Are your premises overdue for electrical maintenance?
When did you last check your electrical equipment and wiring? Systems that are out of sight are often out of mind. Arch flashes or equipment that is faulty, meltdown, or fails to function can turn into serious safety issues. Similar to the yearly service checks of your car, we recommend regular Electrical Building Assessments to avoid costly repairs caused by electrical wear and tear.
Here are four warning signs that your premises are due for electrical maintenance:
1. Flickering/dimming lights
If ceiling lights start to flicker or dim, chances are light bulbs are defective or loose or fixtures are faulty. Consult your electrician instead of trying to fix it yourself.
2. Isolated outages in the building
If parts of your premises have repeated outages, call your electrical contractor to investigate the root cause.
3. Discoloration or scorch marks on receptacles
Charred or burnt receptacles usually point to either damaged or incorrectly installed wiring or a circuit overload. Your wiring needs to be installed so that it creates an unbroken channel for the electricity to flow through to avoid overheating, which can result in melted equipment or burnt outlets.
4. What are your options to avoid costly electrical issues?
At Mark III, we recommend a regular Electrical Building Assessment, which means that you have peace of mind when it comes to your electrical systems.
What your Electrical Building Assessment includes:
- Random power tests throughout your facility
- Regular cleaning and vacuuming of all panels
- Torque and tighten maintenance
What you should know about torquing
Torquing, known from car manufacturing, simply means tightening electrical connections.
One advantage of torque and tighten maintenance is an infrared scan of your system while it is running, which delivers an accurate reading and indicates the ‘hot spots’ that need attention. At the same time, it generates a report noting all abnormalities and addresses the exact areas of concern. If needed, a shutdown is triggered. In other words, it provides more safety for you and your staff.
Furthermore, torquing makes electrical connections more energy-efficient, which is a plus in times when sustainability has a high priority for many organizations. So if you want to boost your energy savings, conduct regular inspections of your electrical connections.
Fire prevention is another benefit of torquing. Loose connections can lead to arcing, sparking and overheating, in other words, extremely high temperatures, which can cause equipment damage, and, in the worst scenario, structural fires.
Are you experiencing any of these issues?
Schedule a consultation for an electrical building assessment with one of our experts today!