Improving the Electrical Energy Efficiency of Your Business

Everything in business comes back to the bottom line. If there is a way to improve the bottom line – whether it’s cutting expenses or boosting revenue – it’s worth exploring. In this case, that means looking at the energy efficiency of the electrical system that serves your business. Electrical costs can make up a significant portion of the ongoing utility expenses for some companies, so cutting those back by even a few percent can make a big difference.

 

This article is going to look at some options for improving commercial electrical efficiency. To partner with a commercial electrician that has the experience and knowledge needed to tackle this project for you, reach out to Varney today.

 

Perform a Thorough Review

It’s easy enough to just allow your electrical system to operate in the background while you are concerned with other things. Ignoring this critical system is a sure way to create inefficiencies, however, so taking the time to perform a careful review of how the system is working is a smart move.

 

To get the most out of such a review, be sure to do it with the help of a qualified commercial electrician like Varney. Your business may not have the in-house knowledge or experience to properly review your existing system while looking for opportunities for improvement. By bringing in an expert, you can gain clarity on how the current system works and where it might be falling short of expectations.

 

Consider Equipment Upgrades

For businesses that have been in the same location for many years, it’s possible – even likely – that some upgraded electrical equipment could go a long way toward improving efficiency. Like equipment in every other category, electrical gear continues to improve as time passes, so using the old components that have been in your building for decades is almost certainly going to be less efficient than what you’d get from an upgraded system. Again here, this is where advice from a professional team can help you weigh the costs and benefits of upgrading so you can make a sound business decision.

 

Avoid Wasteful Practices

Aside from changing equipment, another step you can take is simply to make sure electricity is only used when it is needed. Leaving large banks of lights on unnecessarily is a good example of this concept. Getting all employees into the habit of shutting down lights and other building components when they aren’t actively in use can add up to surprising savings. For large businesses, it may be helpful to formalize the process of turning lights on and off, among other electrical uses. With everything written down for all employees to reference, it’s possible to consume less energy and reduce utility bills along the way. 

 

Quality commercial electrician services can be hard to find, but your search is over now that you’ve located Varney. Whether you want to work on efficiency improvements or anything else to do with your commercial electrical – or HVAC – system, Varney should be your first call.

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5 Reasons to Get Electrical Inspections

The electrical system that serves your building is one of the most important components that you rely on each day. And, given the inherent risks associated with electricity, it is also one that presents potential danger if it is not in proper working order. By having an electrical inspection performed, you can track down any problem areas and have them addressed before a fire or injury occurs.

 

As a leading commercial electrician in Richmond, Varney is the right team to call on when you need an inspection performed. The trained professionals that do the work will pay attention to the smallest details and provide you valuable insight into the health of your whole electrical system.

 

It’s All About Safety

Without a doubt, the top reason to have regular electrical inspections performed at your commercial property is safety. You don’t want to endanger anyone who works in your buildings or visits the property for any reason. Electrical fires can often be prevented by finding signs of trouble before they reach the point of creating a spark and igniting a blaze. Work with a professional team like Varney to thoroughly inspect all the electrical work that serves your buildings and get in front of this issue before it causes a disaster.

 

Stay in Business

If you run into surprise electrical problems during the normal course of business, you may have to halt operations while you deal with those issues. That kind of interruption can have a major impact on the bottom line. Avoid such losses by investing in electrical inspections to make sure your whole system is in top working order.

 

Optimize Efficiency

Are you spending more on power than you think you should given the way your location operates? It may be that an aging electrical system is running inefficiently and is leading to higher electrical bills. Inspections can spot parts of your system that might be due for an upgrade, allowing you to keep up with the times and avoid having inefficiencies drag you down.

 

Boost the Bottom Line

This is one of those areas where you might need to spend some money in order to save some money. Electrical inspections aren’t always free, but they do have the potential to save you significantly on the back end. If some of the points above play out at your facility – you avoid a fire or can improve efficiency, for example – the financial gain from an electrical inspection can be significant.

 

Find Ways to Become Better

Every business manager or owner wants to improve the way the company operates each day. While the electrical system that serves your buildings might not be your main focus, every little improvement can help. Think of it this way – if your competitors are doing the work of optimizing their electrical system to save money and operate more efficiently, shouldn’t you be doing the same? There is no potential advantage too small to pursue, meaning it’s well worth your time and investment to book an appointment for an electrical inspection right away.

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Do You Need an Emergency Electrical System for Your Business?

Electricity is easy to take for granted – until the grid suddenly goes down. While a rare few businesses can deal with an occasional power outage, that’s not the case for all the vast majority of commercial locations. This article will discuss what kinds of businesses need to have an emergency electrical system in place.

 

If you decide an emergency electrical system is important for your business, Varney is the right commercial electrician for the job. Give Varney a call today to learn more.

 

What Would Be Lost?

As you think about whether you’d like to add an emergency electrical system to your commercial property, it can be helpful to picture what it would look like if the power went down for an extended period. You can use your imagination to work through this exercise, or you might have recently experienced it firsthand during an outage.

 

Consider what you would lose while you were stuck without power. For most businesses, this comes down to two things – inventory and the ability to serve customers. For example, a restaurant that can’t run without power would not only lose sales during those dark hours, but also may lose inventory that couldn’t be kept cold in the fridges and freezers. So, for that restaurant, losing power would be a significant financial hit.

 

On the other hand, a commercial location that serves other business clients and doesn’t carry any perishable items might not be at as much risk. The production schedule will be thrown off, but you might be able to work with your clients to get back on track shortly. For that kind of operation, a backup electrical system is probably useful but may not be absolutely essential.

 

What Can You Run?

The other important question in this discussion is what you can run if you do invest in backup electricity. Depending on the kind of work you do at your business, and the kind of equipment you run, an emergency electrical system might not be able to keep you completely operational. It should be plenty to run things like lights and computers, but you may not be able to operate industrial manufacturing equipment, etc. Thinking about how close a backup system will get you to 100% operational is a worthwhile question to ponder.

 

Get Professional Help

Every business is in a unique situation. Some businesses will be far better off with emergency electrical in place, while others it might be an option that you decide not to invest in in at this time. If you’d like help making this choice, reach out to a professional team like Varney. That way, you can get direct answers to any questions you may have regarding how long the backup system could run, what it would be able to power, and more. Without getting professional input, you’ll won’t be able to make the best choice for your business – and this decision is too important to make on guesswork alone. Between the expertise you have in running your business, and the insight that can be provided by the professionals at Varney, you can make the right choice for your needs.

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Trends in Commercial Lighting

uv lightKeeping up with current commercial lighting trends is important for everyone involved in this industry, from electricians to designers and beyond. There have been a lot of exciting new products and ideas come onto the market in recent years, and this article will touch on some of the highlights.

 

When a trustworthy commercial electrician is required to install new lighting and complete other important tasks, turn to Varney. As a licensed contractor with experience serving clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, Varney is a reliable partner.

 

LEDs are the Future

This is a trend that has been underway for some time, so you may already be familiar with the movement toward LED lighting in both residential and commercial spaces. Simply put, LEDs offer too many benefits and advantages to ignore, and they are the easy choice when installing new lighting. As it relates to commercial properties, LEDs are attractive because of their economic benefits. They are cheaper to run because they use less power, and those savings can add up if you are lighting a large commercial building.

 

While LED lighting options were somewhat limited in the early years of this technology, that is no longer the case. Today, LEDs are available in just about any shape and size imaginable, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding the right lamp or bulb for your needs. Anytime a new light needs to be purchase for your organization, an LED version should be the default choice.

 

A Move Toward Smart Lights

In addition to switching over to LEDs, more and more commercial properties are leveraging the power of smart bulbs to get more out of their lighting installations. Smart bulbs can be controlled remotely and adjusted as needed to optimize their performance. Want the lights to turn on and off at certain times? No problem – smart bulbs can be scheduled as you wish. Also, their brightness can be controlled through an app or central panel, rather than having to adjust dimmer switches all around the building.

 

It’s easy to see how smart bulbs could be extremely useful in a commercial setting. With the ability to remotely adjust their settings, you could dial in the look and feel of your whole property just right. For example, lighting in your offices could be bright and clear for productive work hours, while lighting in a showroom could be turned down a bit for a more welcoming, relaxing environment.

 

An Array of Colors

One other trend to note is the use of various lighting colors. By opting for LEDs and smart bulbs, you’ll be able to alter the color that your lights produce with just the tap of a screen. This is a feature that won’t be useful for everyone, but it could be a big upgrade in some settings. A standard office will likely stick with standard white lighting, but a restaurant space may want to experiment with other shades to set the ambiance just right.

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Low Water Pressure? Here’s Why you Should Take It Seriously

low water pressureAre you experiencing low water pressure in some or all areas of your building? If so, this is not a problem to take lightly. Don’t expect it to correct itself; in fact, it will likely only get worse with time. The sooner the problem is addressed, the more likely you are to avoid serious consequences like water damage and worse. At the first sign of low water pressure, call for commercial plumbing repair in Roanoke, VA.

Causes of Low Water Pressure in Commercial Plumbing Systems

There are a few different potential causes for the lack of water pressure in a commercial building: 

Leaks

If any part of the plumbing system is damaged to the point of leaking, it can affect the water pressure for the entire building. As water leaks out of a pipe somewhere in the system, not all of the water gets to the source of the call for water, whether it’s a faucet, toilet, or showerhead. A commercial plumbing service can diagnose a leak, locate it, and repair it. 

Clogs

A clog in a pipe anywhere in the plumbing system can cause a lack of water pressure. The blockage prevents the water from getting where it needs to go, and that can affect water pressure throughout a building. Locating a clog and clearing it will require a commercial plumbing service. 

Pump problems

A more complicated problem that can cause low water pressure is a pump malfunction. In a large commercial building, a pump is required to increase water pressure and ensure that enough water gets where it needs to go. Just like any machine, pumps can wear out and fail to operate properly. You’ll need to call a commercial plumber for pump repair. Another potential problem could be that your pump is simply not powerful enough to handle the size of the building. It may be necessary to upgrade to a new pump. 

Obstructed valves

The water valves to the building may not be fully opened. A valve could also be damaged. The main water valves where the water enters the building from the municipal source play a large part in the overall water pressure for the building. Have a professional plumbing service inspect your valves for proper function and water flow. 

Water Pressure Problems Won’t Fix Themselves

Don’t ignore low water pressure in your building. It is most likely a sign of a potentially serious problem in your plumbing system. A leaky pipe can cause serious water damage to your building in no time at all. Clogs in the plumbing system lead to leaks when not addressed. A malfunctioning pump could cause there to be no water at all in parts or all of your building, leading to temporary shutdowns and halted productivity. Water valves control the water source for the entire building and should only be handled by professionals. 

Problems with Water Pressure? Call Varney Inc. Commercial Plumbing Repair, Roanoke VA

Low water pressure should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid expensive damages and loss of productivity for your business. Call Varney Inc. commercial plumbing repair in Roanoke, VA at the first sign of a lack of adequate water pressure. Varney responds quickly to repair your plumbing issues and help you avoid serious damage to your building. Call today: (540) 343-0155.

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Low Water Pressure? Here’s Why you Should Take It Seriously

low water pressureAre you experiencing low water pressure in some or all areas of your building? If so, this is not a problem to take lightly. Don’t expect it to correct itself; in fact, it will likely only get worse with time. The sooner the problem is addressed, the more likely you are to avoid serious consequences like water damage and worse. At the first sign of low water pressure, call for commercial plumbing repair in Roanoke, VA.

Causes of Low Water Pressure in Commercial Plumbing Systems

There are a few different potential causes for the lack of water pressure in a commercial building: 

 

  • Leaks. If any part of the plumbing system is damaged to the point of leaking, it can affect the water pressure for the entire building. As water leaks out of a pipe somewhere in the system, not all of the water gets to the source of the call for water, whether it’s a faucet, toilet, or showerhead. A commercial plumbing service can diagnose a leak, locate it, and repair it. 
  • Clogs. A clog in a pipe anywhere in the plumbing system can cause a lack of water pressure. The blockage prevents the water from getting where it needs to go, and that can affect water pressure throughout a building. Locating a clog and clearing it will require a commercial plumbing service. 
  • Pump problems. A more complicated problem that can cause low water pressure is a pump malfunction. In a large commercial building, a pump is required to increase water pressure and ensure that enough water gets where it needs to go. Just like any machine, pumps can wear out and fail to operate properly. You’ll need to call a commercial plumber for pump repair. Another potential problem could be that your pump is simply not powerful enough to handle the size of the building. It may be necessary to upgrade to a new pump. 
  • Obstructed valves. The water valves to the building may not be fully opened. A valve could also be damaged. The main water valves where the water enters the building from the municipal source play a large part in the overall water pressure for the building. Have a professional plumbing service inspect your valves for proper function and water flow. 

 

Water Pressure Problems Won’t Fix Themselves

Don’t ignore low water pressure in your building. It is most likely a sign of a potentially serious problem in your plumbing system. A leaky pipe can cause serious water damage to your building in no time at all. Clogs in the plumbing system lead to leaks when not addressed. A malfunctioning pump could cause there to be no water at all in parts or all of your building, leading to temporary shutdowns and halted productivity. Water valves control the water source for the entire building and should only be handled by professionals. 

Problems with Water Pressure? Call Varney Inc. Commercial Plumbing Repair, Roanoke VA

Low water pressure should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid expensive damages and loss of productivity for your business. Call Varney Inc. commercial plumbing repair in Roanoke, VA at the first sign of a lack of adequate water pressure. Varney responds quickly to repair your plumbing issues and help you avoid serious damage to your building. Call today: (540) 343-0155.

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