Have you recently checked the condition of your commercial wiring and electrical system? If your building has been around for a long time, now is an excellent time to review and do the commercial wiring upgrade.

Be sure that various elements of your electrical system, such as electrical cables and explosion-proof enclosures, will wear out over time and will not always remain healthy. If your commercial building is outdated or your current commercial wiring cannot provide the power you need, it is time to upgrade your electrical system.

The most important thing to remember is to get the help of skilled and experienced people to upgrade and retrofit your commercial wiring. KCS Group technicians have the knowledge and skills to provide fresh and safe wiring.

How to upgrade your commercial wiring?

The first step is to upgrade your panel by bringing more power from the utility into your building. You can replace the existing meter and circuit breakers to allow it to handle more electricity. You can replace old, damaged, or dangerous electrical panels or circuit breakers. These upgrades give your electrical system more power to distribute without affecting the wiring inside the building.

In the second step, you can create additional circuits to distribute electricity to your rooms and appliances.

Commercial wiring upgrades may include adding new electrical outlets and replacing the old cable wires and outlets.

What are the dangers of an inefficient electrical system?

The failure of old or faulty wiring can cause significant problems and be dangerous for several reasons. Some of the reasons are

• An outdated electrical system creates a fire hazard and risks your commercial building.

One of the biggest causes of building fires is bad commercial wiring. When the wiring is exposed to heat and damage or sparks occur, the surrounding material ignites, eventually leading to a large fire.

• The risk of the electric shock increases.

The electrical current must be appropriately transmitted if the commercial wiring is old and shows signs of fraying. The insulation may be punctured. In either case, there is a severe risk of electric shock.

• The lifespan of your electrical appliances will decrease significantly

Faulty commercial wiring can’t carry electricity as safely as it used to, and your device could be short-circuited. In addition, faulty wiring and electrical systems may not have the capacity to support modern appliances, causing rapid wear and tear of high-use electrical appliances.

• The overall energy efficiency of your commercial building is drastically reduced.

With faulty commercial wiring, your electrical appliances will break down, and your electricity bills will skyrocket.

Signs that you need a commercial wiring upgrade and retrofit

If you notice any of the following symptoms, it’s time to update your commercial wiring and electric panel:

• Circuit breakers trip frequently
• Fuses blow repeatedly
• Continuous flickering or dimming of lights
• You feel a tingling sensation when you touch any electrical device
• Hot, discoloured or sparking outputs
• Persistent burning smell from a room or device
• Ungrounded two-prong outlets throughout the building
• No Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets in rooms and areas exposed to moisture

What are the challenges of upgrading and retrofitting commercial wiring, and how can you overcome them?

Installation of the electrical system and commercial wiring brings many challenges. Among them, updating projects is the most challenging. You should incorporate part of the existing security infrastructure, including video surveillance, access control, intercom, etc., into the new plan.

Until a few years ago, most of these projects involved integrating legacy proprietary technology, which made the process more challenging, often forcing customers to replace their existing infrastructure completely.

As organizations realize the benefits of building their security infrastructure on open systems, some challenges are diminishing. By deploying open architecture systems, integrators can maximize infrastructure utilization and make upgrades seamless.

There are three significant challenges in commercial wiring upgrade and retrofit.

1. Fear of an expensive project and a long payback period

As a commercial building owner, when you first consider retrofitting commercial wiring, you may fear that it will be expensive and that the project will take a long time. So you often need to update tasks. These concerns are typical, but you can overcome these fears by having strong leadership and alignment on why the update is necessary and how the project will be completed.

Focus on short-term, low-cost solutions that won’t disrupt the status quo or budget. However, it would help if you were careful about costly replacements or missed opportunities to improve performance.

2. Lack of knowledge of key performance indicators

Many decision makers to retrofit may need to clearly understand the need for upgrades to reduce costs or possible risks. Business owners may need to learn about the efficiency of electrical equipment and how it affects how they use commercial buildings. You should know that the wear and tear of the electrical system are detrimental to you in many ways, and it costs you more than upgrading the commercial wiring.

3. Lack of supportive incentive structure between tenants and owners

Commercial leases can incentivize commercial wiring upgrading if they focus solely on energy savings. When the tenant pays directly for their energy use, landlords have little incentive to invest in energy efficiency. This scenario creates a more extended payback period for the landlord.

Choose professionals to upgrade the electrical distribution system

One of the main benefits of a commercial wiring upgrade is that your building is protected against fire hazards caused mainly by overloading circuits. In addition, all your modern appliances will be safe and immune from inefficient power distribution and other problems caused by old electrical systems. 

You can even increase the value of your building by updating the electrical system. Therefore, do not delay or ignore the electrical system upgrade, even if it is expensive.

When working with electricity, it’s never a good idea to do it yourself. You’d be sorely mistaken if you think you’re familiar with power tools and can upgrade independently. Always call professionals and let them deal with the problem professionally. Please don’t put your life at risk by trying to do it alone; you never know what danger is in store for you.

Read more: 5 Common Mistakes In Hiring An Electrician That You Should Know.

You should contact the experienced and skilled technicians of KCS Group for your commercial wiring upgrade with less time and cost.