Horizontal cabling system installed by a commercial electric company

Factors to Consider When Designing a Horizontal Cabling System

A horizontal cabling system is an essential component of a structured cabling system that connects the telecommunications room to work areas or outlets on the same floor. It typically uses a star topology that connects each work area to the telecommunications room via a single cable.

Horizontal cabling system installed by a commercial electric company

Components of a Horizontal Cabling System

To properly design a horizontal cabling system, you need to know what components you’ll use within it. It all starts with a telecommunications room. Most modern buildings have a telecommunications room on each floor.

  • Telecommunications outlet – This is where the horizontal cable terminates in the work area.
  • Horizontal cable – Runs between the telecommunications room and the telecommunications outlet. Most of these cables are now fiber optic cables, but copper cabling is sometimes still used.
  • Patch panel – This is where the horizontal cables terminate in the telecommunications room. A good horizontal cabling system design makes accessing, connecting, and disconnecting cables easy.
  • Jumper – This short cable connects the patch panel to the telecommunications equipment.

Design Factors of Horizontal Cabling

These cabling systems are required to meet specific performance and reliability standards set by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These standards are the most important factors to consider when designing a horizontal cabling system.

The following are some of the design factors for a horizontal cabling system:

  • Location – It’s vital to locate the telecommunications room on each floor in a secure, centralized location. Ideally, it should be near the same place on each floor of the building to make it easy to interconnect the networks between separate floors. This location should be in a secure area, only allowing authorized personnel to access the system.
  • Cable Type – The cable type you select depends on several factors. Copper cable is cheaper, easier to install, and better for rugged environments, but it does not work well over long distances or where there is a lot of electromagnetic interference. Fiber optic is the best solution for high bandwidth and doesn’t require additional equipment such as repeaters or signal boosters when transmitting over great distances.
  • Cable Length – This depends almost entirely on the space available within the building—copper wire takes up a lot more physical space than fiber-optic cable—and the work areas within the building.
  • Number of Cables – The number of cables needed impacts the size and accessiblity of the space between workstations and telecommunications room, as well as the number of workstations on the floor.

However, the most important element when designing your horizontal cabling system is the right company to design and install it. You need seasoned commercial electrical contractors with telecommunications experience to ensure that the installed cabling system meets all of your needs.

Let Tri-State Electrical Contractors Install Your Horizontal Cabling System

At Tri-State Electrical, we are commercial electrical service specialists who design, install, and maintain horizontal cabling systems. For more information, get a quote for this, or any other, of your commercial or industrial electrical projects, call us at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

Smart lighting installed by a commercial electric company

5 Projects You Should Hire a Commercial Electrical Company to Install

When investing in commercial properties, whether retail space, a restaurant, apartment buildings, or an office complex, you need to adapt to the times to attract and hold onto the best tenants. In today’s ultra-competitive marketplace, this can be done through electrical improvements to your building’s basic infrastructure. Here are five commercial electrical enhancements you can install today to add value to your business:

Smart Lighting Systems – Upgrading your lighting system is a cost-effective way to increase the value of your commercial property. Smart lighting systems save energy by automatically shutting off when not in use. But these lighting systems can also be particularly effective if paired with a burglar alarm system. Replacing your old lighting systems with LED lights is another way to reduce operation costs within your buildings. LED lighting uses less energy than other types of lighting, such as fluorescent or halogen lights, and lasts up to 25 times longer than these bulbs.

Smart lighting installed by a commercial electric company

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – The electric vehicle market is growing steadily. So why not install electric vehicle charging stations to attract and maintain those customers by giving them another reason to patronize your business? This is a great way to show your customers that you provide the latest technology and are environmentally friendly as well.

Solar Panels and Solar Storage Systems – This is another way to show your customers that you are committed to reducing your carbon footprint. But the benefits of installing solar panels and a solar storage system do not stop there. Using solar power means lower energy costs for your building, and if you install a solar storage system with it, you will be able to stay open for business while other companies are in the dark.

Electronic Access Systems – Lost keys and changing locks can be a thing of the past if you install an electronic access system. They are more secure than traditional lock and key setups and can provide specific data on who is entering and leaving your building.

Commercial Grade Surge Protection – Electrical surges and brownouts cause millions of dollars of damage to electronics annually. Installing a commercial-grade surge protector is another way to protect your property and your customers from unexpected electrical problems.

You should never attempt to install any of these projects yourself. Only well-trained and certified commercial electricians should install these projects. They can do it faster, safer, and cheaper than attempting to do it yourself.

Let Tri-State Electrical Contractors Handle Your Commercial Electrical Services Needs

At Tri-State Electrical, we pride ourselves on answering all of your questions about your commercial electrical service needs. For more information, or to get a quote for your commercial electrical projects, call (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

Commercial electrical contractor at work

7 Areas a Commercial Property Owner Should Ask Questions About in an Electrical Contracting Company

Commercial properties, whether retail spaces, restaurants, apartment buildings, or manufacturing plants, have many electrical needs. And commercial property owners need to select the best commercial electrical contractor to handle these needs. A commercial electrical contractor takes on a wide variety of projects, such as indoor and outdoor lighting, smart building systems, wiring repair and replacement, electrical for climate control systems, and much more. What should commercial property owners look for in a commercial electrical contracting company with this wide range of projects? What questions should you ask when selecting the right commercial electricians for your business? Here we have listed seven different areas with example questions you should ask any potential contractor.

Commercial electrical contractor at work
  • Licensed and insured –  Is the electrical contractor must be licensed and insured in the state where the building is located? This is extremely important to protect it if something goes wrong.
  • Experience – Does the electrical contractor has a verifiable portfolio of projects of similar size and scope to yours?
  • References – Get input from other customers. Are they pleased with the quality and cost of the electrical contractor’s work? What does the client think about the company’s customer service? Have they had any problems? Are they satisfied with the resolutions?
  • Availability – How soon can they get started on your project? How long do they think it will take to complete the project? Does it fit your timeline?
  • Quality – Does the commercial electrical contractor provide a warranty for their work? Are they members of professional organizations such as NECA and the Associated General Contractors of America? Have their electricians earned certificates and pursued additional training?
  • Safety – What is the contractor’s commitment to safety? Are they members of organizations such as OSHA and the CORE Safety Group? Does the company culture promote safety?
  • Affordability – Is the price competitive compared to other quotes for the work? What does the price specifically cover when evaluating the quotes? Is it by the project? Or is it a time and materials project? Do they provide a written quote?

Asking questions in these seven areas will help you choose the right electrical contracting company for your commercial property.

Let Tri-State Electrical Contractors Handle Your Commercial Electrical Services Needs

At Tri-State Electrical, we pride ourselves on answering all of your questions about your commercial electrical service needs. For more information, get a quote for your commercial electrical projects by calling (423) 800-2134, filling out our simple online form, or emailing us at info@tristateec.com today.

An industrial electrician performing industrial electrical services in Atlanta

What is an Industrial Electrician?

Simply put, industrial electricians support an industrial plant’s electrical needs, whether these are monitoring the electrical controls via PLC panels, monitoring energy usage, wiring and maintaining the plant’s electrical infrastructure, or working with the installed industrial equipment.

Because of the nature of this type of work, industrial electricians require a broad range of skills and experience to perform their jobs effectively. This means that they need to have a lot of experience working with different types of highly specialized industrial equipment, advanced troubleshooting skills, the ability to read and interpret drawings and blueprints, awareness of electrical codes, industrial control system operation, and much more. They also need skills and experience outside of working with electrical equipment. For example, industrial electricians need to coordinate with other contractors working on the equipment or building, work with vendors to order parts and troubleshoot issues, collaborate with inspectors and regulatory agencies, so having good communication and “people” skills are a must.

An industrial electrician performing industrial electrical services in Atlanta

Why Industrial Electricians Are Important

Industrial companies must have equipment and facilities that operate smoothly. Any downtime can cost the company thousands, even millions of dollars. In addition, failing to follow the proper electrical codes and standards may result in expensive penalties and fines and perhaps endanger the company’s equipment, facilities, or the lives of its employees. For these reasons, an excellent electrical electrician is essential for any industrial operation.

Job Requirements for Industrial Electricians

As you can see, industrial electricians are a unique breed of electricians who need a broad range of experience and skills. They need more training and experience than other electricians and need to be constantly learning to perform their jobs well. Some of the training an industrial electrician may need include:

  • At least a high-school diploma
  • Completion of an electrician apprenticeship program
  • Specialized training for electrical equipment (installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, etc.
  • A journeyman electrician license
  • Several years of experience working closely with a senior industrial electrician

Because industrial electricians have to lift, move, and sometimes work in tight, cramped spaces, they should be reasonably physically fit and strong. They also need to be comfortable working in hectic, noisy, dirty work environments under stressful conditions. For these reasons, the ability to handle stress is a must. This makes good industrial electricians a valued resource for all companies.

Tri-State Electrical Provides Best-in-Class Industrial Electrical Services in the Southeastern US

Tri-State Electrical Contractors understands what modern industrial companies need in the ever-changing, complex, world. We provide superior industrial electrical services, including equipment installation, troubleshooting, PLC installation and programming, installing electrical equipment in new industrial plants, and much more. We can handle any commercial or industrial electrical work you need to be completed quickly and competently. For more information, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

A commercial electrician performing commercial electrical services in Atlanta

How Do You Find the Best Commercial Electrical Contractor?

There are a lot of commercial electrical contractors out there. So how do you choose the best one for your electrical project? Here are a few suggestions:

A commercial electrician performing commercial electrical services in Atlanta

Ask Around

Who do you know who might have had some commercial electrical work done for them lately? Talk to friends, family members, or local business owners or managers about who they used for the electrical work. Ask them a few questions such as:

  • What was the quality of the work done for the project?
  • Was it done on time and budget?
  • Did they show up at the scheduled time, or were they late?
  • Did they clean up after the project was completed?
  • Would they use the company again for future commercial electrical work?
  • Do they recommend them for your project?

Word-of-mouth is still the best way to find the best commercial electrical contractors. So, use this resource.

Read Online Reviews

If your network can’t help you come up with any good recommendations, then use the next best thing: online reviews. There are several different review sites you can use to get your information about the best commercial electrical contractors:

  • Google Reviews – Google Reviews are quickly becoming the best known and most respected source of online business reviews.
  • Angi – Formerly known as Angie’s List, Angi provides some of the best-curated business reviews available online, including commercial electrical contractors.
  • Yelp – Better known for restaurant and motel reviews, Yelp has been branching out into other business areas.
  • Buildzoom is a newcomer to the online review game but focuses specifically on construction businesses. The site has you enter details about your project, work with a dedicated project consultant, and they do the legwork to present you with vetted and qualified contractors.

Best Practices for Using Online Reviews

When using online reviews within your decision-making process, try to use a couple of different sources for the reviews. Read all of them. Pay special attention to the one- and two-star reviews. How many are there? If there are only one or two, and it is a small percentage of the total number of reviews you might be able to write them off as disgruntled customers or former employees. But if there are several low reviews and a pattern emerges, then steer clear of that commercial electrical contractor. Some of these sites also allow the contractor to respond to positive and negative reviews, so take a look at those as well. Does the contractor handle the complaint professionally or seem combative and assign blame?

Get a Free Project Estimate

Once you’ve selected a commercial electrical contractor, many of them provide free estimates, so have them take a look at your project and give you a quote. Pay close attention to them throughout the process. Are they prompt and courteous? Do they answer your questions to your satisfaction? Do they seem easy to work with? At this point, you should know which commercial electrical contractor you want to hire.

Tri-State Electrical Contractors Provide Best-in-Class Commercial Electrical Services in the Southeastern US

Tri-State Electrical Contractors understands what modern commercial companies need in the ever-changing, complex, world. We provide superior commercial electrical services including generator installations, high-voltage wiring for equipment, and much more. We can handle any commercial or industrial electrical work you need to be completed quickly and competently. For more information, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.

What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Commercial Electrical Services Contractor?

When you look up “electricians” online, there are many to choose from, and there are many electrical services companies that provide commercial electrical services, but what are the benefits of hiring a commercial electrical contractor over a more general electrician? Here are a few of them:

A commercial electrician performing commercial electrical services in Atlanta

Access to Better Tools and Equipment

Because commercial electricians handle larger scale projects with more complexity than the average residential electrical job, they need better equipment and knowledge in order to get the job done, and chances are, a good commercial electrical company would have that equipment on-hand and not require someone to get and find it in order to complete a job. Not to mention that the electricians on staff will be familiar with the equipment and know how to use it properly to get the job done fast.

Superior Knowledge and Training

Commercial electricians are familiar with the “typical” needs of commercial electrical projects and see them every day. Where a general electrician might not be as familiar with the needs of a large commercial project such as a PLC panel installation, high-voltage wiring, or motor control installation work. They can probably still get the job done, but it will take longer and there is a greater risk of mistakes. The result of hiring a commercial electrical contractor with superior knowledge and training is that it will save you time and money in the long run.

Better Quality Work

The combination of both elements above, the access to better tools and equipment and superior knowledge and training result in a higher quality of work which means energy efficient installations, fewer equipment breakdowns which saves you both time and money.

Tri-State Electrical Contractors Provide Best-in-Class Commercial Electrical Services in the Southeastern US

Tri-State Electrical Contractors understands what modern commercial companies need in the ever-changing, complex, world. We provide superior commercial electrical services including generator installations, high-voltage wiring for equipment, and much more. We can handle any commercial or industrial electrical work you need to be completed quickly and competently. For more information, give us a call at (423) 800-2134, fill out our simple online form, or email us at info@tristateec.com today.