arguably even more essential.
Electricity is the pulse of a commercial property. Without it, team members would be unable to complete numerous everyday tasks — such as using computers, the internet and printers — that keep a business afloat. Further to these disruptions, team members will unlikely want to sit in the dark. Likewise, if your heating and cooling systems require electricity, your staff won’t want to work in the frigid cold during the winter or the baking heat of summer.
Hiring a Commercial Electrician for Regular Maintenance Checks
The reasons you should keep your commercial property’s electrical system well-maintained should be clear.
To mitigate any unexpected disruptions, it’s advised that commercial property owners schedule a routine electrical inspection with certified commercial electricians each year.
The commercial electrician will typically perform the following checks during a routine annual assessment.
- First, the electrician will ensure the core elements of your building’s electrical system are operating well.
- They will also check the building’s central hub — its breaker panel — to ensure it’s up to code. Electric codes are continuously evolving to keep up with new and improved technology and in response to accidents related to electric systems.
- The electrician may check the quality of any past work that is pertinent to the building’s current electrics to see that it was done to a high standard.
- They will identify any upgrades that would benefit the building and how it operates.
- And most importantly, they will identify and address any potential hazards.
Signs that Your Commercial Property Needs an Electrical Inspection
While annual inspections are advised, there are some signs that may present themselves in between scheduled inspections. These red flags can range from the subtle or seemingly innocuous to dangerous, potentially life-threatening warnings.
Some minor inconveniences that may warn of a much larger problem include flickering lights, tripped breakers, overheating outlets, outlets that no longer work, rodent activity (where mice may have chewed out-of-sight wiring) and continuous electric shocks from light switches — these may mean that a wire or cable has come loose, or is frayed, or that the switch has not been grounded properly (if at all).
On the other end of the scale, if team members are reporting a burning smell or if they’re seeing smoke, these are major red flags and a commercial electrician should be contacted immediately. A burning smell from overheating electronics could mean they’ve started to melt away the plastic coating on cables — an urgent warning sign that something is wrong with the electric system.
The Bottom Line
Following an inspection, you’ll receive a report that gives you a deeper insight into any changes the electrician advised. It’s essential to see to any issues they raise, especially if upgrades and changes are required to comply with new building codes.
Whether you’re running a business that is housed in your own commercial property, or if you’re managing a property that you lease out to various business owners, you need to consider the maintenance of your electrical system as a top priority — for both the building’s protection, and for your team members’ safety.
If your building is overdue for an electrical inspection, or if you’ve identified telltale signs that your electrical system requires maintenance, connect with a licensed commercial electrician and add it to your calendar, today.