Most businesses put off electrical upgrades for one reason: they can’t afford to switch everything off. The good news is that with the right planning, most upgrades can be done while the building stays open. Here’s how we approach it.
Start with a survey
Before anything is priced, the contractor needs to understand what’s there: the incoming supply, the main switchboard, the distribution boards, what each one feeds and what absolutely cannot lose power. An up-to-date EICR helps a lot here. If the drawings and charts are missing or out of date, putting that right is usually the first job.
Find out what can’t go off
Every building has things that need to stay on: servers and comms rooms, tills and card machines, fridges and freezers, fire alarms, lifts, security systems and production equipment. List them early. Once we know what’s critical, we can plan around it, whether that’s keeping those circuits live, moving them to a temporary supply, or scheduling their changeover for a quiet time.
Break the work into phases
Instead of one big shutdown, the work is split into small sections, often one distribution board or one floor at a time. Each phase has its own short, planned isolation, and the rest of the building carries on as normal. It takes a little longer overall, but nobody loses a full day’s trading.
Use out-of-hours shutdowns for the big moments
Some jobs, like changing a main switch or connecting a new board to the incoming supply, do need the whole building off. These are planned for early mornings, evenings or weekends, kept as short as possible, and everything is prepared in advance so the actual shutdown is just the changeover.
Temporary supplies where needed
Where a critical load can’t be moved or switched off at all, temporary supplies or generator hire can keep it running while the permanent work is done. It’s an extra cost, so it’s worth weighing up against the cost of the downtime it avoids.
Tell people what’s happening
Most of the frustration with electrical work comes from surprises. A simple programme showing what happens when, shared with staff and tenants, and a reminder the day before each shutdown, makes a huge difference.
Finish with the right paperwork
When the work is complete, you should get an Electrical Installation Certificate for the new work, updated circuit charts and labelling on every board. That keeps your records straight and makes your next EICR quicker.
Planning an upgrade?
We plan and carry out commercial electrical installations in offices, warehouses, schools, retail units and data centres, working around the people who use the building. Tell us about your project or call 01525 582582.
