Electrical systems? Who takes care of that? Property managers – did you know?
Your building owns its hydro vault. As the Building Owner, you are responsible for the inspection and maintenance of your hydro vault. If you do not fulfill this responsibility, you will have breached your Customer Service Agreement with your hydro provider. In the event of any power failures associated with the vault, your building could be liable for associated damages and losses.
Only licensed contractors and knowledgeable professionals are able to perform work in hydro vaults. Make sure your vault is reviewed annually, as part of your building’s fire safety inspection. Your hydro provider gives you one cost-free access to the vault each year, which should be coordinated with the fire safety and vault condition assessment. This is especially critical for older buildings with older, underground electrical vaults.
Although most building electrical systems have life spans that often exceed the times that most people reside in or manage a building, system or component failures can have significant cost and other impacts on the building. To reduce this risk it is important that major electrical equipment be properly maintained. Transformers switchgear and associated electrical system components should be cleaned on a regular basis. Cleaning may be required more often when equipment is located in a parking garage for example.
Proper maintenance, including maintaining a proper temperature in electrical rooms, is essential to the optimal performance of your buildings electrical systems. Regular maintenance, including cleaning, reduces the risk of catastrophic loss and associated insurance claims. Electrical systems review and maintenance is an essential part of the buildings maintenance plans. As such, these activities should be captured within its operational and/or Reserve Fund Plans.