What services does a commercial electrician provide?

Every single property may be different, but they all have one similar quality – they all have a switchboard. The switchboard is a central ‘motherboard’ for your home or commercial property which connects and centralises all your electrical system elements. The switchboard is supposed to direct electricity from the main power grid and put it where it needs to go, when it’s needed around the property. It’s important to make sure that it’s working at the highest standard at all times, and we can help you with general electrical maintenance, but there are new regulations which can help you. It’s called a switchboard upgrade and you may not know it, but you might need it. All you need to do is call an electrician trained in switchboard upgrades to handle everything for you.

Why do I need a switchboard upgrade?

This is all about safety! For the people on your property and for the safety of the property. Older switchboards are just not good enough at keeping up with our modern electrical supply needs. You might be at risk, and you may not even know it. Or maybe, you have realised some signs of a less functional electrical system and that could be reason enough to call a professional electrician in immediately. To ensure that your household isn’t at any risk from an old switchboard, it is very important to call a pro to assess whether it is time for an upgrade. If you already haven’t done a switchboard upgrade, here are a few indicators that you should call someone to get started on it:

• Older switchboards have a higher likelihood that it will get overloaded
• Upgraded switchboards have a lower fire risk because they have inbuilt safety switches
• Upgraded switchboards also have lower shock and electrocution risks
• If you experience frequent short circuiting, you might need an upgrade to drastically reduce their occurrence
• Older-style switchboards are not always conducive with new smart meters
• Mornington Peninsula residents looking to solar power solutions might require newer switchboards to function

How do I know if my switchboard needs upgrading?

Old homes probably have old switchboards: If your home is older, or you are unsure as to when your switchboard was installed, get an electrician to take a look. There’s also a high chance that the wiring is old too. Modern wiring is white, so if you have wires that are black or grey, then you need a switchboard part replacement immediately.

Flickering lights are also warning lights: If things are flickering, it means that they aren’t doing they’re job of just staying on all the time. This is a problem because it means something is loose or disconnected. Flickering lights can be a sign of loose wiring in a damaged or old switchboard. Speak to one of our lighting experts if you are ever concerned about flickering lights in your switchboard or even in your home.

The wiring shouldn’t be overcrowded: Many wires are normal, but too many to the point where the switchboard looks stuffed is a problem. You will need the services of a licensed electrician to handle that immediately because it could cause dangerous electrical incidents like sparks or overheating that cause fires.

Discoloured or burnt power points: this means that something isn’t working as it should and it can be traced back to the switchboard. You may have plugged in an appliance that caused a power surge because your switchboard just couldn’t handle it. You need to find a good electrician to get that checked out as soon as you can. These outlets are also dangerous because they could cause mild electric shock when plugging in appliances, a switchboard update may be needed

The first, and most important, reason to get your switchboard upgraded is that it is required across the whole country. It’s part of the most recent regulated electrical safety requirements. The change was put in place to protect you from the risks of old switchboards. What was once standard practice is seen as being unsafe and negligent now. The upgrade will make sure that you are compliant with the new law on safety switches. It’s now mandatory to have a safety switch fitted to the power point circuit of every single home to protect residents from electrical accidents. There’s been an increase in property damage and house fires in Australia and they have been a result of faulty electrical systems. Safety switches have the technology to drastically reduce the chances of things like this happening. If your home is not fitted with one, or more, you are exposing your family, friends or anyone working in your home to potentially deadly electrical accidents.