Note
When the Annual Inspection Finds a Fault
A routine annual inspection goes one of two ways. The technician arrives, completes the checks, records the expected measurements, and leaves with a signed report. Or they arrive and find something: an inverter showing a fault code, a row of LED fixtures where three units have failed, corrosion on a junction box after 14 months.
What to do when the annual inspection finds a fault requires a clear sequence: categorize the finding, assess warranty coverage, document it on the day, and communicate it in writing before leaving the site.
What kinds of faults appear during annual inspections?
Four categories cover most of what a technician encounters during a scheduled inspection at a factory electrical installation.
Performance issues. The system is producing less than what was measured at commissioning: energy output for solar, illuminance readings for LED. Some degradation over time is normal. Degradation outside the expected tolerance range is a finding.
Equipment failures. A component has stopped working: an inverter offline, a string disconnected, a fixture that is not responding. Unlike performance issues, equipment failures are usually identifiable as a specific item that needs replacement or remediation.
Installation condition issues. Something in the installation has deteriorated in a way that is not normal for the age and environment. Corroded terminals in a junction box rated for outdoor use, conduit that has separated at a fitting, cable tray that has worked loose from its mounting. These may or may not be the contractor’s responsibility, depending on cause.
Non-conformances. The installation does not match the handover documentation: a wrong label, a circuit that differs from the as-built drawing. This category often surfaces when the annual inspection is the first careful look at the site since commissioning.
Is the finding covered under warranty?
This is the question the customer will ask, and the contractor needs an answer before leaving the site.
Warranty coverage depends on three things.
Elapsed time. Workmanship warranties on Thai factory electrical installations commonly run 12 months from the signed handover date. Equipment warranties differ by product: inverters often carry 5 to 10 years from the manufacturer, LED fixtures 3 to 5 years. A finding at month 14 may fall outside the workmanship period while still being inside the manufacturer’s warranty.
Failure mode. The warranty covers manufacturing defects and installation errors. It does not cover physical damage from the customer’s staff, contamination from the production process, or deterioration from an environment outside the specification. A junction box corroded by chemical fumes from a line the contractor was not told about differs from one corroded by condensation on a standard outdoor installation.
Documentation. If the original handover file records serial numbers, installation date, and warranty terms, the coverage question has a starting point. If that documentation is not accessible when the technician calls in, the conversation becomes difficult at the moment it needs to be straightforward.
A worked example: a solar system installed 14 months ago shows one inverter offline. The contractor’s workmanship period (12 months) has passed, but the inverter’s five-year manufacturer warranty may still apply. The contractor may not bear the repair cost, but they may need to manage the claim, which requires the original purchase documentation and commissioning record.
What to capture before leaving the site
Whether or not the finding can be remedied on the same visit, the documentation must be completed before the technician leaves.
- Photograph of the fault, damage, or measurement, with a note identifying the specific piece of equipment and its location in the building
- Equipment serial number or circuit reference, taken from the label or from the site record
- Fault code or symptom in the technician’s own words: what the system is doing, what it should be doing
- Date and time the finding was recorded
- Whether the system is fully offline, partially operational, or operational with a degraded element
This record is the starting point for every conversation that follows: with the customer, with the manufacturer if a warranty claim is involved, and with the scheduling team for the follow-up visit.
How should you communicate the finding to the customer?
A verbal update to the factory contact at the time of inspection is not the record. The inspection report is the record.
For a site where a finding is made, the inspection report includes:
- The standard inspection checklist, completed and signed
- A named section for findings, with one entry per finding
- For each finding: category, description, your assessment of warranty coverage, proposed next step, and expected timeline
The proposed next step matters. If the finding was remedied on the same visit, the report records that. If a return visit is needed, the report names who schedules it and what the customer can expect. If the finding is the customer’s responsibility, stating that clearly before any invoice arrives is far better than raising it later.
Can you sign off an inspection that has an open finding?
For minor findings that do not affect safety or system function, the inspection can close with a noted exception. The report lists the finding and records that a follow-up is scheduled. The customer’s representative signs the inspection as complete with the open item documented.
For findings that affect safety (exposed wiring, earthing failure, damaged protection equipment) or render the system non-functional, the inspection cannot close cleanly. The customer needs to understand what is happening and why, in writing, before the technician leaves.
The default should be: anything involving the electrical safety of the installation, the building occupants, or the grid connection is not a noted item. It is an immediate notification to the customer and an open job that needs assignment and a date.
FAQ
What if the customer insists the fault should be fixed at no charge even though the warranty has expired?
State your position in writing and reference the handover documentation. If the warranty terms were recorded and signed at handover, that record is the basis for the conversation. Verbal assurances not in the signed documentation are not binding. Document the customer’s claim and respond in writing.
What if the fault was caused by the customer’s own staff or operations?
Document the evidence before remediation. Photographs showing the cause (physical damage, chemical contamination, an unauthorized modification) protect you if the customer later disputes liability. Offer to remediate as a billable job and put that offer in writing with the photos attached.
Does an open finding from one inspection affect the next inspection date?
The scheduled inspection date is set by the installation date and the regulatory cycle, not by whether the previous inspection had findings. A follow-up remediation visit is a separate job order. Both need to be visible in the site register so neither is missed.
For every closed site, TRACE 30 keeps the installation date, signed handover date, warranty expiry, and next inspection date in a single register. When the annual inspection turns up a finding, the technician in the field has access to serial numbers, warranty documentation, and the installation record without calling the office. Find out how the program works at /program/ or book a short call.