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It may be the least exciting feature in your house, at least when it’s working properly. But if your switchboard is overloaded or past its use-by date, you could be in for all the wrong kinds of excitement.
Leck Electrical are your trusted and Registered Master Electrician with a $20,000 workmanship guarantee, let Leck be your go-to when it comes to anything switchboards.
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Older switchboards (also known as fuse box, power board or meter box) are often neglected, leading to outdated protection. The addition of new circuits over time can also cause overloading.
A new or upgraded switchboard, with overload and residual current protection, will protect your electrical wiring and appliances against overheating and expensive damage. More importantly, it will also protect you and your family against electric shock and fire risk.
When we install a new switchboard for you, it will be fully compliant with AS/NZS 3000, and we’ll take care of any ‘extras’ such as organising inspections and removing asbestos. We’ll also make sure the main earthing system is safe, and if it’s not, we’ll upgrade it at the same time.
If your switchboard has rewireable fuses instead of circuit breakers, it should be upgraded as soon as possible, as the copper fuse wires can be a significant safety hazard, especially if not rated correctly. Likewise, if you’re receiving shocks or hearing buzzing or sizzling noises from switches or appliances, get an electrician to check it ASAP.
In other cases, your switchboard – also known as the fuse box, power board or meter box – may give you some clues that an upgrade is due. These include:
If you’re renovating, consider upgrading your switchboard at the same time, especially if you’re adding extra rooms, power outlets or lights.
Your new recessed switchboard will look sleeker and cleaner and make your life easier. No more blown fuses or constantly tripping circuits. And you’ll rest easy knowing your electrical installations are safe, and safe to use. That’s because modern switchboards contain the following safety devices:
Circuit breakers
These clever electric safety devices detect and stop excess current in its tracks. They’re designed to trip a circuit to protect against overcurrent or short circuit (e.g., a wiring issue in an appliance).
Residual Current Device
This life-saving device will trip an electrical circuit where there is earth leakage (e.g., if you cut through a power cable and accidentally touch the exposed wires). It offers a level of personal protection that circuit breakers can’t provide, and it also protects your electrical equipment.
Arc fault detection device
An Arc Fault Detection Device (AFDD) provides an extra layer of protection by monitoring electrical arcs. If it detects abnormal or dangerous arcs (e.g., caused by loose connections, crushed cables or worn insulation), it will cut the electricity supply to stop the fault getting hot enough to cause a fire.
AFDD-RCBO
This all-in-one circuit breaker, RCD and AFDD is especially useful where it might be difficult to rewire parts of a property, or where there’s a higher risk of fire, such as an older building or storage shed for timber or other flammable materials. It costs more to install AFDD-RCBOs, but they give the most protection.
Main Earth & Multiple Earthed Neutral system (MEN)
This is the most important safety feature of any electrical installation. It usually consists of an earth peg and a green/yellow cable that connects your electrical installation to a mass of earth. This is what enables all the devices described above to isolate any defective electrical equipment and protect you from electric shock.
Electrical inspection
Most new switchboards and some upgrades or replacement of switchboards must have an inspection by a registered electrical inspector. We can organise this for you.
If you’re unsure how old your switchboard is or you think it needs an upgrade, get in touch. Click here to send us a message, or call us on 0508 GET LECK (438 532).
Call Bryce now on 09 6241875 to book your switchboard health check now.
"An excellent company to deal with. The communication was prompt and the work completed by Mitchell and his apprentice was done efficiently and to a high standard. Highly recommend."
"I have used Leck for all my electrical needs for many years and cannot rate them highly enough! Nothing is too much trouble, all their electricians are very personable and go above an beyond to provide an excellent service, and Sam was no exception. Bryce is also super helpful and has imparted some great advice to me over the years. Thanks Leck for always making my life easy when it comes to anything electrical!"
"I have been using Leck Electrical for many years for large and small jobs on my own home and rentals. Bryce & his team are great to deal with. They are reliable, friendly & responsive and have always done a great job for me. I highly recommend them, they will go the extra mile. "
"We have used, and recommended, Leck Electrical for some years now. Bryce and the team are consummate professionals in every way and each time we’ve used them I’ve been compelled to call Bryce to remark on the quality of the people doing the job. Great tradies are hard to find and these guys and gals are precisely that!"
"Both professional and personable which made for a good experience and excellent outcome to our electrical fault. Mitch explained exactly what was wrong and what he was planning to do to fix. Consistent with last time we used Leck Electrical and will definitely use again. "