How Electrical Maintenance Keeps Business Running

Virtually all modern production facilities rely on electricity to power up their devices. The types of equipment that rely on electricity can be as complex as highly-advanced CNC (computer numerical control) machines, or as basic as a light bulb. With the broad range of devices depending on electricity, electrical maintenance needs to be a mandatory part of your maintenance strategy.

What is electrical maintenance?

Electrical maintenance is exactly what it sounds like, maintenance based on electrical equipment and machinery. Because it applies to all scales of usage, it’s not only important to conduct electrical maintenance for businesses, but also necessary for homes to be up and running.

How electrical maintenance differs for homes vs. businesses

For homes, electrical maintenance is usually performed on a smaller scale. Simpler appliances with low to medium power requirements are concerned. On the other hand, businesses require more complex set-ups with more safety measures that need to be checked.

Electrical components for residences would generally use single-phase power supplies. These are less demanding in terms of wiring and safety devices. Commercial and industrial settings potentially require a three-phase power set-up to energize heavier duty equipment. These, in turn, would require higher-capacity protective devices.

Hiring the right electrician to do the job puts you in a better position in terms of safety and reliability. Be mindful of the type of equipment and environment that your facility has when planning your electrical needs.

What does electrical maintenance include?

We’ve mentioned that electrical maintenance covers a broad range of appliances. Some devices more obviously require maintenance attention than others. Examples of key types of equipment that you definitely need to check are listed below:

Power supplies and generators

Power supplies and generators literally keep the facility switched on. Maintenance procedures need to be planned out in advance to lessen any impact on the business. Aside from the main hubs that generate power, connections and delivery systems, such as power cables and voltage transformers, also need to be routinely checked.

Machines running on electricity

Most of the equipment in a facility that directly impacts production would require electricity. Aside from the usual maintenance of moving mechanical parts, electrical systems should also be serviced.

Motors for example, are commonly found even in highly specialized equipment. A robust preventive maintenance checklist for the motor should be in place on top of maintenance for other parts of the appliance.

Surge protectors

Surges are short-term voltage increases to the electrical supply. These can be caused by a number of uncontrolled reasons, such as fluctuations from the power provider, recovery from blackouts, or short circuits. Surge protectors work to protect the equipment, as well as the users around the equipment, from any potentially catastrophic failures.

Lighting systems

While being an essential part of daily activities, lighting systems can easily be overlooked. Remember that these systems are among the devices that are energized for long periods of time. Ensure that electrical wiring systems and connections are in good working order.

Fans and cooling systems

Fans and cooling systems ensure that the people and the equipment in a facility can perform their expected duties. These provide proper ventilation for the workers and equipment alike to operate effectively.

Any kind of digital communication

Communication in a facility will only be useful if the devices are up and running. Any digital communication system should be routinely checked, and connected to an emergency power supply if required.

How lectrical maintenance can Keep you safe

Electrical maintenance not only keeps production going, but also keeps the workplace safer. Some examples of how an electrical maintenance process can manage hazards and reduce risks are:

1. Minimize fire damage

An estimated 51,000 cases of home electrical fires are reported every year. Overloaded outlets and electrical faults can easily be weeded out during preventive maintenance activities.

2. Keep timelines on track

When electrical devices fail, a huge part of your business shuts off. Electrical maintenance helps keep everything running safely and reduce the instances of breakdowns.

3. Minimize high-cost repairs

Something as simple as a part overheating could cost you thousands of dollars to repair. Ensure that protective devices are in place in case of any untoward incidents.

4 tips on maintaining your electrical system

Electrical systems include all electrical devices as well as the delivery network that keeps everything connected to the power source. The daunting task can easily get out of hand without proper planning and execution. Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Opt for preventative maintenance

Electrical failures are potentially catastrophic – these put the safety of the workers and equipment in danger. The extent of an electrical failure is difficult to predict and can affect a major part of operations. A preventative maintenance strategy is your best bet to minimize the risk of breakdowns.

2. Set thresholds for usage

Deterioration on electrical devices would not be as easily noticed as that on a worn-down mechanical device. Internal components of an electric system can go through overloading without visible signs. It is best to set thresholds for usage to catch and reduce wear and tear before actual failure.

3. Have an on-staff electrical technician

DIY repairs and troubleshooting is not always a good idea. Because there’s a lot at stake when it comes to electrical safety, it is best to hire a trained worker to avoid faulty fixes.

4. Use a CMMS for maintenance checks.

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) eases the manual work in tracking the maintenance activities done on each electrical device within the facility. An asset management software within a CMMS, for example, can list all your assets and identify which ones require electrical maintenance.

How to achieve awesome electrical maintenance using a CMMS

Step 1: Ensure all required assets are in the system

A CMMS is an effective tool to consolidate all your asset data into one place. Make sure that the assets that need to be serviced are in the system. Include basic information, such as type of equipment, facility location, and failure history.

Step 2: Capture the maintenance strategy for each asset

Once the assets are in the system, the team should then ensure that maintenance strategies are clearly set. This would enable the easier scheduling of maintenance activities with clear accountabilities.

Step 3: Automate your manual processes

Maximize your CMMS functionality to do away with manual processes as much as possible. This enables the team to spend their time on higher-value work. Scheduling and managing work orders and requests, for example, can be easily done with a CMMS. Some even provide the same level of service, even through mobile devices.

Step 4: Get your team onboard

Having a CMMS enables the team to engage in a collective effort to provide updates. By having each member update each one’s work, one can have a clear and accurate view of the status of the assets.

Step 5: Gather and analyze the data

CMMS programs have robust reporting tools that provide useful insights into the team’s performance. You can use this feature to measure and track metrics and KPIs.

Conclusion

Electrical maintenance is a challenging task that each facility must overcome. Tools such as CMMS and asset management software make maintenance execution easier and more accurate by automating the tedious manual components.

FAQs

Why is electrical maintenance important?

Electrical maintenance concerns key equipment and assets in a plant. It promotes not only continued productivity and reliability, but also safety in the workplace.

What does an electrical maintenance technician do?

An electrical technician helps install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair electrical components and systems. They ensure that electrical devices and electrical safety devices are working properly.

How many types of electrical maintenance are there?

Electrical maintenance can be categorized according to the type and grade of equipment used by a facility. Electrical maintenance can commonly be categorized as:

• Residential – works with electrical components usually found in homes (e.g. components using a single-phase power supply)
• Commercial – concerns businesses such as stores and offices, requiring more complex wiring systems
• Industrial – typically set in factories and plants that use more heavy-duty equipment (e.g. devices that use three-phase power set-ups)