Lighting Measurements – An In-depth Guide Part 1
When retrofitting your LEDs, lightbulbs have various illuminance. Theres different ways to measure the lighting of…
This blog was originally published September 10, 2024 and has been updated September 29, 2026.
Electrical preventive maintenance (EPM) is the scheduled inspection, testing, cleaning, monitoring, and servicing of electrical equipment. Its purpose is to find developing problems, correct them, and reduce the likelihood of equipment failure, safety hazards, and unplanned downtime.
For a commercial property, an EPM program turns maintenance into a documented cycle: identify critical equipment, assess its condition, perform appropriate work, record the results, and follow through on repairs.
Key Takeaways
A useful EPM program covers both routine work and a process for acting on what that work reveals.
What should commercial property teams know about electrical preventive maintenance?
- EPM helps identify deteriorating connections, insulation, breakers, and other components before they fail.
- A program combines scheduled inspections and testing with condition monitoring, cleaning, maintenance, and corrective action.
- Equipment and work frequency should reflect manufacturer instructions, operating conditions, and the consequences of failure.
- Infrared imaging can reveal abnormal heat, but findings still need evaluation and follow-up.
- Maintenance records help teams track changes in equipment condition and plan future work.
What Does EPM Stand for in Electrical Maintenance?
EPM stands for electrical preventive maintenance. An electrical preventive maintenance program is the plan that defines which assets need attention, what work will be performed, when it will happen, who is qualified to do it, and how findings will be resolved.
The scope can extend from a building’s incoming electrical service through switchgear, transformers, panels, breakers, wiring connections, motors, and backup power systems. It should also cover equipment that supports essential operations, such as HVAC, production processes, and life safety systems.
NFPA 70B, Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, is a recognized framework for developing an electrical maintenance program. A facility’s tasks and schedule must still reflect its equipment, conditions, and applicable requirements.
What Is Included in Electrical Preventive Maintenance?
EPM involves more than a visual inspection or a one-time thermal scan. Qualified personnel select methods suited to each asset and determine which tasks can be performed during operation and which require an outage.
| Maintenance activity | What it helps identify or address |
| Visual inspection | Damage, contamination, moisture, corrosion, blocked ventilation, and signs of overheating |
| Cleaning and servicing | Dust and other buildup that can interfere with cooling or equipment operation |
| Connection checks | Loose or deteriorating connections, evaluated and corrected according to equipment instructions |
| Infrared imaging | Unusual heat patterns that may point to a connection, loading, or component problem |
| Electrical testing | The condition and operation of selected breakers, insulation, grounding, motors, or protective devices |
| Backup power checks | Problems affecting generators, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), batteries, or transfer equipment |
| Condition monitoring | Changes in temperature, electrical readings, or other measurements over time |
| Corrective action | Repair, adjustment, further testing, or replacement prompted by a documented finding |
Specialized tasks depend on the site. Breaker injection testing may be appropriate for particular protective devices; motor testing may require the equipment to be de-energized. Power factor correction can be assessed where it is relevant to the facility’s electrical performance, but it is not a universal EPM task.
How Does Infrared Imaging Help Detect Electrical Problems?
Infrared imaging, also called thermography, shows temperature differences on visible equipment surfaces. A warmer connection or component may warrant investigation for causes such as deterioration or an electrical loading issue. The U.S. Department of Energy’s operations and maintenance guide describes thermography as a way to detect conditions that can shorten equipment life, including abnormal heat at electrical connections.
The results need context. Equipment load, surrounding temperature, surface materials, and earlier readings all affect interpretation. A thermal image does not establish the cause of a problem on its own, and a scan cannot reveal every electrical defect. Its value comes from documenting findings, evaluating them, and completing the appropriate corrective work.
What Electrical Equipment Requires Preventive Maintenance?
Start with the assets that distribute power or whose failure would significantly disrupt the property. These commonly include switchgear, distribution panels, transformers, circuit breakers, and their connections. A facility may also include motor control equipment, critical motors, UPS systems, generators, transfer switches, and electrical components serving HVAC or life safety systems.
The asset list should be specific enough to support scheduling and records. For example, “electrical panels” is less useful than identifying each panel, its location, the equipment it serves, and any access or outage constraints. This also makes it easier to prioritize a panel serving essential operations over one with a lower operational impact.
How Do You Build an Electrical Preventive Maintenance Program?
A commercial electrical maintenance program needs a repeatable process:
- Inventory and prioritize assets. Identify equipment, its location, operating environment, maintenance history, and the effect of a failure.
- Define the work. Select inspections, tests, cleaning, and servicing based on the equipment and manufacturer instructions.
- Set the schedule. Consider equipment condition, use, environment, prior findings, and available outage windows. One interval will not fit every asset.
- Assign qualified personnel. Plan access, shutdowns, and safe work practices before maintenance begins. OSHA’s electrical work practice requirements address safeguards for work on or near electrical equipment.
- Record and resolve findings. Keep test results, images, completed work, and repair recommendations together. Assign responsibility and a target date for each corrective action.
- Review the program. Adjust priorities when equipment is added, operating conditions change, or recurring problems appear.
The follow-up step matters as much as the inspection. A report that identifies a deteriorating connection has limited value until you assess and correct the condition.
Build a More Proactive Electrical Maintenance Strategy
Electrical preventive maintenance can help facilities identify potential issues before they lead to equipment failures, unexpected downtime, or costly emergency repairs. Routine inspections, testing, and maintenance also support safer, more reliable electrical systems and give facility teams greater visibility into the condition of critical equipment.
Explore our Electrical Services capabilities to see how Action Services Group supports commercial facilities with preventive and emergency electrical services, then connect with our electrical experts to discuss a maintenance strategy for your facilities.
Why Is Electrical Preventive Maintenance Important?
A developing electrical fault can affect far more than one component. A failed breaker or distribution panel may interrupt tenants, building systems, or business operations while staff arrange repairs and restore service. Finding problems earlier gives facility teams more opportunity to plan the work and coordinate an outage.
EPM can also support equipment reliability and safer operation by addressing deterioration before it worsens. It cannot prevent every failure or guarantee a longer service life. Its practical benefit is better information about equipment condition and a process to act on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should commercial electrical equipment be inspected?
There is no single interval for every component. Set frequencies using manufacturer guidance, equipment condition, operating environment, maintenance history, and the consequences of failure. Revisit the schedule when test results or site conditions change.
Can electrical preventive maintenance be done without shutting down the building?
Some observations and monitoring may be possible while equipment operates. Other inspections, cleaning, repairs, and tests require de-energization. Plan outages around the work required rather than assuming every task can be completed during normal operation.
What should an EPM report include?
It should identify the asset, date, work performed, conditions observed, measurements or test results, and any recommended action—record who will address each finding and when. Keeping earlier reports makes changes in condition easier to recognize.
Is preventive maintenance the same as predictive maintenance?
Predictive techniques use condition data, such as thermal images or trended measurements, to help identify developing faults. They can be part of a broader preventive maintenance program that also includes scheduled inspections, servicing, and repairs.
Make Electrical Maintenance a Planned Process
Electrical preventive maintenance works best when inspections lead to decisions. A documented program helps commercial property teams identify priority equipment, schedule appropriate work, and address findings before they become larger operational problems.
Action Services Group provides scheduled and on-demand electrical services for commercial properties. Contact Action Services Group by calling 610-558-9773, email [email protected], or schedule a call that fits your needs by clicking the button below.
