That's what I did for a good portion of my career for several different companies. It's either balls to the wall busy, or endless days of boredom. I will say, however, that I got to learn more than I ever would have if I had not had the job as a maintenance electrician. Everything from where the primary came into the building, to the machines, motors, PLC's, computers, and electronics.

 

I am. It took a while to get used to but mainly because I felt so dumb. I had always heard the stories about maintenance guys just changing light bulbs, and here I was, a big time Inside Journeyman wireman...I was going to take them by storm. There is a lot to it but if you show the hustle, you get plenty of help, and eventually learn.

 

Yeah , when the time comes I believe Im gonna go for it. I need the ability to climb up some sort of position ladder too because where I am now Ive been in the same position with no more room to grow. Plus I sure could use some benefits.

 

I've had some pretty good offers from some of the plants we work in, but I don't know if I could handle it. Seeing the same people, the same equipment in the same building day after day after day.

 

It works out pretty well. Most of the faces, I enjoy seeing every day. The equipment is usually similar and so the work gets easier. Yes, easier. However, it is a necessary job and I enjoy going in. Every day, while on my way in I always yell to someone, "Man, it's great to be back." It is like any job, it is what you make it...a place to have a payday.

 

I used to always say that I would never take a maintenance job but the experience I gained once I made the jump was invaluable. If you work for a decent company you'll learn PLC's drives, machine design and repair. Plus they will pay for a lot of your training. Also most of my clients I have now are managers, engineers and fellow technicians I met at my maintenance job and now they are running other businesses.

 

I did a lot of work at a large hospital as an outside contractor to do a lot of the renovations. I worked hand in hand with the head of the electrical department, we got to be good friends. He offered me a job, but I declined. The money was good, but there were two main issues I had. The first was that most of the men spent half the time changing lamps and ballasts, something I was not eager to do. Second, the men were all slugs, their goal was to run out the clock. They would show me what they were doing, how they had work orders from weeks before because that's just what they did. Even if they had time, they would wait it out. If they had 4 tasks to do that day, they would do one, then save the other 3 for the next 3 days. And no, they weren't union. We were and they complained that we worked way too fast.

 

Been a maintanence electrician for 10 years. After a year of training, spent the next 8 on a rotating shift working primarily alone. I actually got to like the shift work. That is something you need to consider though. Lots plants run 24/7, some keep electricians on all shifts and some use a callout system. Lots of people have trouble with the shift work, especially spouses.

 

Is anyone here an electrical maintenance guy? If so I was wondering how they like their job versus being out in the field. I was considering a new job opportunity and wanted a little insight.

I was a maintenance electrician for several different companies for @ 10 years, and like any other job it has it's pros and cons. Initially, the learning curve is steep, but after a couple of years of experience and training things can become a little boring.

After booming for 7 or 8 years it was nice to be home all the time, and the work was interesting. If you work for a company of any size, they will train you to work on the equipment they use. You might receive training on PLCs, distributive control systems, drives, NEC, safety, etc. You will also get to learn how the facility works in order to help design and maintain control systems.

After the new wears off, like anything else it becomes the same old routine. You have to ask yourself if you can handle doing the same thing every day for the rest of your life. Day in, day out, the same thing at the same place. If your okay with that, a maintenance job may be just the thing for you.

For me, maintenance didn't work for three reasons:

First, boredom. Even in a large facility, sooner or later you will have worked on everything there is to work on. Then it just becomes repetition. Sure, technology changes and you have to keep up, but ultimately its still the same old, same old. Whether its calibrating an I/P or preforming a laser alignment on a 4000HP motor, you can guarantee you'll be doing it again sometime in the future. No sense of accomplishment like you get building something. I can drive by something I wired 25 years ago, and still feel proud of what I did. Still feel connected to that place or job. In Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas or Maine....I can still point at that building or site and say "I did that!" To me, that's one of the greatest feelings there is, and why I stay in the trade.

Secondly, being "the go to guy". If you are good at your job and care about what you do, it shows. Managers and supervisors will capitalize on that. Most maintenance jobs involve some sort of production, and minimal downtime is key; if the plant/mill/unit/whatever is down, money is being lost. Regardless of senority, call schedules, etc. if a boss knows you can fix the problem they call you. If you allow it, they will work you into the ground. It's a bit of a Catch 22, do the best job you can, and they overwork you in return.

Finally, politics. Depending on the size of the company you work for, this can be a major factor. Having to put up with the same idiots telling you what to do, watching what you say so you don't piss off the wrong person, having to do things you disagree with because it's company policy, that type of stuff. The larger the company, the worse it is. You have to look at the person next to you and think, "can I work side by side with him for the next 20 or 30 years without choking him?" It's true you have to put up with this sort of stuff regardless of what you do or where you work, but at least in construction it can be different morons everyday.

Anyway, that's a few of the things you may want to consider before taking the job.

 

I have spent about half of my 35 year carrer doing plant maintenance. Like others have said there are good points and bad points to working maintenance. The worst for me was that after a while I would start to get bored. This was because either I was not learning anything new or because of the constant repetition of doing the same things over and over again. I really….really hate doing PMs and fixing the same problems over and over again.
Challenge me, I thrive on it and if there were none I would move on.

 

I am a contractor but all my work is industrial maintenance repairing machinery. Never stuck in one plant, always traveling to another customer.
Never got bored because the customers always have different problems.
Learning something everyday. I also have to study everyday. Biggest drawback is no one pays for the education and courses are expensive.
Second drawback, is your on call 24/7, family vacations are hard to plan.

 

I worked for the same contractor for 8 years who provided me with a lot of schooling but not all of the opportunities to use my new knowledge. I ended up quitting and taking a job as an E&I tech at a chlorine plant. After 4 years of doing that, I'm back working for the same contractor. I now have a lot more opportunities, work with the same crew as before, and have way more knowledge in troubleshooting and instrument work. Working maintenance was a good experience and made me a much better electrician. Still not sure which I like better since both have their pro's and con's.

 

The key is ...what makes YOU happy... if your not satisfied where your at ..move on. I was in the field thru the 80's and 90's and really loved the work .. then for something more stable I took an inside maintenance job with a steel tubing plant, 55 gallon steel drum plant and now a plastic cutlery and straw plant I've learned so much more in the last 10 years it's been valuable to me. Now I have options. It's what makes YOU happy...Good luck man

 

I've worked as a maintenance electrician since getting out of the service. I have been at this shop 25+ years. I never worked construction but used to have a resi shop, licensed, that I ran when I was on nights. My job is basically firefighting to keep production up and running. I do get to do project work and install, debug and maintain all kinds of new and old equipment. There is a lot of overtime so if you have problems with that I would look elsewhere. Plus, the low guy usually gets stuck with the off shifts. Our plant is in the midst of a 65 million dollar expansion so we will be installing, and debugging new equipment. Overall I love this job and would not want to do anything else!

 

Same here. We will be gearing up for the production of our new vehicle soon. Our hours should go up. Around here it used to be 7-12's with spotty overtime.

 

Man, you guys gave some really good insight and I really do appreciate it. Like I said, Im gonna take it and see what happens. The worst that can happen is Ill leave and go elsewhere, right. Also in this sorry economy Ill take what I can get.Right now my weekly hours are headed south.

 

Be sure and let us know how it turned out. A maintenance job is a heck of a transition from construction; If my wife hadn't kept after me I would have quit the first week. Have patience, and a good attitude, and just remember, you are there for payday. Otherwise, why would you leave where you are?

 

Oil Rig ET

I jump from construction to maint about 15 years ago and have never looked back. Nothing better than trouble shooting. Being the go to guy. The job only gets boring if you let it. Rotation work is the best in for 4 weeks and home for 4 weeks. Paid to see the world.

Hope for the best expect the worst.

 

Were you at Michigan Truck?

 

No Woodhaven Stamping making all the truck parts. I was on the ERT and a member of the projects team so I traveled to a lot of other plants and probably would have considered staying if I had the same position in an assembly plant. Just hated the stamping environment, too loud plus the shaking all day from the presses slamming closed and the A-holes. But I did learn quit a bit more and loved the opportunity to troubleshoot and be the go too guy. Coming from the Navy Nuke program I Needed something to challenge my mind and the new equipment and opportunities I was afforded their were pretty good. No regrets and thanks to the buy out I was able to start my own company in Michigan.

 

How much do maintenance electricians make compared to construction electricians?

 

Back in 78 I went JW doing construction to Maintenance Electrician in a asbestos mine, IBEW to UMWA ,$13.00 to $28.00.

Depends on the industry as to what you make.

 

It's a great gig for the right people

I was a Maintenance Electrician for 20 years - and, for the most part - I loved it.

Everyday was different... sometimes you were met with the emergency of a machine broke down that had to be fixed RIGHT NOW, and other times it was more laid back.

I disagree about the job being boring at times (as someone mentioned in an earlier post) and the fact that sometimes there's little to do.

I took advantage of the "boring" and idle moments to test equipment in their optimum state. Meg motors, perform temperature checks, etc. I would keep a log on such things, so when a machine went down, I'd have a handle on what could be the problem.

The job also provides for - and requires - skills that aren't necessary applicable to many electricians. Similarities between the 2 trades include:

1. Knowledge of the NEC and practicing its guidelines
2. Knowledge of OSHA and practicing their guidelines
3. Professional Workmanship
4. Ability to read and comprehend electrical schematics

Differentiating Skills might include:
1. An understanding of Relay Logic (and logic in general as it relates to PLCs and Computers)
2. Comprehensive knowledge of AC/DC Drives
3. How to use an Oscilloscope
4. The ability to read and comprehend hydraulic/pneumatic schematics
5. The ability to apply the "Will Rogers Diplomacy" discipline when your superiors suspect to know so much more than you do

My advice: I say, go for it!

 

In our plant, even though you are pretty much "ON Call" to go anywhere in the plant, you typically have your own area of the plant to cover. It is so silly how when there is a bunch of breakdowns on your line and lost production, you work your butt off, and the other guy can sit and read the paper and the foremen look over at him and say that that line has been running good...he is a heck of an electrician. But, I guess that goes with the territory.

 

I worked out of the white room so I was always on the go helping the area guys with stuff they could not handle, working the cranes or doing projects. Filled in on the areas a few times but hated it you were either bored or working your butt of on break downs and stuck in one little area that was the worst.

 

i like it. you know where you'll be day to day. you will most likely be headed home when you should be.


wish i never left.

 

I agree with wdestar and others. I have been in maintenance for 18 yrs out of 23. In the factory work it is not boring. I go from a simple spot welder repair to a multimillion dollar stamping machine daily. PLC, CNC, building wiring, installing machines, it is great. Learned more at the factory than I ever did in 5 yrs at hospital. I too use slow times to observe machines running correctly so as to have a better ide of operation. It's hard to work on a machine if you don't know how it is supposed to operate and only see it when it is not running. Slow time is also used to get up to speed on new PLC's or study schematics of a new machine. The stamping line is Finnish and they use different terms than we do, so any time looking over it helps.

 

The most fun and rewarding thing I can remember in plant or factory maintenance and trouble shooting was the downtime. When we had down time we would take European schematics and redraw them in English fashion. I had a night shift guy that did this most all night every night until we had all in plant drawings. All schematics we could read easily. Physical drawings were saved but rarely used as they are difficult to read, and can get quite confusing.

We had at least one machine in the shop at all times. We were always rebuilding at least one piece of machinery. I mean tearing out all the wiring and only keeping the good electrical devices in reserve.
The mechanical dept did the same with all their parts. We took them down to their frames and sometimes had then sent off to be sand blasted and painted.

Then the electricians would start on new drawings or enhancing the drawings we had. We would have brainstorming sessions to see how we could improve on the design and operation of the machine. Make the machine ours. Make it so everyone could work or trouble shoot them.

So, our downtime was a creative time. It was the best time for us and the company.

 

I did 10 years of plant maintenance which I found extremely satisfying and for the most part fun. The pay is usually fairly good, the hours are for the most part set. If your with a good company the benefits would be pretty good, and normally it’s a 12 month a year job. The learning curve at the beginning was almost overwhelming but you stick with is a while then who knows how far you can go. Many larger companies have training and schooling programs anyone can get into, I made use of everyone I could get. Because of the maintenance I had the opportunity to advance much farther then I ever had a chance in construction. As a result I ended up where I wanted to be in my 50’s sitting at a desk getting a great pay with great benefits, having my supervisor asking me just what could the company do for me to make me happier (really not as easy of a question to answer as you might think)