Keeping electricity flowing to commercial buildings is a job of vital importance. Since the functions served by these buildings can’t be easily replaced, it’s crucial that any electrical repairs that need to be made can be done quickly. If you are one of the contractors responsible for making these electrical repairs, it is crucial that you are prepared so that you can assist these facilities in their time of need. To ensure you have the correct parts with you at all times, here are four important part replacements to have on hand as an industrial electrical engineer.
Electrical Cable
When you’re on a job site, you never know what a repair will entail. In some cases, you may have to re-route a wire, which may require more wire than is already installed. To ensure you can complete the circuit, it’s important to have extra electrical cable with you whenever you head to a job site. Stocking cable in various gauges will ensure you can service jobs at facilities of all sizes without having to delay the project to head to the hardware store.
Circuit Breakers
Though industrial circuit breakers can stand up to a lot of abuse, they do have their limits. Since these circuits are often overloaded by unsuspecting facility employees, it’s important to pack spares with you wherever you go. This will prevent extended downtime on a job site and help ensure that you can accurately isolate any other problems that might be plaguing the facility.
Wire Nuts
In order to meet the demands of a facility, you may be asked to complete some fairly unique wiring designs. When two different wires need to be connected, it is vital that you have plenty of wire nuts on hand so that you can send the electricity where it needs to be. Since wire nuts are small, it is a good idea to pack more than you think you will need, as they can be easy to lose as you’re working, especially if you’re working on a lift or in other elevated locations.
Fluorescent Ballasts
Given the ubiquitous nature of fluorescent lighting in many industrial facilities, you are likely to run into problems with ballasts on a fairly regular basis. It’s a good idea, then, to keep plenty of various types of ballasts in your work truck wherever you go. Ballasts are an easy fix that can make a big difference in the indoor environment of a facility, if they are, indeed, what is causing the problem. Just be sure to test the light bulbs in a problem fixture before you go to the trouble of replacing the ballast.
Working efficiently as an industrial electrical contractor requires you to have many parts and tools with you at all times. To ensure you can fit everything in your work truck or van, it is vital that you stay organized. This will allow you to carry more with you and ensures that you can find what you need when you need it.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
