Common electrical problems in commercial buildings include overloaded circuits, outdated or undersized panels, faulty/old wiring, and poor grounding. Failure in panels and switchgear can shut down an entire operation, resulting in costly loss of productivity and repairs. Other problems from common electrical problems often result in flickering lights, tripped breakers, and power surges. These issues are frequently caused by increased power demands, improper DIY repairs, or a lack of preventative maintenance. Electricraft, Inc., based in San Luis Obispo, has been providing commercial and industrial electrical and solar solutions for California’s Central Coast since 1984.
Common causes of electrical problems in commercial buildings
- Overloaded Circuits: Occur when too many devices, machines, or appliances share one circuit, causing flickering lights, tripped breakers, and a higher fire risk.
- Faulty or Outdated Wiring: Old wiring, damaged insulation, or poor installation can lead to power outages and safety hazards.
- Electrical Panel Issues: Outdated, damaged, or undersized panels may not handle modern electrical demand, which can cause overheating.
- Poor Grounding or Ground Faults: A missing or inadequate grounding path increases the risk of electrocution, equipment malfunction, and surges.
- Power Surges: Sudden voltage spikes from storms, utility problems, or internal equipment can damage sensitive electronics.
- Lighting Failures: Flickering lights, buzzing fixtures, or failing ballasts are often caused by loose connections or faulty wiring.
Wiring requirements for major industries
- Data Centers & Server Rooms: These require immense, reliable power for servers and cooling, where downtime is not acceptable.
- Mining & Construction: Environments that require durable wiring capable of enduring extreme conditions, moisture, and high physical pressure.
- Oil, Gas, & Petrochemical: Requires specialized wiring, such as armored or direct-burial cables, to withstand hazardous environments and intense heat or cold.
- Pharmaceutical and Food Processing: Requires specialized electrical systems that are waterproof to endure daily sanitation and harsh cleaning chemicals.
- Water and wastewater. These facilities are complex, technically advanced, and require high-voltage equipment to operate pumps. Corrosion-resistant wiring, explosion-proof components (due to potential methane gas), and advanced SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system wiring.
- Hospitals, clinics, and medical facilities — electrical failures are unacceptable and life-threatening, requiring high-capacity, 200+ AMP, or complex BUS systems for large electrical loads
- Large commercial installations, including stadiums, commercial campuses, and commercial buildings, also require high-capacity, 200+ AMP, or complex BUS systems for large electrical loads.
San Luis Obispo’s licensed and experienced electrical contractors have extensive experience and training in electrical solutions for a wide variety of industries, and are well-versed in electrical requirements.
California’s industrial electrical requirements
Minimum electrical requirements for industrial facilities in California, governed by the California Electrical Code (CEC), adopted from the National Electrical Code (NEC) includes:
- Service and distribution requirements addressing circuit overload protection, wiring methods with special attention to grounding and bonding, and required load calculations before adding or modifying loads.
- Industrial specifics, including equipment ratings, emergency power supply failure warning devices’ audible and visual signals, and special wiring methods for flammable atmospheres.
- Electrician requirements specifying that electrical work must be performed by, or under the direction of, a California-certified electrician, and that only qualified persons with the appropriate training and experience are allowed to work on high-voltage circuits.
- New industrial construction must meet CEC energy efficiency standards, including “electric-ready” requirements for future equipment conversions.
- Workspace safety, defined by Cal/OSHA Title 8, also applies and includes maintaining a safe, unobstructed working space around electrical equipment, the minimum dimensions for working space, a minimum headroom of 6 feet 6 inches around equipment installed after May 5, 2008, and clearance spaces for equipment over 600 volts.
Inspections and repairs
Inspecting every electrical element as part of routine maintenance schedule is the most reliable way to detect potential problems. For the most efficient outcomes, inspection and maintenance protocols must be tailored to the business operations, and takes several factors into consideration:
- Dust and moisture can create a layer of debris, leading to overheating. Humidity and the associated moisture can cause components to deteriorate.
- The influence of room temperature on sensitive equipment is frequently overlooked. Troublesome changes in the temperature of control panels and thermostats may be attributed to the ambient temperature near the equipment.
- Vibration is another factor that can cause dysfunction is the system.
The San Luis Obispo electrical contractors have been designing and maintaining complex industrial, commercial, and public works systems since 1984. Thorough inspections and maintenance include:
Advanced inspection and detection technologies, including thermal imaging, ultrasonic testing, power quality analyzers, circuit analyzers, underground locating, fiberoptic cable testing, and more.
- Thermal Imaging surveys to help quickly detect heat, loose connections, corrosion, short-circuits, overloads, and more. The Electricraft team has Level 1 and Level 2 trained thermographers in the use of infrared cameras for instant assessments of abnormal operations.
- Skilled manual inspections for power meters, lamps, and indicators, locking devices, control wiring, relays, power supply units, timers, signs of external and internal damage, and corrosion.
- Maintenance includes thoroughly cleaning and vacuuming the exterior and interior of switchboards and all components, repairs and replacements as needed, and thorough testing.
Electricraft’s commercial and industrial electrical services include:
- Expert project design, including drawings and permits.
- New construction.
- Indoor/outdoor installation and repairs, including parking lot lighting.
- Commercial lighting for warehouses, retail display, restaurants, and more.
- Power for registers, computers, tools, and appliances, equipment, computer rooms, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), bakery, restaurant, and all other specialty equipment.
- Datacom fiber optic and copper cabling.
- CEC compliance on all maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and new construction.
- Troubleshooting and emergency services.
