What Is Electrical Maintenance? (And Why It’s Key for Businesses)

Electrical maintenance is the process of routinely inspecting, testing, servicing and repairing systems and equipment to ensure they are operating safely and efficiently. This process involves both preventive and corrective actions such as regular inspections of wiring, circuit breakers and electrical panels; identifying and fixing electrical faults, such as blown fuses or faulty wiring; and conducting routine tests of safety systems, such as emergency lighting and fire alarms.

So, why exactly is it so important for businesses to have an electrical maintenance strategy in place? Let’s say you forgot to check your apartment building’s HVAC system for electrical wiring damage before summer began. This could lead to some very unhappy tenants if these electrical issues lead to an outage in the middle of July. And what if one of those tenants requires electricity for medical reasons? The risks of not performing routine electrical maintenance on that HVAC could quickly spiral.

Read on to find out more ways electrical maintenance can make or break your business as well as the key elements for implementing a successful electrical maintenance program.

Electrical Maintenance for Residential vs. Commercial Real Estate

When it comes to electrical maintenance for properties, including both residential homes and commercial buildings, there are a distinct set of skills needed to address the complexity and scale of various electrical systems. 

For example, residential electrical maintenance requires smaller-scale work, such as replacing light switches, upgrading electrical outlets, checking circuit breakers and ensuring safe wiring for home appliances. This type of maintenance work is generally less complex and involves standard household wiring or appliances that homeowners can sometimes perform themselves. However, professional electricians with experience in residential systems are typically hired to ensure the work is done safely and correctly.  

When it comes to commercial electrical maintenance, there’s larger and heavier equipment involved, as well as more complex electrical systems that often use power supplies to support higher energy loads for operational services such as elevators, HVAC systems and large machinery. The complexity of these systems requires specialized skills, which means that electricians with expertise in industrial-grade systems are the ones typically hired to perform this maintenance work for businesses and large buildings. 

By recognizing these differences, property owners and managers can make informed decisions about electrical maintenance work to ensure the right professional is hired for the job, whether for residential homes or commercial real estate.

Equipment That Requires Electrical Maintenance

Various pieces of equipment benefit from consistent electrical maintenance to prevent malfunctions, extend lifespan and ensure safety. These include: 

• Lighting systems: Regular maintenance helps ensure lighting systems operate efficiently. This includes replacing burnt-out bulbs, inspecting wiring and testing control systems like dimmers and timers. Proper care can also improve energy efficiency and prevent outages.
• Fans and cooling systems: Electrical maintenance involves inspecting wiring, motors and electrical connections to ensure they are functioning safely. Routine maintenance can improve performance and reduce the risk of system failures.
• Digital communication systems: Maintenance involves checking power supplies, ensuring proper grounding and verifying electrical connections to keep the infrastructure running smoothly. This would include systems such as intercoms, data networks and telecommunication systems.
• Power supplies and generators: To ensure power is available during outages, routine inspections of backup power systems, including checking voltage levels, battery health and wiring connections, are essential. This includes testing systems to ensure they start when needed.
• Machines that run on electricity: Industrial or commercial equipment, such as elevators, office equipment and production machinery, needs regular electrical checks for wiring integrity, motor function and safety compliance. This will prevent breakdowns and ensure continuous operation.
• Surge protectors: Surge protectors help shield electrical equipment from voltage spikes, which is why they need regular inspection to ensure they’re functioning properly. Routine checks help maintain safety and prolong the lifespan of these connected devices.

Benefits of Electrical Maintenance

By implementing a consistent electrical maintenance schedule, both residential and commercial properties can greatly benefit from not only increased safety and efficiency, but also from cost savings. Benefits include:

Reduced Fire Risk

Regular electrical maintenance check-ups help identify and fix faulty wiring, overloaded circuits and malfunctioning components that might otherwise lead to costly electrical fires. By catching and maintaining these hazards early, the risk of fire-related damages can be reduced significantly.

Decreased Equipment Downtime

Properly maintaining electrical systems will ensure that equipment operates smoothly and without unexpected interruptions. By identifying these potential issues early, before they cause failures, regular maintenance proactively minimizes equipment downtime and ensures continuous operation.

Minimized Costs 

Preventive maintenance will detect small issues before they escalate into major, costly repairs or the need for full equipment replacements. This proactive maintenance approach saves money by extending the lifespan of electrical systems and reducing emergency repair costs.

How to Maintain Electrical Systems  

You can ensure that your electrical systems remain safe, efficient and reliable by following these steps:

1. Create a Preventive Maintenance Strategy

Identify which equipment requires more frequent preventive maintenance, and prioritize tasks based on system criticality. You can do this by developing a schedule that includes regular inspections, testing, cleaning and servicing of electrical systems to prevent issues before they occur.

2. Determine Usage Thresholds

Equipment that’s used on a frequent basis, or has exposure to harsh conditions, may require more maintenance than equipment that is not used as often. To address this, it’s good practice to establish thresholds based on how often the equipment is used and the environment in which it operates.

3. Choose Who Will Perform the Work

It’s important to decide whether the maintenance will be handled by an in-house team or outsourced to external contractors. In-house maintenance technicians usually offer quicker response times, while contractors bring experience and specialized skills for complex systems. You’ll want to weigh your options depending on the complexity of the systems and available expertise.

4. Use a CMMS Software to Organize Preventive Maintenance

Implementing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software to schedule, track and document preventive maintenance tasks is key. The reason is that a CMMS will help ensure maintenance is performed on time, reduce the risk of missed inspections and provide you with data for future decision-making.

5 Steps to Ensure Electrical Safety During Maintenance 

In order to minimize your risks and protect both personnel and equipment against electrical hazards, you should follow these safety steps:

1. Use safety equipment: Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as insulated gloves, safety goggles and non-conductive footwear. This will help reduce the risk of electric shock or injury.
2. Turn off power before beginning work: Before performing any electrical maintenance, make sure the power is completely shut off at the breaker box to prevent accidental electrocution.
3. Look out for water: Make sure the work area is dry to reduce the risk of electrical shock. Note that water is a conductor of electricity, so avoid working in damp areas or near water leaks.
4. Inspect for damages: Before you start any work, check electrical equipment and wiring for visible damage, such as frayed wires, exposed connections or broken insulation. If any damage is found, it should be repaired or replaced before continuing maintenance.
5. Schedule routine maintenance and inspections: Regularly scheduled maintenance and safety inspections are crucial to identify potential hazards early and ensure that all electrical systems are functioning properly and safely.

Example of Electrical Maintenance Use Case

At the Wolfsburg Volkswagen Factory in Germany, the automobile production process relies on high-capacity machines and electrical systems. If these systems experience electrical failures at any time, it can result in expensive repair costs, significant downtime and lost revenue due to production delays.

To prevent these disruptions, the plant adopts a proactive maintenance approach with regular electrical inspections that includes:

• Checking connections: To ensure that their wiring is secure to prevent potential short circuits
• Replacing worn-out parts: Including fuses, breakers and other components before they fail and cause issues
• Cleaning electrical panels: To remove dust and debris that can cause overheating or malfunctions in the production process
• Diagnosing potential issues: Using advanced monitoring systems that help detect early warning signs of electrical problems

By implementing these preventive maintenance procedures, Volkswagen can reduce the risk of costly breakdowns, improve equipment reliability and ensure that their production is not only uninterrupted but ultimately saving the company time and money. 

Using a CMMS to Perform Electrical Maintenance

Using a CMMS software like Coast is a game-changing tool not only for organizing and streamlining electrical maintenance but also for allowing teams to manage tasks efficiently while reducing downtime. Coast can help optimize your electrical maintenance through:

• Accurate asset inventory: Record detailed information about every asset for quick access to vital maintenance data.
• Work order management: Create, assign and track work orders with attached checklists and procedures.
• Customization: Adapt the software to your unique workflows and requirements, giving you control and confidence in your maintenance management.
• Preventive maintenance scheduling: Set up recurring tasks based on time or usage to keep assets in peak condition.
• Mobile accessibility: Access asset data, complete work orders and log updates via mobile devices.