Most changes without a visit
Scenes, schedules, users and detection zones adjusted remotely, usually the same day, instead of waiting for a call-out slot and paying for travel.
Derby · Remote and in-person support
Maintenance PackagesIn Derby That Keep TheSystem Working In Year Five
Remote diagnostics, scheduled checks and in-person visits so scenes, schedules and safety devices keep doing what they were commissioned to do — with most changes handled without anyone travelling to you.
Remote and in-person support · 16+ years of installation and commissioning experience · Emergency support available on request
16+ years
Domestic, commercial and industrial experience
Full Scope
NAPIT registered for all aspects of electrical work
6-year
NAPIT-backed workmanship guarantee on qualifying installs
£10m
Public and employers' liability cover
Free
Initial consultation, no obligation
The service
Handover is the start of the system's life, not the end of the job
A maintenance package covers the ongoing care of a system after installation: remote monitoring and diagnostics, scheduled checks of the parts that quietly degrade, software and firmware updates applied deliberately rather than automatically, and configuration changes as the way you use the building changes.
Most of it happens remotely. A new lighting scene, a revised heating schedule for a changed working pattern, an added user on the access system, a camera detection zone that needs narrowing — these are configuration jobs that we handle without a van leaving Derby, which is faster for you and cheaper than a call-out.
The in-person side covers what genuinely needs hands: periodic electrical inspection, checking actuators and valve heads on heating systems, verifying camera focus and cleanliness, testing alarm devices and batteries, and looking inside racks and panels for the heat and dust problems that shorten equipment life.
Who this is for
- Clients with an automation, lighting or heating control system installed by us or by others
- Owners whose household routine has changed and whose schedules no longer match it
- Properties with CCTV, alarms and access control that need periodic verification
- Commercial premises needing scheduled checks and someone accountable for the controls
- Landlords and property managers needing testing and support across several properties
- Anyone left with a system nobody supports because the original installer moved on
What it costs to leave it
Unmaintained systems do not break; they slowly stop being used
Degradation in a control system is gradual and easy to tolerate. One scene stops matching the room after a lamp is changed. A heating schedule no longer fits the household's routine. One camera has drifted slightly out of focus. Individually each is minor, and each gets worked around instead of fixed. Eventually the family stops using the automation and drives everything manually, having paid for a system that is now decoration.
Failures that stay hidden are more expensive. A blocked or unventilated rack running hot shortens the life of everything inside it. A heating actuator stuck open heats a room all winter with no error message anywhere. A backup battery in an alarm panel reaching end of life fails silently until the day the power goes off. None of these announce themselves; all are found by looking.
The other risk is knowledge loss. Systems with no documented configuration and no supporting contractor become a liability at the point of sale or handover, where a buyer or a new facilities team inherits something nobody can explain. Maintaining the documentation alongside the system is part of keeping its value.
Mistakes we get called out to fix
- Assuming a commissioned system needs nothing further for the next decade
- Applying firmware updates blindly, or never applying them at all
- Working around a scene or schedule that no longer fits instead of having it changed
- Leaving racks and panels sealed, unventilated and full of dust
- No periodic inspection of the fixed electrical installation behind the system
- Losing the as-installed documentation, making every future change an investigation
How the job runs
A fixed sequence, so nothing
gets decided on the fly
01
System review
We review what is installed, how it is configured and what documentation exists, whether we installed it or inherited it from another contractor.
02
Agree the package
Scope, visit frequency, response expectations and what is handled remotely versus on site, set out in writing so there is no ambiguity later.
03
Remote monitoring
Secure remote access for diagnostics, health checks and configuration changes, so most requests are resolved the same day without a site visit.
04
Scheduled visits
Periodic on-site checks of actuators, sensors, batteries, camera focus, rack ventilation and the fixed electrical installation where included.
05
Report and update
Findings, changes and any recommendations documented, with configuration records kept current so the system stays understandable.
What you actually get
Measurable outcomes, not adjectives
Problems found before they bite
Scheduled checks catch stuck actuators, hot racks, ageing batteries and drifting cameras while they are still routine maintenance rather than emergencies.
A system that keeps being used
Configuration that follows your actual routine means the automation continues earning its place instead of being overridden manually within two years.
Updates applied deliberately
Firmware and software updated in a controlled way, tested against your configuration, rather than arriving unannounced and breaking a scene overnight.
Documentation kept current
Configuration and as-installed records maintained, which protects the value of the system at sale or at handover to a new facilities team.
Support you can reach
A named contractor who knows your system, with emergency and out-of-hours support available on request for automation and commercial clients.
In detail
What is covered, how remote support works and commercial agreements
Maintenance is only useful if the scope is clear. Below is what our packages typically include across domestic automation and commercial systems in Derby and the East Midlands.
Remote support and diagnostics
Secure remote access is the backbone of the service. It means faults are diagnosed before anyone travels, and most configuration changes are completed the same day.
- Controller health checks and error log review
- Scene, schedule and automation rule changes on request
- User administration for access control and app accounts
- Camera detection zone and notification adjustments
- Heating setpoint, schedule and seasonal changeover configuration
- Diagnosis before dispatch, so a visit only happens when it is genuinely needed
On-site scheduled checks
Some things only reveal themselves in person. Heat, dust, mechanical wear and physical drift are the causes behind most gradual system decline.
- Heating actuators, valve heads and manifold operation verified per zone
- Camera focus, framing, cleanliness and night performance checked
- Alarm devices, sounders and backup batteries tested
- Rack and panel inspection for heat, dust and connection integrity
- Lighting driver and dimmer checks including scene trim verification
- Consumer unit and protective device checks with RCD testing where included
Electrical maintenance
The control system sits on top of a fixed electrical installation, and that installation has its own inspection requirements independent of the automation.
- Periodic inspection and EICRs scheduled at the correct intervals
- PAT testing for commercial premises and rented property
- Emergency lighting testing and certification for commercial sites
- Remedial work quoted separately and re-certified after completion
- Portfolio scheduling for landlords and property managers
Domestic versus commercial agreements
Households want responsiveness and someone who knows their system. Commercial clients need defined scope, records and predictable scheduling around operations.
- Domestic: remote changes on request plus an annual or periodic on-site check
- Commercial: scheduled visits, documented reports and defined response expectations
- Alarm and fault notification routed to the right people on your team
- Works planned around trading hours, shifts and shutdown windows
- Emergency and out-of-hours support available on request
Before you enquire
Maintenance packages questions,
answered straight
How much does a maintenance package cost?
It depends on the size and type of system and how many on-site visits are included, so we price per agreement rather than publishing a rate. We will set the scope out in writing before you commit to anything.
Do you maintain systems installed by someone else?
Yes, subject to a review first. We need to understand what is installed and how it is configured before taking responsibility for it, and we will tell you honestly if something is not supportable.
How quickly do you respond?
Most remote requests are handled the same or next working day. Response expectations for on-site attendance are agreed as part of the package rather than left vague.
Can changes really be made without a visit?
For configuration, yes — scenes, schedules, users, notifications and detection zones are all changed remotely. Anything physical, such as a failed actuator or a camera adjustment, needs a visit.
Do you cover emergencies and out-of-hours faults?
Emergency and out-of-hours support is available on request for automation and commercial clients. It is not sold as a standard guaranteed service, but ask and we will tell you exactly what we can commit to.
What is checked on a scheduled visit?
Actuators and valve heads, alarm devices and batteries, camera focus and framing, rack and panel condition, lighting drivers and scene trims, and the electrical items included in your agreement.
Does maintenance include the EICR?
It can be included in the agreement, along with PAT testing and emergency lighting testing for commercial premises. Any remedial work arising is quoted separately.
How long does a control system last with maintenance?
Cabling and infrastructure last decades. Controllers and interfaces are updated in software, and the wearing parts — actuators, batteries, drivers — are replaced individually as they age rather than as a system replacement.
What guarantee applies to work carried out under maintenance?
Qualifying installation work carries a 6-year NAPIT-backed workmanship guarantee, with a minimum one-year guarantee on other work. We hold £10m public liability and £10m employers' liability cover.
Which areas do you cover?
Derby, Duffield, Belper, Ilkeston, Long Eaton, Ripley, Ashbourne, Matlock, Burton upon Trent, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield and the wider East Midlands.
Related services
Where we work
Derby · Nottingham · Duffield · Belper · Burton upon Trent · Sheffield · Ilkeston · Long Eaton and the wider East Midlands. See areas covered, read more about the company or return to the homepage.
Keep the system working
the way it was commissioned
Tell us what is installed and we will review it, set out a maintenance scope in writing, and take responsibility for keeping it right.
NAPIT Full Scope · Official Loxone Partner · 6-year workmanship guarantee on qualifying installations · £10m public liability