The Electrical Blog

Common Electrical Challenges in Colorado Springs Apartment Complexes

Posted by James Rockhill on Wed, Jul 22, 2015

Common-Electrical-Challenges-in-Colorado-Springs-Apartment-ComplexesApartment complex owners face many more electrical challenges than other business owners, simply because the size of their business and the number of people interacting with them is larger. Even more complicated than a mall, the electrical system in an apartment complex affects people's lives as well as your business. In Colorado Springs, this means being aware of coming trends in electrical usage as well as keeping up on basic maintenance. 

PEVs

Plugin electric vehicles, or PEVs, are increasing in usage in all parts of the country. Apartment dwellers in Colorado Springs are looking for complexes with charging stations for easily topping off their vehicles while they sleep. In the near future you'll be making decisions on methods of payment for those who use the charging stations, safety features for those who want to charge vehicles through their own home outlets, increased insurance payments for installing charging stations, and other concerns you haven't even considered today. 

Power Overuse

Short of inspecting every unit in your buildings there is no way to ensure every tenant is complying with electrical usage rules. Tenants who set their air conditioning at extremely low temperatures, those who plug multiple items into one outlet using power strips, and those who add multiple chest freezers into their units all put undue strain on the power supply. Track electrical usage from each unit, and be prepared to intervene if one unit's usage goes off the charts. 

Children

Even the best-behaved child in the world starts to explore and breaks something once in a while. Children unscrew outlet plates, pour soda into air conditioning ducts, and break light bulbs with toys. Take the damage they will do into account when budgeting for repairs each month. 

Power Outages

Power outages in Colorado Springs aren't as common as in some parts of the country, but they do happen. Depending on the majority of tenants you have in an apartment complex, you may want to install backup generators as an alternate power supply. If the power goes out in the winter and your units use forced air furnaces, the heat won't get to your tenants. Small children and senior citizens are especially vulnerable during outages, and having an alternate power supply can be a bonus feature justifying higher rents. 

Electrical Maintenance

Live-in maintenance personnel aren't usually up-to-date on modern electrical systems and the need for elaborate monthly maintenance. A commercial electrical contractor will come out on a regular basis and inspect your system, update anything that's fraying or worn, change bulbs and small parts to prevent outages, and put off most small electrical problems before they start.

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Topics: commercial electrical challenges, Colorado Springs electrician