Electrical work for bars, restaurants and venues
A hospitality fit-out puts heavy demands on the electrical. Commercial kitchens need three phase supply for cooking equipment, dedicated circuits for refrigeration and dishwashers, and exhaust hoods wired and interlocked correctly. Bars need power for glass washers, cool rooms, beer systems and POS. Then there is the lighting, which in a Valley venue is part of the fit-out design rather than an afterthought.
We work from the designer’s lighting plan and the equipment schedule, and we raise questions early if the existing supply will not carry the new load. Our hospitality page covers how we approach these jobs in more detail.
Old buildings, many tenants
Much of the Valley’s commercial stock is older and has been through several tenants. It is common to open a ceiling and find circuits that no longer go anywhere, boards that have been extended without labelling and cabling from three or four different eras. Before a new fit-out goes in, we trace what is there, remove what is redundant and make sure the tenancy supply and switchboard are in a fit state to take the new work.
In heritage-listed or character buildings, we plan cable routes to avoid damage to original fabric and work with the builder on any restrictions.
Keeping a venue trading
For most Valley businesses, downtime costs money. We schedule shutdowns early in the morning or on quiet days, set up temporary power where it makes sense, and keep the work area clean and safe so staff can operate around us. For urgent faults we can help where our schedule allows; see our emergency electrician page for how that works.
Lighting, signage and exit lights
Lighting jobs in the Valley range from feature pendants and LED strip in joinery to facade lighting and illuminated signage connections. We also check and upgrade emergency and exit lighting, which needs to be tested regularly under AS/NZS 2293. In venues where the layout changes often, it is easy for exit signs to end up in the wrong spot, so we review coverage whenever walls or bars move.
Retail and office tenancies
Not everything in the Valley is a venue. The James Street precinct and the streets around Brunswick Street have retail tenancies, studios and small offices that need fit-outs, display lighting, power and data. These jobs are usually quick turnarounds between leases, and we plan them to suit.
Compliance and paperwork
All work is done to AS/NZS 3000, and we issue a compliance certificate at completion. For venues, we can also provide test and tag for portable equipment under AS/NZS 3760, which many landlords and insurers ask for.
When the fit-out is finished, we hand over the certificate, test results and a labelled switchboard schedule. That makes life easier for the next electrician, and for the venue manager trying to work out which breaker runs the cool room at 11pm on a Saturday.