Moving from Installation to Maintenance

John Matrix · Feb 10, 2019

Hello this is my first post. I have been an Electrician for 19 years. Most of my experience is in commercial and industrial, places like hospitals, schools, offices, warehouses. I have always been an Installation Electrician on the books. But lately I’m getting fed up with it all. I fancy going into maintenance in aafter speaking to a friend who has done it. But I’m not sure if this is something that would be straight forward or not. I obviously only have limited experience with motors and control panels etc. No experience with machines. Is it something I can pick up quite quickly ? Any feedback from anyone who has made this transition would be great. Or just general feedback.
Thanks in advance

Boing89 · Feb 10, 2019

I’ve been a maintenance electrician for 24 years now (in the RAF until last year funnily enough). As has been said the pressure really comes on when something’s down. I work on wind turbine lifts now and the pressure to get it fixed when it’s down can be quite high. Nobody reports the little problems that are the indicators of something bigger happening because they don’t want to lose the equipment. That means when it does break it’s always a huge drama for the users. I enjoy the fault finding but I miss having another electrician to bounce ideas off like I had in the RAF. That can increase the pressure for some reason.

DefyG · Feb 10, 2019

Your new employer will know your background and cant expect you to 'hit the ground running'! they will need to at least provide some basic training in the areas/machines you are expected to be working in and if it is a big company there will be others there to help!

DefyG · Feb 10, 2019

Your new employer will know your background and cant expect you to 'hit the ground running'! they will need to at least provide some basic training in the areas/machines you are expected to be working in and if it is a big company there will be others there to help!

electric al · Feb 10, 2019

Pete999 said:
What do do you think they have on RAF bases 13Amp sockets and lights???????

Anyway why the RAF ? Couldn't you get in the army ?

John Matrix · Feb 10, 2019

Eddy-88 said:
Hi Gary

I work in electrical maintenance and lot of what we deal with is fault finding and general maintenance. The general maintenance side of things is pretty straight forward to pick up. The fault finding may be a little trickier as there are a lot of components in the control side of the circuit that could be causing problems. Once you know how the equipment works and what components stop it from running then that's half the battle The electrical side I think is the easiest bit

Thanks mate

John Matrix · Feb 10, 2019

Thanks for all the replies. I want to be doing fault finding, problem solving etc. Not just changing lamps and broken sockets. I’m finding that on the install side I’ve lost interest. Mainly because it’s not about doing a good job anymore, it’s all about throwing it in. I’m very conscientious and like everything to be spot on. Having to throw it in to save time is not my cup of tea. But it is beginning to be the same whoever I work for. I’ve lost that fire in my stomach for it. I feel a different direction will re light that fire. I also have a family and I’m just not prepared to travel all over the country anymore. Currently I don’t work for a bad firm, although the work is not testing me and boring and I’m always local so I have plenty of time to find the right position. I will not be rushing into it and taking the first thing that comes along.

Chris Smyth · Feb 10, 2019

Hi Gary,
I did 12 years in the RAF as an electrical and electronic technician, left in 2015 and worked as a contractor for a flower automation company where it was a steep learning curve in comparison to what I did in the military! I then moved into the food industry as a multi skilled engineer and I love it. The money's good, hours are steady and it's always different! You obviously get the repetitive stuff but that's mixed in with frantic fault finding! You get some real head scratchers and spend some time buried in wiring diagrams...if you have access to some! Otherwise it's following cables!
I say do it! Start with a smaller company, learn the controls side of things and move after your learning curve steadies out.
Good luck mate!

Pete999 · Feb 11, 2019

electric al said:
Anyway why the RAF ? Couldn't you get in the army ?

Didn't join just worked there.

Pete999 · Feb 11, 2019

Leesparkykent said:
@Pete999, @rapparee is yanking your chain mate!

Yes I know thanks

Pete999 · Feb 11, 2019

ruston said:
@Pete999 @rapparee doesn't mean to be disrespectful , he is not that kind of lad . It is like us saying " what can possibly go wrong.....

Appreciate that comment ruston thanks, I never meant to assume anything, maybe my post was misinterpreted, never meant to put the OP down, if it did seem that way the apologies to the OP, what I meant was, it seems that moving from installation is not as hard as it seems, IF i could do it then most other guys will have no problem adapting, personally I wish the OP well if he gets the new job.

Pete999 · Feb 11, 2019

rapparee said:
Where's your sense of humour Pete

Left it in the Kitchen Mate, don't mind me, bite to quickly sometimes. Ask her indoors.

John Matrix · Feb 11, 2019

I will be doing it. Made my mind up now. My mate who has just done it is on 10k a year more than I am. That alone is enough incentive to do it. He comes from my back ground but has had some experience of quarries. Conveyers and motors etc. I know I’m more than capable of learning what I need to know.

Boing89 · Feb 11, 2019

I’ve been a maintenance electrician for 24 years now (in the RAF until last year funnily enough). As has been said the pressure really comes on when something’s down. I work on wind turbine lifts now and the pressure to get it fixed when it’s down can be quite high. Nobody reports the little problems that are the indicators of something bigger happening because they don’t want to lose the equipment. That means when it does break it’s always a huge drama for the users. I enjoy the fault finding but I miss having another electrician to bounce ideas off like I had in the RAF. That can increase the pressure for some reason.

DefyG said:
Your new employer will know your background and cant expect you to 'hit the ground running'! they will need to at least provide some basic training in the areas/machines you are expected to be working in and if it is a big company there will be others there to help!

Gary Moore said:
I will be doing it. Made my mind up now. My mate who has just done it is on 10k a year more than I am. That alone is enough incentive to do it. He comes from my back ground but has had some experience of quarries. Conveyers and motors etc. I know I’m more than capable of learning what I need to know.

In my opinion you don’t have to worry about the motors as much as the control side. If you’ve voltage to your motor and it’s not turning it’s kaput, that’s as complicated as it gets. If you’ve no voltage then you’ve a whole circuit diagram of control circuits that are preventing it. As long as you’re confident in your fault finding you’ll be good. As someone else has already said your employer will have to give some sort of training on how the equipment works to give you that base knowledge anyway.