Keeping Electrical & Communication Systems Running in Cold Weather

Industrial and commercial sites operating in cold-weather regions face a unique set of challenges when it comes to keeping electrical and communication systems fully functional. At Chermik Technical Services, we understand that reliable infrastructure means more than just installing cable and power: it means designing, constructing and maintaining systems with the entire environment in mind. In this post, we’ll explore how extreme cold affects cabling, electrical panels and communication/ fibre systems, and what best practices can be leveraged to keep systems running, even when the mercury drops.

How Extreme Cold Affects Cabling

Thermal contraction and brittleness
Cables, whether power or fibre optic, are subject to temperature extremes. In very cold conditions, insulating materials can become more rigid and brittle. This brittleness increases risk of cracking, especially where cables are flexed, bundled, or subject to vibration. In addition, the metal conductors may contract, which can increase joint stresses or loosen connections over time.

Moisture intrusion and freezing
Cold weather often goes hand-in-hand with condensation, freeze-thaw cycles, and potential infiltration of moisture in cable ducts or conduits. Once moisture is inside a conduit or cable tray, freezing can cause expansion, which may compromise the cable sheath, connectors or splices.

Reduced flexibility and installation difficulties
During installation in winter, cable pulling becomes more difficult when insulation materials are cold and rigid. This can lead to increased tension, higher risk of damage at sharp bends or terminations, or even improper terminations if materials stiffen during cure or seating.

Signal degradation for communication cables
For fibre optic or data cabling, cold temperatures can impact the mechanical buffering materials and jacket integrity, which may lead to microbends or mechanical stress on fibres, ultimately degrading the signal, increasing attenuation or causing intermittent faults.

Best practices

• Select cable jackets, insulations and sheath materials rated for low-temperature performance (e.g., -40 °C and below) so the material remains flexible and durable in cold environments.
• Ensure proper sizing of conduits, allowance for expansion/contraction, and protection of cable trays from direct exposure to severe environmental extremes.
• Use sealed, moisture-resistant boots or conduits in outdoor transitions or entry points to prevent water ingress and freezing.
• Pre‐install or stage cable pulling in milder conditions if possible; use heated enclosures or warming blankets for pull-throughs in extreme cold.
• At transition points (indoor/outdoor, heated/unheated) include expansion loops or slack to accommodate material movement without stressing the cable.
• For fibre and communication systems, utilize bend-insensitive fibres, ruggedized jackets, and ensure splicing environments are controlled and free from cold-related shrinkage or contraction.

These practices align with Chermik’s approach to designing infrastructure built for Alberta’s critical industries including harsh climates.

Effects on Electrical Panels, Distribution & Power Systems

Thermal stresses on equipment
Electrical distribution equipment, switchgear, panels, breakers, busbars, can face thermal contraction or expansion issues in cold climates. Materials may become more brittle, gaskets and seals may shrink, and lubricants may thicken, affecting moving parts like breaker toggles or transfer switches.

Reduced battery/UPS performance
In backup power systems (generators, UPS, batteries), cold can reduce battery capacity, slow chemical reactions, and lower reserve power availability. This is problematic when systems already operate under higher loads. Chermik explicitly offers backup power systems including generators and UPS for mission‐critical operations. 

Conduit and cable tray risks
As with cabling, electrical conduits, trays and raceways in cold zones could accumulate ice, condensation, or snow infiltration, particularly in outdoor installations. This can cause insulation breakdown, corrosion, or hidden water ingress that eventually freezes and expands.

Control and instrumentation vulnerabilities
Instrumentation, fire alarm control systems, and other low-voltage systems installed outdoors or in unconditioned enclosures may face mis-operation or failure due to cold, moisture, or frost accumulation. Chermik lists “instrumentation and electrical heat tracing” in its service suite. 

Best practices

• Use enclosures rated for the low-temperature environment (e.g., NEMA 4/4X, UL rating to -40 °C) or install heaters/thermostats inside exterior cabinets to maintain operational temperature.
• For standby power systems, locate batteries in heated, ventilated enclosures; consider thermal insulation or supplementary heating to maintain battery health.
• Incorporate electrical heat tracing on outdoor conduits and distribution lines where icing or snow accumulation is probable.
• Ensure that seals, gaskets, and penetrations are rated for cold weather and remain flexible; schedule regular inspection for shrinkage or degradation.
• Plan for maintenance windows in colder months, and stock up on replacement parts for moving components (e.g., breaker handles, latches) which may wear faster due to cold-weather stresses.
• For instrumentation and control systems, ensure cables, sensors and transmitters are tolerant to cold; route critical cables away from chilled air paths or cold surfaces to avoid condensation/freeze issues.

By applying these measures, commercial and industrial facilities benefit from the kind of reliable electrical infrastructure built to perform safely and efficiently for years to come that Chermik emphasizes.

Communication and Integrated Systems in Cold Climates

With the convergence of power and communication infrastructure, cold-weather impacts on integrated systems must be treated comprehensively. As Chermik states: Today’s infrastructure demands seamless integration between communication and electrical systems.

Risk areas

• Outdoor fibre terminations or cabinets may face ice/frost formation, sealing issues, or micro‐cracking of fibre ends due to thermal cycling.
• Data centres or telecom rooms housed in unconditioned or partially conditioned spaces may face ambient temperature swings, humidity and freeze/thaw cycles which impact equipment reliability.
• Converged systems (powered fibre, CCTV, WiFi/DAS) installed outdoors or in remote nodes may rely on both power and data cabling, making them doubly vulnerable to cold-related failures.
• Outdoor communication towers, enclosures and junction boxes may develop condensation or frost that introduces shorts, corrosion or mechanical failures.

Best practices

• Use outdoor-rated, weather-hardened enclosures for communication and integrated equipment; ensure thermal management (heaters, thermostats, de-icers) is incorporated for equipment down-time protection.
• In remote or exposed installations, consider powered fibre solutions (which deliver both data and low-voltage power) so that power and communication redundancy is designed for cold-weather resilience. Chermik offers this service.
• Maintain separate but coordinated maintenance plans for both electrical and communications systems, recognizing their interdependence in integrated deployments.
• When designing new builds or retrofits, incorporate end-to-end planning for mechanical protection (cable trays, conduits, enclosures), environmental protection (heating, insulation, humidity control) and monitoring/maintenance regimes for winter conditions.
• For mission-critical systems (emergency communications, security, surveillance) in cold climates, implement redundancy, remote monitoring and pre-winter commissioning checks to verify integrity of both power and communication paths.

Why Chermik Is a Strong Partner for Cold‐Weather Infrastructure

Since 1993, Chermik has built a reputation in Alberta for delivering integrated fibre, electrical and power distribution solutions in demanding project environments. The company emphasizes:

• A collaborative, client-first approach focused on long-term performance. 
• Specialized electrical services including high-voltage installations, underground distribution, system retrofits, and backed-up power systems. 
• Fibre and communication services tailored for complex industrial, transportation and municipal projects, including design, deployment, splicing, testing and maintenance. 
• Fully integrated solutions that combine electrical and communication infrastructures, minimizing complexity and long-term risk. 

In cold-weather environments like Alberta’s, this integrated capability means one partner (Chermik) handles both the power side and the communications side, ensuring the full system is designed and installed to perform under winter conditions.

Key Checklist for Cold-Weather Infrastructure Readiness

• Verify all cable, conduit and tray systems are rated for low ambient temperatures.
• Inspect outdoor cabinets and enclosures for insulation, heaters or thermostats; upgrade if needed.
• Review battery/UPS installations and ensure they’re located in conditioned spaces or appropriately protected.
• Conduct pre-winter commissioning: test breakers, protective devices, panel heaters, communications cabinets, fibre terminations, remote nodes.
• Establish winter maintenance schedules for checking conduit seals, frost accumulation, moisture ingress, and verifying proper operation of heater/thermostat systems.
• Coordinate power and communication maintenance teams to ensure integrated systems (CCTV, emergency comms, WiFi/DAS) are verified for the full winter season.
• Keep spares and replacement parts for cold-weather wear-points (gaskets, seals, breaker handles, door latches, fibre junction closures) on-site or quickly accessible.
• Document all installations, environmental ratings, and maintenance history to support future troubleshooting and warranty/asset-management conversations.

Conclusion

Cold weather shouldn’t mean compromised infrastructure. For industrial, commercial or infrastructure / transportation sites in Alberta or similarly harsh climates, designing and maintaining electrical and communication systems with winter conditions in mind is essential. At Chermik Technical Services, our approach, spanning fibre, electrical and integrated connected infrastructure, ensures that your systems are built to perform reliably year-round, even when temperatures drop. Using winter-resilient materials, proactive design, coordinated installation and disciplined maintenance, you can keep your operations connected, powered and protected throughout Alberta’s toughest months.

If you are planning a new build, retrofit or winter-readiness review of your electrical or communication infrastructure, our team is ready to partner with you. Reach out to Chermik today to discuss how we can help ensure your systems are winter-proof.