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Nothing lasts forever and this applies to everything including electrical systems, wiring, and appliances, all of which are prone to deterioration and damage over time.
All homes, businesses, and commercial establishments run on electrical systems, from lighting up the property to operating electrical machinery and equipment.
Regardless of how good the installations and wiring are, they are still prone to electrical failure, which is why it is very important to pay close attention to the health of the electrics on your property.
Defective wiring and electrical components are some of the biggest causes for electrical hazards such as shocks, burns, and electrical fires, and considering how complex today’s electrical equipment is, the only viable solution to ensure the health of your property’s electrics is through electrical preventive maintenance.
Read on to find out what is included in an electrical preventive checklist, why electrical maintenance is so important, and who can test the electrics on your residential, commercial, and industrial property:
Electrical preventive maintenance refers to the testing and maintenance procedures performed to minimise and prevent damage and deterioration to electrical wiring and installations.
It is carried out in residential areas (such as houses, apartments, and mobile homes), industrial and commercial establishments (such as shopping centres, hotels, and factories), and healthcare and special occupancies (such as hospitals, storage areas, assembly lines, and marinas).
While these procedures involve a wide array of maintenance tasks, a few basic ones include:
In addition to that, electrical preventive maintenance includes checking for all the major signs of electrical malfunction such as loose wiring, short circuits, sparks, visible burning, discolouration, and small explosions.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what electrical preventive maintenance is, let’s discuss what a full checklist looks like.
An electrical preventive maintenance checklist allows you to ensure that all the aspects of your electrical wiring and installations are taken care of.
It includes checking the primary electrical components such as the:
It also includes checking the lighting and light fixtures such as:
In addition to that, it checks special systems such as:
Residential properties, also known as dwellings, typically have a smaller electricity supply which means less wiring and fewer circuits, but that doesn’t mean that electrical maintenance is any less important for them as compared to larger properties.
Here are a few important steps that are included in an electrical preventive maintenance checklist for residential properties:
As compared to residential properties, most commercial and industrial facilities consume a significant amount of electricity on a daily basis.
In order to power electrical machinery that helps with their daily operations, to minimise downtime at the workplace, and to create a safe working environment for all those on the premises, such establishments can benefit from an electrical preventive maintenance checklist that includes all aspects of the electrical systems, some of which may sometime be overlooked.
Here are a few important steps that are included in an electrical preventive maintenance checklist for commercial and industrial properties:
Healthcare and special occupancy centres refer to places that house individuals for non-residential or commercial purposes, and depending on the type and scale of the facility, they can have varying levels of electrical preventive maintenance needs.
Due to the nature of these facilities, they can benefit from electrical preventive maintenance since they house patients and other high-risk equipment that require a safe and steady supply of electricity.
Here are a few important steps that are included in an electrical preventive maintenance checklist for all special occupancy facilities:
Electrical Installations need maintenance and servicing on a regular basis as recommended in the British standard wiring regulations, which can be done by undertaking visual inspections to full electrical testing.
Visual inspections look for any visual signs of damage and deterioration, at the end of which a Visual Inspection Report (VIR) is made.
They include looking for damages to any part of the plug, fuses, and wires connected incorrectly, exposed wiring, and discolouration of any sockets, and must be done every 6 to 12 months.
Detailed inspections, also called periodic testing and inspections, refer to the detailed routine check-up of the electrical systems in a property and are carried out by certified and professional electricians using high-quality equipment throughout the process to detect faults and minimise electricity-related hazards.
They are done to identify any damages, defects, or deterioration that may have been missed in the initial checks and are typically conducted every 3 to 5 years.
The purpose of a detailed inspection is to determine whether the current electrical installations are satisfactory for continued use or not, at the end of which an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) is made.
An EICR provides a detailed summary of the conditions of the electrical systems and whether they comply with the current British Standards BS 7671 for electrical safety.
In addition to recording several observations, an EICR also makes recommendations where improvements may be required for safety.
To test items that are not part of the fixed wiring and do not fall under the electrical testing of the premises, Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is carried out by a professional electrician at least once a year, depending on the age of the equipment and how often it is used.
It is a routine inspection that checks all the electrical appliances that have a cable and plug, can be disconnected from their power source and can be easily moved.
Some common portable appliances include desktops, laptops, printers, photocopiers, refrigerators, microwaves, toasters, portable heaters, table lamps, phone chargers, and extension cords.
When it comes to electrical preventive maintenance, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach since there are so many different types of properties with different kinds of operations.
Each process must be custom designed to fit the unique nature and characteristics of the facility. A few considerations that must be taken into account include:
That being said, it is recommended in the wiring regulations BS 7671 that a domestic property must be regularly inspected and tested after an electrical installation every 5 to 10 years, or if you are buying/selling the property.
For commercial properties and workplaces, it is a requirement under the Electricity of Work Act 1989 that as a business or commercial space, you must carry out an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) at regular intervals, which can range from 3 to 5 years.
For rented properties, a Landlords Safety Certificate must be issued every 5 years or whenever there is a change in occupancy.
Portable Appliance Testing is recommended to be carried out every 3 to 12 months, depending on the type of the appliance and how it has been used.
Electrical preventive maintenance is important for the following reasons:
According to BS 7671, electrical preventive maintenance must be carried out by a skilled person who possesses the right knowledge and experience to perceive the risks and avoid hazards.
The competent individual must have a formal qualification and must know how to operate electrical instruments to carry out the tests.
To ensure that all your electrical work meets the current regulations and you receive a certificate of compliance, you must choose a registered electrician to do it for you.
A competent electrician will not only carry out the work as per the UK regulations but will also hold liability for any damages or unexpected incidents happening during the inspection.
A trained and certified professional electrician will:
If you are looking for a registered electrician for the installation, maintenance, and inspection of your property’s electrical system, look no further.
We offer a wide range of services to meet the demands of our clients which include all aspects of domestic, commercial, and industrial electrical installations, maintenance, and servicing.
We have been undertaking electrical work since 1976 and are specialists in all aspects of electrical work. All our work is fully insured and we work to meet the standards set to us by the NICEIC.
We make sure all your electrical installations meet the current regulations and all the notifiable work is signed off by the local authorities.
Our team can generate a Visual Inspection Report (VIR) to identify anything visual that does not comply with the standards or looks unsafe, as well as a full Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) according to the current standards and regulations set by the BS 7671.
We can also provide PAT testing of appliances to make sure that any items such as kettles, computers, and microwaves are safe for use in the home and workplace.
Our services include:
Contact us here or call us on 0800 612 3001 for more details on our electrical preventive maintenance services right away!
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