Overview of Commercial Electricians

As the world has grown and progressed, especially in a technological and electrical sense, jobs and fields of work have similarly expanded and become more specialized. The field of electrical technicians is one example of such specialization. Today, someone training to become an electrician has many options to choose from: residential, commercial, and industrial, to name a few. While the core skills required for each are very similar, their subtle distinctions make all the difference. A technician, for example, can be extremely experienced and be a licensed residential electrician, but he or she is still not qualified to take on the same tasks as a commercial or industrial electrician.

The following is an overview of the responsibilities and work of commercial electricians specifically.

One of the most obvious distinctions to be made about the different types of electricians is where they work and what kind of buildings they work in. Commercial electricians, in particular, have a much broader range. They, as the name conveniently implies, operate in commercial facilities — schools, airports, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, hospitals, and even more. The electrical systems found in these larger scale buildings are a bit more complex than those found in, say, a house or condo; therefore, to be worked on, a technician must have gone through years of very specific training and specialized programs.

In these buildings, a commercial electrician is able to upgrade, replace, and maintain the air conditioning, lighting, heating, ventilation, and power units. He or she can also install security systems, video surveillance systems, and fire alarms.

Some common and more specific services provided by commercial electricians include:

  • General Electrical Repairs — These are smaller projects, such as repairing a broken doorbell or replacing a smoke detector. These tasks seem simple, but they can be just as dangerous as any other if you don’t know what you’re doing.
  • General Wiring Repairs — Wires can be especially tricky to deal with. General wiring services include repairs to underground wiring, actually laying the wires underground, cleaning corroded wires, cable waterproofing, and more.
  • Panel Repairs/Upgrades and Installation — Thinking of making the switch to solar powered energy? Or, if you already have, are your solar panels in need of repairs or upgrades? A commercial electrician can handle it!
  • Outlet Repairs — This includes their replacement, loosening, tightening, installation, etc.
  • Fan Installation — A commercial electrician can install ceiling fans wherever you’d like, as well as install or move fixtures.
  • Lighting Repairs — Lighting services include: moving light switches and light fixtures; loosening or tightening light switches; repairing or installing electric storefront signs; fixing fluorescent lights, interior and/or exterior lights, LED lights, etc.; and more!
  • Generator Repairs and Installation
  • Troubleshooting — Have a technician come to your property to troubleshoot if you are experiencing any of the following situations: flickering lights, constantly tripping circuit breakers, regularly shorting fuses, malfunctioning appliances, defective outlets, etc.
  • Inspections — This is a bit different from troubleshooting. Troubleshooting will involve repairs once the problem is found. However, calling an electrician to perform an inspection does not necessarily mean there is a problem to be resolved. An inspection will only confirm whether or not your property is free of any electrical hazards/dangers.

 An electrician is trained to accomplish an extremely wide variety of tasks. If a service needed is not listed above, it is more than likely still available — just call and ask about it!