Maintenance isn’t an expense, it’s an investment: Reduce the risk of unplanned downtime - by Justin Rink

Interstate Electrical Services" width="200" height="275" /> Justin Rink, Interstate Electrical Services

Electrical power has become the life blood of our everyday needs. In business environments where today’s “always on” and “no downtime” service promise are making reliability and continuous availability more critical than ever before, dependable electricity is not an option – it is critical to business health.

Now, just consider what it means to lose electricity because of an equipment failure at your business, and not because of a power outage. This isn’t as rare as you might think. Almost a third of all businesses experience unexpected electrical failure each year, and two-thirds of downtime events are preventable, with insufficient maintenance being one of the main causes, according to Eaton Corporation. 

It’s a ticking time bomb when your electrical system receives less than the recommended annual service regimen. Equally important are the life safety systems that safeguard the most vital asset of any business – the employees. Fire alarms and emergency lighting are the foundation for any life safety system, and most local laws require that they be inspected and maintained. 

Without the recommended annual service, your systems are at real risk of failure. Connections loosen with time and use. Dirty or corroded parts can generate heat and serve as points of failure. The results can be catastrophic and might include injuries and fatalities; damage to a facility and its electrical system; business interruptions and downtime; and other financial ramifications, ranging from costly litigation, increased insurance premiums, and compliance penalties and fines.

Companies that are investing in preventive maintenance strategies are reducing their risk of unplanned downtime, and in turn are improving their profits. They are also ensuring the proper working order of fire alarms, emergency lighting and other safety systems. 

Does preventive maintenance pay? Without a doubt. In fact, the cost associated with taking a proactive posture is not really a cost at all when you consider the alternative costs associated with failing to detect an electrical fault which could result in a catastrophic failure. The real cost comes from inaction and a complacent outlook toward maintenance that sometimes may sound like, “I’ve been here for 20 years, and there has never been a failure in that time.”

Preventative maintenance programs are minimally disruptive to operations so that your employees are also able to meet the demands of increased production and profitability. This is where the expertise of the professionals at Interstate Electrical Services Corp. pays dividends – providing tangible value with services tailored for specific objectives and implemented without interruption to operations.

Preventive maintenance spans the entire range of systems. Examples include safety hazards, national electric code violations, ultrasonic exceptions (high frequency emissions related to arcing, tracking, corona, and mechanical vibrations), visual inspections, power quality considerations, and of course the science of infrared. Checking these systems is best served by the technicians trained and certified to perform these functions.

In Connecticut, Interstate Electrical Services’ team performs simple, effective inspections that will identify hot spots in electrical components – indicators of trouble in the making. These tests can be done without disruption of the electrical service to your building. The resulting images are analyzed by Interstate’s in-house professional engineering team. 

Perhaps the clock may be ticking and the time running out on the luck your business has been experiencing. Are you willing to take the chance that “luck” will remain on your side and that failure will not occur? Or are your organization’s pockets deep enough and your customer base strong enough to weather the catastrophe that may be just beyond your sight? Choose wisely, and invest in what matters most to you.

Contact the professionals at Interstate Electrical Services today.

 Justin Rink is project manager | estimator, CT service for Interstate Electrical Services, Windsor, Conn.