Maintaining the electrical security of your office should be of utmost priority. Before you carry out an inspection, read this list to know if your office space needs electrical work.
Any recurring issues with electricity in your building should be addressed promptly. Not repairing faulty electrical wires will lead to more expensive repairs down the line, inefficient power, and may even lead the situation to get life-threatening. Most commercial fires are actually caused due to the complications that arise from malfunctioning appliances.
You need to be cautious of a few warning signs that indicate that your office space electrical work needs attention. Below we have discussed a few key signs that your office space needs electrical work.
The Smell Of Something Burning
If you notice a burning smell when you turn an appliance on, you should immediately switch it off and, if possible, trip the circuit breaker. This way, you will be able to safely get the device unplugged from the outlet. Once the burning smell has dissipated, you need to call an electrician to check the outlet out and have any faulty wiring fixed. Don’t linger around if the burning smell persists; leave the building immediately and call 911.
Office spaces usually have many appliances such as printers, photocopy machines, and coffee makers, not to mention all the workstations plugged in. So it might get tough to identify exactly where in the jungle of wires the burning smell is coming from. You can use vinyl tape to insulate the electrical wires so that the electrical current does not get passed to other wires, potentially causing a fire.
The Electrical Outlets Are Warm
If someone in your staff reports that any electrical outlet in the office is warm or hot to the touch, you need to call a commercial electrician instantly. There might be electrical issues in your office space if the outlets are warm to the touch if they are unused or if you have unplugged a device. Some warmth is normal and expected while the voltage input is converted to an output that is usable.
However, it should not take more than an hour for the outlet to return to room temperature after it has been unplugged. If it continues to be warm, it may be an indication of your wirings being mismatched. Do not keep using a switch if it feels hot to your touch. Although it is not always possible in an office, it is generally recommended to limit the number of devices plugged into the same circuit. Try getting the help of professional electricians to identify the same-circuit wires so that you can avoid overheating your outlets.
Flickering Lights
Flickering lights can be annoying in an official setting, but they do indicate a far more serious problem. Flickering lights usually indicate that a connection has come loose in your system. Many people will shrug this off as just another office quirk, but if not fixed, it can lead to a larger problem such as:
- Problems with vision
- Staff productivity getting reduced
- Frequent headaches
- Higher electricity bills
Your priority should be to make your staff more comfortable and reduce electricity costs. Get a licensed electrician to take a look at the issue and come up with effective and simple solutions that you can implement easily. This is required more if the flickering of the lights occurs in multiple rooms or across more than one circuit. In this case, get your power source or cable connection checked out immediately.
The Outlets Have Sparks
Many of us notice sparks when we plug or unplug a device in the office, but we often don’t pay attention to it. We need to pay instant attention if it happens on a regular basis as it could be a sign of a bigger electrical issue. Sometimes the spark may occur in the outlets when there is a rapid drawdown in the supply of power. Call your electrician to take a look at it if it happens regularly to prevent catastrophes such as electrical fires. Frequent sparking can also be a sign of:
- Loose connections
- Excessive build-up of heat
- Water leakage in the wiring
- Short circuits
Issues With The Circuit Breaker
It’s common for circuit breakers to trip from time to time. This is mainly caused by more buildings using a lot more electricity than before, making the circuits overloaded. But if you see that the circuit breaker in your office is constantly tripping, have an experienced electrician take a look at it.
If the electrician finds that your electrical system is overstressed or there is faulty wiring causing the constant breaks in the circuit, they will be able to come up with effective solutions to minimize the disruption to your regular workflow. They will take effective measures to ensure the issue does not escalate any further. After all, you don’t want to add to your already increasing list of business challenges.
Electrical Outage
Is your office frequently losing power? This is a clear sign that the office space needs electrical work to get the issue resolved. You cannot leave the office without power for long as it will disrupt your workflow and cause a significant safety hazard, not to mention the damage to your electrical equipment. Don’t ignore it, even if the outage occurs once every few months. Get a licensed electrician to check it out and discuss possible solutions, including modernizing your current system.
They will be able to identify the issue if it is too many devices or appliances plugged into the same outlet or too many circuits. They can devise a solution to upgrade the system as required or upgrade the fuse if it constantly keeps tripping.
Final Words
Any office space should be a safe place for its employees. If you are not getting the desired results from your power system or if it is outdated, you need to address the issue. So if you notice any of these key signs that your office space needs electrical work, don’t waste time. Call a certified electrician to take a look at it. Fix it sooner rather than later to avoid a more costly situation down the line that might affect your brand and other business investments.
