Richtek Blog

Just as your home needs an electrician every now and again, your workplace does too. Commercial buildings in Perth often require even more electrical care than any home since they use more electricity. This need for extra care is why it pays to have a commercial electrician with expertise. Having a contractor on hand is essential to making sure your business is up-to-date. They check outlets, make upgrades to the wiring, and make your workspace more efficient. They can really help when you’re looking to remodel your workplace.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your renovation is going to be; it can involve some huge changes. If your plan is to just move around some pieces of furniture, then you still need to move around some outlets so that you don’t have to stretch extension cords. You may just take this remodelling opportunity to address minor electrical problems that you’ve noticed in the past.

Your electrician can assist your business with the rewiring of outlets and other fixtures as well as upgrading appliances and ensuring your electrical setup is safe. These electrical services make your company’s building more energy efficient, which will save you money in the long run. Getting electrical upgrades will reduce your business’s risks of electrical fires and short circuits, so you, your employees, and your clients are safer.

Specific Services Offered by Professional Commercial Electricians

If you’re not planning on remodelling anytime soon, it’s still smart to contact your commercial electrician regularly. When you call your electrician preemptively, you can avoid the downtime that comes with waiting for an electrician to fix the problem when things go wrong. You can rest easy knowing that your electrician can fix these four issues.

Old Wiring in Your Company’s Building

You’ve been in your industry for a long time now, or you’re a start-up business that just moved into an older building. Either way, the wiring behind your old walls are out-of-date and should be updated.

Another reason your old wiring may need updating is a larger load. As your company grows, the load that your wiring takes on increases. This extra load means that the old wiring in your walls may not be able to handle what you have to offer.

Older systems aren’t designed to handle the high-tech appliances of today’s businesses, and they can cause you a number of issues. Calling your electrician guarantees that you won’t have to worry about old wiring. They will come and evaluate your system before providing the necessary upgrades.

Circuit Breakers That Trip Frequently

Power surges happen from time to time even in large commercial buildings, but it shouldn’t happen a lot. You may be tempted to fix your circuit breaker by yourself. You might have done it at home before and feel that your business’s circuit breaker is not much different. However, it’s not like your circuit breaker at home. Don’t try to fix it yourself.

If you notice that your circuit breaker is beginning to trip more often you think it should, or more than it usually does, then you need to call a professional electrician to deal with the problem. They’ll be able to identify the problem and fix it in no time.

Sparks

It will never be a good sign when you see sparks flying from an electrical outlet when you plug in a cord. When sparks fly, it’s a major warning sign that there is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed immediately. If you let sparks emit and do nothing, then you risk the chance of sockets and cords melting, and it can result in a fire.

Rodents in Your Building’s Walls

An electrician won’t be able to remove the rats for you, but they will let you know if they’ve caused damaged and how much they have caused. Rodents are dangerous to your electric system because they love to chew on wires. This chewing can go beyond just seriously damaging your system and result in a fire.

The Bottom Line

If you want to have your business operate in the safest and most efficient manner possible, you want to take the precautions that are necessary. Contact your electrician before any problems arise. For those looking for a commercial electrician in Perth, check us out at Richtek Electrical and Air Solutions. Our team at Richtek has experience working with a variety of industries throughout Perth and are highly trained. If your business needs electrical upgrades, call us today.

by Michael Gray

Just because something isn’t immediately and visibly wrong doesn’t mean that your electrical system is well off. The electrical system of your house is part of its inner workings, and requires a trained professional to properly care for it. Just as new and improved electrical codes are being added every day, the demand for power consumption grows too, and that might mean older homes can be hard pressed to keep up with the times. Although older homes have a rustic charm that just isn’t replicated in today’s newer builds, it’s best to keep the home and its inhabitants safe. New or old, here are five signs that you ought to call an electrician.

1. You are often left in the dark, literally, or deal with flickering lights.

Inconsistent lighting is a big problem, more than just the inconvenience it might seem to be. When you use an appliance, a hairdryer for example, does it cause the vanity lamp to pause? If the air conditioning switches on or other appliances power up, like the fridge, do the ceiling lights dim? Many of these motor driven appliances require a substantial amount of current, and ought to be wired on dedicated circuits. The above issues can occur when they aren’t. If even small appliances are causing interruptions, a simple solution could be to just add a 20-amp line to service them. However, it’s best to get a professional’s opinion.

2. There’s a configuration resembling an octopus at many outlets.

If strip plugs and other additions are strangling your outlets, not only is it creating an unwieldy sight of cords, but your electrical system is working beyond capacity. This mostly has to do with how the need for power keeps increasing. Back when many older homes were built, current was not a popular thing. Today’s electronics and appliances make everything quite convenient but mean that additional circuits fitted with the proper receptacles are needed to deliver power safely and restore order to the home.

3. Three into two won’t go.

Three prong outlets are usually only used in things that require a serious grounding connection, but even something as simple as your vacuum may fall into this category. Many older homes are fitted with outlets that can only accept two-pronged plugs rather than three-prong grounded plugs. This is a bigger issue that being unable to hook up a toaster or microwave. It could be an indicator that your electrical wiring system is not fully grounded, meaning that you aren’t completely safe. Electricity and current are nothing to mess around with. It only takes one accidental brush to know that for fact.

4. Rug bumps mess up the carpet.

Often, cords can be routed along the wall or under rugs and furniture. The availability and layout of the outlets will often determine how functional the room can be, and how it will be set up. If you insist on a layout that doesn’t mesh with the layout of your outlets, it could cause your living room to look like a mess of tangled wires running under everything. This is more dangerous than just a trip hazard. More outlets are required, and this can be backed by if some of those wires are extension cords due to outlets being too far apart. Extension cords ought to be saved for outside lights and power tools, not used indoors to make the TV work.

5.You can feel the warmth or tingles from electrical currents.

Do outlets, switches or other electrical- system surfaces feel warm to the touch? Do you get a mild shock when touching a switch or outlet? Are there black marks on the switch plate, switch terminals, wire ends, or possibly even on the wall?  With the increasing demands for power supply, these are more visible signs that you need to call an electrician. Signs like these indicate that the circuit might be bearing too much demand, or they could be indicative of a far more complex and hazardous issue. If your home was built any time between 1965 to 1975, it may even have aluminium wiring. This is no longer a safe option, and if you have it in your house, be sure to have it checked regularly.

Whether your home is newly built or a historic must see, the electrical and wiring system is something important to maintain. Especially for an older house, there is the risk that the wiring does not comply with modern safety standards. For your own peace of mind, have a properly licensed electrician inspect it to make sure that your home is up to current code safety standards. And if it’s not, then call an electrician to help you get wiring that is.

by Michael Gray

When choosing a tradesman for any kind of work, it’s important to check off a few things so that you can rest assured you’re hiring an individual that is reliable, provides quality work, and is trustworthy. Electrical work is defined as the manufacturing, constructing, testing, installing, repairing, or removal of electrical equipment. That’s a category that encompasses quite a lot of work! A reputable electrician in Perth can help with domestic, commercial, industrial, or emergency situations. This can cover nearly any electrical problem, from the installation of complex measuring and flow meter equipment used in the mining industry, an electrical set up suitable for food service, or an older powerpoint replaced on a house. A solution to an electrical problem can be determined by them.

While having a reputable company on hand is wonderful, just saying so isn’t really good enough. What makes for an excellent Perth electrician?

1. License and Insurance. These are probably the two most important factors. A license is a guarantee that the contractor has completed all the necessary courses and practical work to perform work onsite correctly and safely. When hiring an electrician, always ask for their license first, and make sure that it is current. A quick online check to make sure that it is credible doesn’t hurt, either.

Keep in mind that some licenses are specific even within the field of electricians and may not cover the kind of work needed. In addition to a license, the contractor needs to carry all the necessary insurances. In addition to protecting him, this protects you from the liability of something going wrong during your job. Electrical work is dangerous, and just like the license, insurance that covers the specific work needed is imperative. Asking to view copies of current policies to make sure that they haven’t expired is an excellent way to vet your contractor.

2. Value for money. As with any product, utilize the phonebook or online listings for companies. Price comparisons are an excellent way to compare service and the quality of the service. While you don’t want to go for the cheapest you can find, a quick search may yield comparable or equal services for lower prices.

Generally, it’s a good idea to obtain at least three quotes. You need to communicate exactly what kind of work is needed, and each of your quotes should be broken down by materials and labour for a clear idea of what you’re paying for. Keep in mind that choosing an electrician based on price alone is unwise, as there are other factors to consider, but this factor should be near the top of the list.

3. Qualifications and experience. Every electrician will differ in the level of service they can provide. Many will have additional qualifications or experience in other types of specialized electrical work. Some of these may have accreditations. As an example, when you work with a master electrician, it guarantees they have a minimum of three years experience and will offer a twelve-month warranty on their work. It also ensures the highest standards of electrical safety and workmanship, and they are likely to be the most knowledgeable in energy-saving technology or products. That last part is definitely of interest with the ever-increasing demand and costs of energy.

4. Recommendations. If you haven’t experienced the work of the particular contractor you’re looking into yet, recommendations are an excellent starting point. Word of mouth is how most businesses will generate new customers, so it is in their best interest to make sure that every customer is as satisfied as possible with their work. Getting a recommendation from someone you trust can be invaluable, and if that isn’t an option, ask the contractor about previous clients and follow up with them.

5. Attitude and communication. These are key traits of any businessman. A poor attitude or sloppy work will guarantee a non-repeat customer. When you’ve decided on an electrician, take note of their timeliness and communication. Good communication skills can persevere through almost anything. Making sure that you both understand the work that needs to be done and its costs are vital to a good experience.

These are just a few of the qualities you should look for in when searching for an electrician in Perth. Checking off the above qualities will help make for an efficient and happy experience whether it is for routine maintenance or a system overall, at home or business.

by Michael Gray