Commercial Surge Protection & Lighting Upgrade

The brief

A commercial laundry contacted us after two unexpected voltage spikes damaged the inverters inside its high-tech dryers. The failures caused repair costs, downtime and disruption. UK Power Networks had attended twice, and the client wanted a practical way to reduce the risk of further equipment damage.

The job grew to include a lighting improvement after staff raised concerns about visibility while checking laundry. This case study follows the investigation, protection work and workspace upgrade.

The client's first message

“Hi mate how are you? Couple of times we have had surges in here and it’s messed up inverters on machines etc. Is there something we can do to protect us?”

The client had already experienced two inverter failures. A master switch was discussed as a way to isolate equipment when it was not in use, but it would not protect machines that remained connected during operation.

Assessing the options

We discussed using a clamp-on power-quality data logger on the supply for a week. It could help record voltage variation, transient events, harmonic distortion and load behaviour. The quoted hire cost was approximately £150–£200 per day. With only two reported events and no further incidents after UKPN's visits, the client asked for a more proportionate, cost-conscious option.

An active harmonic filter was discussed only as a possible response if monitoring identified a harmonic distortion problem. It is not a substitute for surge protection.

Three-phase surge protection installation

We installed a FuseBox three-phase Surge Protection Device (SPD) in a dedicated enclosure, fed through a three-pole breaker from the Eaton distribution board. The installation included correctly terminating L1, L2, L3, neutral and CPC, keeping the protective earth path low impedance, positioning the SPD close to the electrical origin, and labelling and documenting the work.

The SPD provides a protective measure against transient overvoltages reaching connected equipment. It reduces risk but cannot guarantee that equipment will never be damaged; correct selection, coordination and installation depend on the supply arrangement and site conditions.

Lighting upgrade for the worker area

Staff were finding it difficult to see whether sheets were fully clean. Existing lighting was dim and warm in colour temperature. One workstation also had a Grade A smoke alarm above it, affecting where another light could be positioned. A staff member with visual impairment needed brighter illumination at the far side of the room.

We installed four new five-foot LED fittings and one additional LED fitting in the far corner. The fittings use a bright-white 6500K colour temperature. We safely repositioned the smoke alarm twin-flex to accommodate the lighting layout, then secured the cabling and checked the work around the existing fire alarm system.

The finished workspace has clearer, brighter lighting to support staff visibility and day-to-day checks.

The client's review

“We’ve used Eco Tech Electrical Contractors several times now for different compliance jobs and they’ve been excellent every time. They carried out our EICR last year, then installed our fire alarm panel and emergency lighting, and most recently helped us with surge protection after we had issues with our machines and inverters. All the work has been completed to a very high standard, everything is explained clearly, and the service is always reliable and professional. Highly recommended for any commercial electrical or compliance work.”

Project perspectives

From the installer

The work called for balancing the client's operational concerns with a proportionate solution, working around existing fire alarm equipment and improving the lighting used by staff. The SPD addresses the identified exposure to transient overvoltages, while the lighting changes support a safer and more practical work area.

From the client

Two inverter failures had already caused financial loss. After UKPN's visits, the client wanted a reliable and affordable way to reduce the chance of further disruption, alongside better lighting for staff. Completing both parts of the work in one visit addressed those practical needs.