Moving from installation to maintenance

[Tony Soprano]

Hi has anyone here made the transition from Installation to Maintenance? Is it worth it? Is the pay better? I’ve always been on the books doing install and running jobs. But I’m sick of running jobs. But it’s hard finding something unless you want to have the hassle. So I was thinking of moving into maintenance for more security and stability. And essentially less responsibility. But I can’t really afford a drop in money. I’m currently on the  JIB approved electricians rate. 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Hello Tony, welcome to the forum. Not related to your question, but I deleted two duplicate posts that were started with your above question. Not sure if this was a forum glitch, or you got confused and posted it three times. Anyway cleared up now. One brief observation re you comments about wanting less responsibility but still the same money. As a general rule in all walks of life in the employment market higher responsibilities brings more money. less responsibilities brings less money. Bottom line is you appear to be asking for that utopia of do less get more, I'm not sure you will find that easy to obtain. Maybe a bit more meat on the bones of exactly what type of Installation and Maintenance are you referring to, could help others offer some more useful pointers.

Doc H.

 

[Sharpend]

What have you been installing? Domestic commercial or industrial? 

 

[Tony S]

I’ve always been in maintenance so possibly not the best person to ask.

As for not wanting the responsibility, dream on. You put your name to a job and if it goes wrong it will be the night of the long knifes.

Much of supposed “maintenance” work will be fault finding, having found the fault you have to put it right. Plant outages can cost many thousands of pounds so you will be under pressure from every side.

All that said, I enjoyed myself for forty years on the front line.

 

[Tony Soprano]

My background is 18 years experience. Mainly commercial and industrial with some domestic. Mainly hospitals. I have a friend who has moved into maintenance in a production setting and is loving it so far. He is also getting more money than he was when he was contracting. But he has always been on the books too. I don’t know what it is but I feel very much interested in the fault finding and rectification side of things. I would need to pick up certain things of course like PLCs etc but I do understand relays and contactors etc. Money isn’t really a motivation in this. Obviously I need a certain amount to live on but the jobs I’ve seen advertised are paying more than enough. I very much want to do my job to the best of my ability without having to manage others and sort out other contractors etc. I feel that my health is suffering as a result of the accumulation of stress that comes with being a supervisor.

 

[binky]

so basically you want to go back on your tools, which I totally understand as I have done this myself. Not sure it's that much less stress - depends on who you are working for / with. Might be an idea to deal with the stress of your current job - take up jogging / some form of exercise, and the most important stress relief, learn to say NO! 

 

[Tony Soprano]

Well I’m already on the tools as well as supervising and running the job. But I do need to learn to say no more often. 

 

[Evans Electric]

I think I understand where you're coming  from ,    I  enjoyed running a job  , as in ,  one fairly big job , from getting a portacabin on site , say , to final hand over  .  

Moved on to estimating & supervising but then  more responsibility  comes with  that .    I never really identified with the suits  & the golfing fraternity ,  preferred a cuppa with our sparks onsite  TBH .     it was certainly a different world to being onsite .     

Self employed for the last 25 yrs  so thats different again . 

Having started in maintenance for half my apprenticeship then changed to contracting  ,  I would now feel claustrophobic , I think , turning up at the same place , dealing with the same  ********  , ( theres always some) .      And always remember ...if you're even moderately  good at what you do ,   more & more will piled upon you  while the chancers & tosspots  take a back seat & keep their heads below the parapets.   

 

[Phoenix]

From what I've seen in my limited time, is fault finding needs a certain logical quality that folks either have or do not have, if you have it then with an understanding of the workings of the failed system and training in fault finding procedures you can do it, without that basic 'knack' for it, all the training in the work is usless.

You sometimes see chaps on site installing stuff by rote without understanding (or wanting to) why it works, a domestic spark will be connecting a heating system for instance and they will have a dog eared drawing by the side of them showing what colour on the 3 port valve goes to what, they will connect it correctly as per drawing and if all the parts are good, it'll work, but if it doesn't work they will not know where to start.

I suppose the missing thing is, is the internal need to understand why it works, rather than just accepting that you connect it like this, and it works.

So moving on, if you are alright at fault finding in one sector/environment, then you have a good starting point, you need to learn how the stuff in your new environment works, any specific fault finding procedures to it, possible pitfalls with it, and the common points of failure etc, but if you have the basic ability to fault find then learning how new bits of equipment work is something that can be done

 

[Sharpend]

I’ll second that @Phoenix the number of times I’ve worked with people that think they’re great cos they can install real good only to find they’re lost once power is actually connected and it doesn’t work. 

Have to be honest whilst I’m happiest when sorting problems I’m just tired of sorting what should be installed correctly in the first place.  

 

[rapparee]

I wouldn't be too worried about PLCs, you can't really be expected to be proficient in programming right away.

But tell me, would you be able to read a set of drawings of a control panel.

I do maintenance in a factory. I've been doing it eleven years and have been responsible for two factories on my own for two years now.

You have to be able to have thick skin. When a machine stops, you will be the worst person in the world if the fault is electrical. 

 

[binky]

I’m just tired of sorting what should be installed correctly in the first place.  

 have to say I get fed up with that nonsense these days,  especially DiY or builders work...

 

[rapparee]

 have to say I get fed up with that nonsense these days,  especially DiY or builders work...

You're still getting paid.

No point letting emotions come into it.

 

[Tony S]

Harking back to Rap’s comment: the maintenance department is seen by management as a waste of resources. That is until things go wrong then you become a god.

Once the repair is complete there will be an autopsy with production and maintenance each blaming the other.

Once that is over everything reverts to normal, you become a waste of resources again.

As for PLC’s, if your employer needs you to work on PLC’s it’s up to them to provide training.

 

[Tony Soprano]

Thanks for all the input guys. I can fault find. But I haven’t had to do it with anything too technical. Just general power and Lighting. And drawings I can read. I have had experience installing equipment for MRI and CT scanners in hospitals. Installing the control panels etc. Stop start circuits, Stop buttons. I am going to have to learn how the machines operate in a maintenance setting, but I am prepared for that. I just need to find somewhere that will be willing to take me on with mainly Installation Experience and give me the chance to pick it up. 

 

[Tony S]

Have a look here:

 

[roys]

In my opinion, a maintenance person should be able to draw out and explain a DOL starter without having to think about it too much, been asked and have asked from the other side of the interview table many times, as it demonstrates a good understanding of basic circuit logic.

As above re PLC's I can read ladder logic, but it's been a while since I have programmed a PLC and I would struggle to do it now without training which ain't going to happen because I'm retired. Really is a skill that is a use it or loose it, and each manufacturer has its differences.

Maintenace men are usually regarded by production as a nessacary evil, 

 

[Sharpend]

 have to say I get fed up with that nonsense these days,  especially DiY or builders work...

I don’t get diyers as I don’t go near them, I’m talking about so called qualified sparks being paid the same as me!! 

 

[binky]

You're still getting paid.

No point letting emotions come into it.

Not usually on a day rate, normally fixed rice for a job, so finding it's a pile of lettuced costs me money, albeit I'm well practised at overcoming nonsense!

I don’t get diyers as I don’t go near them, I’m talking about so called qualified sparks being paid the same as me!! 

Had a few of those as well, I do a bit of school work where everyman and his dog has butchered the original installation in the name of cost!

 

[Sharpend]

Had a few of those as well, I do a bit of school work where everyman and his dog has butchered the original installation in the name of cost!

Often the way on existing jobs but I get this on new installs what do they teach them in the past 5-10 yrs??