Upgrading your electrical switchboard is one of the most important decisions you can make for the safety of your home and family. Your electrical switchboard acts as a gateway for all the power running through your property, whether that be from the street or a solar panel system. Often, in older homes, you might experience a power loss when running a few appliances at once. This is caused by an out-dated electrical switchboard with an older fuse box that is rarely equipped with a safety switch – something that can be very dangerous!

Thankfully, this issue is easily resolved; all our team at North Lakes & Surrounds Electrical have to do is perform a simple inspection of your switchboard to determine if the fuse box, wiring and circuits are safe or whether you’ll need a repair and upgrade. If you need an upgrade, it will likely be due to not having residual current devices (RCDs) or circuit breakers fitted which means they are not equipped to keep up with the electrical power demands of today’s technology. 

As the technological world advances and more little gadgets are introduced into the family home, we are putting more strain on our electrical switchboards as we are drawing more power.

Australian safety standards have also improved over the years and many older homes may not be compliant. Currently, if you want to add any electrical power outlets to your home, you will also need to have a switchboard upgrade to enable RCD protection. However, you may also need an electrical switchboard upgrade if you experience any of the below:

• Short-circuits: A short-circuit is essentially an electrical fail or malfunction and they can be very dangerous to your home with the risk of fuses catching fire or someone on your property receiving an electrical shock. If your current switchboard still uses replaceable wires on the fuses, it is a safety hazard and needs to be replaced.
• Insufficient power supply: One of the most common reasons for an electrical switchboard upgrade is that they simply cannot provide the power needed for you to run your home efficiently. With our modern home relying on electrical appliances such as computers, air conditioners, pool pumps and more, old switchboards cannot keep up with the power demand. Indications of insufficient power supply include power tripping and flickering lights. 
• Safety Switch: Safety switches allow you to control the power flowing to your home by simply turning it off or on. Older switchboards do not have this feature which is now part of the compliance standard for safety. 

As a full-service electrical contractor, our team at North Lakes & Surrounds Electrical can carry out an electrical switchboard upgrade to your home. It is not a big investment for the safety of your family or the integrity of your home, so give us a call today on (07) 3053 3118 to invest in your future.

Although similar in the sense that they all interrupt the flow of electricity, each of these components differ in many ways. While a fuse is made of metal that melts when overheated, a circuit breaker will ‘trip’ or disconnect when an unsafe current flows through, causing a surge of electricity. An RCS is almost the same as a circuit breaker, except they are designed for human safety.