Does your commercial building need an electrical upgrade?

Running a business in a commercial building makes you dependent on utilities to power your operations. Although purchasing an older property may be cheaper, it can put you at risk in the long-term with its potential refurbishing needs.

Upgrading your electrical system is necessary to address your growing energy needs while checking your wiring's safety. Electrical fires aren't uncommon with older buildings that don't receive a check-up every now and then. If you know what signs to look for, you'll see if your building's due for an electrical upgrade.

In this article, we'll share three tell-tale signs you should watch out for.

1 - Lack of power output

Flickering lights while running heavy appliances is usually a symptom of having low power output. This will usually happen after you install a new appliance. However, there are cases when your electrical wiring simply gives in to wear and tear, even without using new equipment. 

Your devices can also shut down spontaneously for no reason if your building can't supply energy demand. Although you can mitigate this by running a back-up generator, you'll eventually spend too much in the long-term by using band-aid solutions for these energy concerns.

2 - Tripping circuit breakers

Your circuit breakers trip when your circuits are attempting to generate a larger electrical load than possible. This causes your breaker or fuse to blow before the circuit wires can heat up to a dangerous level. Although it sounds dangerous, it's actually a self-defense mechanism to prevent electrical fires. If your circuit breakers trip often, it's a sign that your power demands are too high and puts your electrical circuits at risk of overworking.

3 - Rusty and melted wiring

Safety should be your priority, especially when dealing with your building's electrical components. You should be cautious when checking your system's physical components, like outlets, electrical panels, and wirings. If you see signs of deterioration like melted wires or worn-out insulation, it may be time to contact electrical contractors immediately. These damaged parts can put you at risk of an electrical fire, which can damage your building at best and endanger you and your staff's lives at worst.

Evaluate Your Commercial Electrical Needs

Take the opportunity to evaluate your energy needs if you think your building needs an electrical upgrade. Since your building will go through extensive repairs and replacements, you should consider if it's time to change your lighting fixtures and appliances as well. Besides these updates, you should also check if you'll need more electrical outlets to accommodate your electrical supply.

Keep in mind that an electrical renovation will require your technician to open different sections of your walls, ceiling, and flooring to access your wiring. It's best to schedule your upgrade during a long holiday so that the adjustments won't interfere with your operations.

Besides assessing your building's needs, a reliable electrical contractor knows how to connect to your neighborhood's electrical grid seamlessly. If you need a commercial electrical contractor in Western MA to perform your building's electrical upgrade, contact us today!  We provide free electrical estimates.