Dirty, stuffy break rooms. Aged, buzzing office lights. Slowly renovating electrical panels. If these issues are plaguing your business, it’s time to let the commercial electricians handle it.
The commercial electrical systems that keep your facility functioning can’t run themselves. This means that proactive building maintenance is the only way to prevent expensive power loss, equipment failure, or disappointed tenants.
Common Causes of Commercial Electrical Power Loss
- Too many electricity-hungry appliances share a single circuit — often solved with dedicated circuit installation.
- Broken or rodent-chewed wires.
- Occasionally, a loose connection caused by machine vibration.
- Weather-related outage from the power company.
- Old panels can wear out over time and may need an electrical panel upgrade.
How Do You Know if Your Commercial Facility Has an Electrical Problem?
- Buzzing noises from the walls
- Intermittent or flickering lighting (a sign it may be time for a commercial lighting upgrade)
- Sudden power loss in equipment
- Partial power loss in only part of the building
- Burning smells near outlets or breaker boxes
These are all signs that something isn’t right with your facility’s wiring. And if you ignore them, they’ll lead to a loss of power somewhere down the line.
Troubleshoot Power Loss in Commercial Buildings
- Find the affected area. Look at your breaker box and try to determine which areas, circuits, or pieces of equipment lost power. You may also want to see if neighboring suites or buildings are without power to rule out a larger grid outage.
- Visually inspect panel switches. Have a qualified employee inspect your distribution panels for tripped breakers. Do not touch the internal parts of the panel or exposed wires.
- Turn off connected equipment. Make sure that there aren’t any big machines plugged into the affected circuit. Large appliances can create a large influx of electricity when turned back on, causing more issues.
- Safety check. Ensure there are no immediate dangers present, such as smoke or discolored outlets. You also don’t want to touch the panel if it’s hot to the touch. If you notice any of these things, leave the area and contact a professional.
- Call for professional help. If your breaker trips as soon as you reset it, don’t try again. Calling a professional is your best bet when you can’t fix the problem without touching the internals of your breaker box. Arc flashes can occur when someone resets a breaker that is still connected to a live outlet.
Why Does a Commercial Circuit Breaker Keep Tripping?
Imagine a circuit breaker as a filter for electricity. Electricity flows through your wires until there’s too much. When this happens, the breaker will “trip,” stopping the electrical flow.
So, why does your circuit keep tripping? It’s tripping because there is too much power flowing through your circuit. This can be caused by an overloaded circuit, short circuit, ground fault, or even an internal appliance failure — issues our team addresses through troubleshooting and electrical repairs.
How Electricians Troubleshoot Commercial Power Loss
- Thermal imaging cameras: Electricians can use thermal imaging cameras to view the inside of your panel and major disconnects without opening them up. This is the first step in their troubleshooting process and can help rule out issues before they happen.
- Load analysis: Your electrician will measure how much electricity your system is pulling and compare that to the load your system was originally designed for.
- Voltage testing: Your technician will also perform voltage testing on each leg of a three-phase power feed to ensure electricity is flowing as it should be.
- Commercial Electrical Inspection: In addition to the steps above, your electrician will complete many other checks when performing commercial electrical services. These can include torque testing terminal screws, IR scanning of old wire jackets, and inspecting the internals of your transformers or panels.
How To Fix Power Loss in Commercial Facilities
- Install additional lines if your circuits are constantly overloaded — see dedicated circuit installation.
- Replace damaged wires with new cables of the same amperage rating.
- Tighten any loose connections.
- Your power company should be able to restore your power if the outage is on their end.
- Install a new panel or replace damaged breakers — learn more about panel upgrades & repairs.
Prevent Future Power Loss in Commercial Buildings
Unfortunately, power loss can’t always be prevented. But you can stop it from happening regularly by implementing a commercial electrical preventative maintenance program.
You should establish a Commercial Electrical Preventative Maintenance Program. Performing maintenance checks like thermal imaging, panel inspections, and load balancing will help you identify problems before they cause your breakers to trip.
Call On ADG | Your Commercial Power Experts
There are some things you can check before calling a professional. But if your breaker is tripping repeatedly, your panel feels warm to the touch, or you smell something burning, it’s time to reach out to ADG. Issues like dropped power phases, damaged equipment, and voltage fluctuations will require a licensed commercial electrician.
Don’t wait until your power goes out to figure out who to call. When you need electrical services in Central Texas, call on ADG! Our professional team of technicians can take care of any of your commercial electrical problems, large or small. We’re ready to get your business up and running again.
Need commercial electrical services but don’t know where to start? Visit our commercial electrical services page to learn more about what we can do for you.
ADG Electrical offers commercial electrical services throughout Liberty Hill, Bertram, and all of Central Texas. Schedule your appointment today by giving us a call at (512) 915-0502 or visiting us online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can losing one leg of power cause power loss? Yes! When you lose one leg of power, it’s called a “partial power loss.” This can happen when a single breaker trips in your sub-panel or a transformer goes down.
Why does my power keep going out in my commercial building? Your power could be going out because your circuits are overloaded. It may also be that you have a faulty breaker or an old electrical panel, or an issue with the power company — see our troubleshooting & repairs page for more.
What causes circuit breakers to trip in commercial buildings? Circuit breakers are safety devices designed to stop the flow of electricity when too much current passes through them. When there is an overload, heat builds up and trips the breaker.