Common Commercial Electrical Code Violations
Do you Need an Electrician?
Just like homeowners, Wisconsin commercial property owners must maintain safe electrical systems in their buildings. Electrical code violations can wreak havoc on your facility's wiring, equipment and machinery, so it’s important to hire an electrician asap. Trawicki Electric employs skilled commercial electricians who can make commercial code corrections quickly and painlessly.
Insufficient Electrical Bonding
Many people forget that bonding is a pretty common electrical wiring code violation. Whenever you have conductive metal that could get energized, you need to make sure it’s properly bonded. Through bonding, you reduce the risk of a person being a pathway for a current to flow through to the conductive metal. This is very unsafe for your workers as it could cause electric shocks if touched.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: HIGH
- Repair Cost: LOW
- Electrician needed?: YES
Faulty Wiring
Faulty wiring is one of the most common electrical code violations. Your commercial property may have unprotected, uninsulated wires, improper wiring lengths or tight wires. Faulty wiring can start a fire, but you can detect possible issues by a burning smell, frequent light flickering, blown fuses, or charred switches. You’ll need an electrician to help rewire the entire electrical system of your building. Contact Trawicki Electric for assistance.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: HIGH
- Repair Cost: HIGH
- Electrician needed?: YES
New Light Fixtures Paired with Old Wiring
Many commercial property owners are installing new energy-saving light fixtures into their buildings. This transition is great for sustainability, but if you’re pairing old wiring with new fixtures, it could cause electrical hazards. The temperatures of the fixture will be much higher than the old wiring can handle. If your facility was built over 25 to 30 years ago, it might be smart to have an electrician rewire the structure to avoid fire hazards.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: HIGH
- Cost: HIGH
- Electrician needed?: YES
Grounding Problems
Grounding your electrical wires involves transferring excessive energy in the building into the ground. This is necessary for facilities that use equipment that generates a lot of energy. Grounding will prevent potential appliance damage, fires and electrocution. Ground loops are also common in commercial buildings. An electrician will ensure there is only one ground used as a grounding system on your property. Grounding problems may also be more common in older buildings. You’ll want to call an electrician to inspect your building’s wiring structure if you suspect it isn’t grounded.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: HIGH
- Cost: MEDIUM
- Electrician needed?: YES
Improper Splicing
A splice is a connection between two or more wires in a junction box. Splices can occur outside junction boxes but only for temporary lighting and troubleshooting. If you have exposed or improper splices in your facility, you need to have them fixed to prevent fire or electrical hazards. This is one of the easiest fixes for an electrical code violation.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: MEDIUM
- Cost: LOW
- Electrician Needed?: NO
Overcrowding
When wires are overcrowded in the same opening, they rub each other and become prone to insulation damage and burning. When the wires are exposed, they can become a major fire or electrocution hazard. An experienced electrician will know how many wires can fit into a typical ⅞-inch hole to give them enough room to shift and not rub together. As a Menomonee Falls business owner, you are responsible for the safety of your employees. Having a well-maintained electrical system will put your employees at ease and save your money on repair and penalties.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard Level: HIGH
- Cost:
- Electrician needed?: YES
Cluttered Electrical Panels
Organized electrical panels help you identify which fuse is which. If your electrical panel is disorganized with unlabeled and cluttered fuses, it can cause an electrical emergency in your facility. You’ll have more difficulty cutting off the electrical supply to the right place in your building when needed, especially in a fire emergency. The best way to correct this problem is by labeling the wires and fuses properly and ensuring nothing will be left cluttered.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: MEDIUM
- Cost: LOW
- Electrician needed?: NO
Incorrect Circuit Breakers
Circuit breakers trip or turn off to stop the flow of electricity in specific parts of your commercial building if the electrical current exceeds its preset limits. When tripped, the circuit breaker will have to be manually reset to return the current back to its normal level. If you don’t install the right circuit breaker, excessive levels of electricity could cause a fire.
- Code Violation: YES
- Hazard: HIGH
- Cost: MEDIUM
- Electrician needed?: YES
Electrical Contractors for Commercial Code Violations
Trawicki Electric is the best electrician in Menomonee Falls, servicing all the surrounding Southeast Wisconsin communities with commercial electrical code compliance service. We will address and fix any electrical code violations in your commercial or industrial property. If you’re unsure if you’re violating any codes or have upcoming electrical testing, our electricians can provide an inspection to ensure everything is up to code or recommend solutions.
