Commercial Electricians Can Help Install Dedicated Circuits

When a company experiences frequent power surges, it can be frustrating for employees because equipment shuts down, costing time, and possibly losing data. Plus, these power surges can create a fire hazard. So what causes the problem, and how is it best resolved? Many times a commercial electrician can stop the power surges by installing dedicated circuits to provide power to those areas that are sensitive, or require a heavy load.

What is a Dedicated Circuit?

Dedicated circuits are electrical circuits that are dedicated to one specific purpose, or appliance, or machine. Each one has its own circuit breaker and originates as close to the power source as possible. Most are accessed through a specific receptacle. Some appliances, such as an electrical water heater, may be wired directly into the circuit. In most cases, these circuits are dedicated to serving either sensitive equipment, or equipment, which requires a heavier load than others do.

Why Do You Need a Dedicated Circuit?

Most commercial buildings will need dedicated circuits. Failure to have a commercial electrician install these can result in overloaded circuits. When too many large or even high demand small appliances are plugged into an outlet, overloading can happen. Such overloads can create a serious fire hazard. Some equipment and machines such as computers are sensitive to power surges that result from overloading circuits. In addition, the National Electric Code requires dedicated circuits for specific machines and appliances.

Security. A Matter of Safety

Common sense dictates having a commercial electrician install dedicated circuits to serve specialized equipment such as security systems. This would include cameras, motion detectors, and other devices aimed at monitoring the premises. This is just not a system a company can afford to have fail if an employee accidently plugs a coffee pot into the wrong receptacle! Depending on the type of business and the security threat, the results could be costly.

Computer Needs

Another specialized area a commercial electrician must protect is the computer systems within the building. For many companies, these systems are their backbone, and downtime here can be costly in terms of loss of data and productive time for employees. In addition, much of this equipment such as hard drives, monitors, scanners, copiers, and printers are very sensitive. It only takes one power surge to fry an expensive motherboard.

Other Areas that Need Dedicated Circuits

Depending on the type of business, there may be other areas that require dedicated circuits as well. For example, major systems such as heating and cooling require dedicated circuits because of their heavy electrical load. Many companies have kitchenettes that contain such appliances as refrigerators or appliances. Gyms, which run treadmills and other machines, need dedicated circuits. Of course, factories with their heavy machinery will have special needs.

It is best to have a full evaluation of the electrical needs of the company. A commercial electrician will inspect the electrical circuits in place, and then evaluate the needs of the company including security, computer, and other specialized needs. Once completed, they can install dedicated circuits to service those specific purposes. After that, everything should run much smoother, and the fire hazards will be minimized.