Why do the office electrics keep tripping?
Often it's not one faulty item but many small ones adding up. Computers, monitors and chargers each leak a tiny amount of current to earth. Put enough of them on one circuit protected by one RCD, and together they can trip it, especially first thing in the morning when everything switches on.
Other common causes are an overloaded circuit, a faulty kettle or heater, or water getting into an outside socket or light. We test the circuits and equipment to find the actual cause rather than guessing.
The fix might be spreading the load across more circuits, fitting individual protection for each circuit so one fault doesn't take out the whole floor, or replacing the faulty item. You get one fixed price before any work starts.
It helps if you note when the trips happen and what was switched on at the time, as that pattern often points straight to the cause. If the power is out and nobody can work, message us. When the diary allows, we can often come the same day.
Can you add sockets, floor boxes and data points?
Yes. When desks move into the middle of a room, cables trailing across the floor become a trip hazard. Floor boxes put power, and data where needed, right under the desks. Where floors don't allow it, we use dado trunking or power poles instead.
We add sockets wherever the equipment actually sits: desks, printers, screens on walls, the server cupboard and the kitchenette. Larger network installations and IT equipment setup are for your IT provider, and we can work alongside them.
Before an office move, a floor plan with the desk positions marked is the most useful thing you can send. We price from it, then confirm the details on a survey visit.
Can you change the layout or put up partitions?
Yes. We build stud partition walls to create meeting rooms and private offices, then move or add the lighting, switches and sockets to suit the new rooms.
One job involved building an office inside a warehouse: the partition, the lighting, a toilet and a kitchen sink, all from one contractor. That kind of project works well with one person handling every trade, because nobody waits for the next contractor to turn up.
New rooms can affect fire escape routes, ventilation and emergency lighting, so it's worth checking with your landlord and fire risk assessment before building. We'll point out anything we notice when we survey.
Insulation inside the stud wall helps with sound between a meeting room and the open office. New rooms usually need their own light switch and a few sockets, and sometimes a smoke detector or emergency fitting depending on your fire risk assessment, so we price them together.
Can you fix the office kitchen?
Yes. Kitchenettes get heavy use and small faults pile up. We fit dishwashers and washing machines, repair and replace taps, fit and repair boiling-water taps, and sort leaks under sinks.
One office asked us to fit a new dishwasher and repair their boiling-water tap on the same visit. Leicester's hard water is tough on boiling taps and kettles, so a filter, changed on schedule, usually helps them last longer.
We can also fit or move a kitchen sink, add a small water heater where there's no hot water nearby, and fit dedicated sockets for the fridge and microwave, so the kitchen isn't running everything off one extension lead.
Do you install air conditioning in offices?
Yes. We install split air conditioning for offices and meeting rooms, which often need cooling more than heating once screens and people fill them.
Larger systems may need a dedicated circuit or a three-phase supply, which we can install as part of the same job. Units should be serviced regularly, and each service can be booked as its own fixed-price job.
Position matters too. The indoor unit shouldn't blow straight on to desks, and the outdoor unit needs a spot where it won't disturb neighbours. We look at both when we survey, and check the board can take the extra load.
What maintenance and testing does an office need?
Under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 you must keep electrical systems safe. Guidance commonly suggests an EICR every five years for offices, though your lease, insurer or the inspection report may set a shorter interval.
PAT testing has no fixed legal interval. The IET Code of Practice suggests basing it on the type of equipment and how it's used, so office computers usually need checking less often than kettles, heaters and extension leads. Emergency lighting needs a monthly function test and an annual full-duration test under BS 5266-1.
We carry out EICRs, PAT testing and emergency lighting tests, each as a fixed-price job agreed before work starts, from city centre offices to units on business parks around Braunstone and Glenfield.
There's no contract. Many offices book regular checks, such as the monthly emergency lighting test, and add a running list of small jobs staff have reported: lights, the kitchenette, toilets, door closers. You get a photo report afterwards and know the cost in advance.