Electrical work can affect technology systems even when nobody touches the AV rack directly.

A circuit may be switched off. A breaker may trip. A UPS may be bypassed. A power supply may be moved. A cable route may be disturbed. A surge event may occur. A DB change may affect a lighting module, access point, camera, amplifier or control processor.

After electrical work, AV systems should be tested.

Power is part of the system

AV, CCTV, networking and automation are not separate from the electrical installation.

They depend on stable power, correct circuits, backup protection and clean recovery after outages. If electrical work changes those conditions, the technology system may behave differently.

The fault may not appear immediately.

It may show up later as intermittent dropouts, missing cameras, failed sources or devices that do not restart properly.

Testing should include more than switching on

Seeing lights on the equipment does not prove the system is healthy.

TVs should be tested with real sources. Cameras should be checked for live view and recording. Access points should be online. Control processors should communicate. Audio zones should play. Touch panels and apps should respond.

The test should match how the client uses the system.

Load shedding makes this more important

In South Africa, power behaviour is already complicated.

Homes and businesses may have inverters, solar, generators, UPS units and multiple essential or non-essential circuits. Electrical work can change how equipment behaves during power transitions.

If the AV system is not checked afterwards, the client may only discover the problem during the next outage.

Electrical and AV teams should communicate

The electrician may not know which plug feeds the automation processor or which circuit supports the network rack.

The AV team may not know that DB work is happening unless somebody tells them. Coordination prevents accidental downtime and helps both teams protect the client’s system.

DG Technologies’ view

DG Technologies recommends testing important technology systems after electrical work.

The goal is not to create unnecessary callouts.

The goal is to catch small power-related problems before they become urgent support issues.