Your electrical switchboard is the central hub that controls all the electrical systems in your house. Given this crucial role, it’s imperative to keep yours upgraded – not only to comply with regulations but to better ensure your safety and that of your family.
In some cases, this is a legal requirement, such as when you install major new electrical devices like hot water units or if you need to add a new power outlet in your home.
Regardless of whether you’re required to do so, it’s always worth checking with a professional if you need to carry out a switchboard upgrade, even if you’re not installing new equipment. It’s a sensible precautionary measure.
What is a Switchboard Upgrade?
A switchboard has many fuses, circuit breakers, switches and other components that need to be kept current to ensure the ongoing safety of your home. A switchboard upgrade can involve updating or replacing any of these.
Upgrading can either be done on specific components or require an overhaul of your switchboard. This largely depends on your age and whether it has the latest safety mechanisms, like a residual current device (RCD) safety switch and main isolator switches.
When Do You Need a Switchboard Upgrade?
You might need a home electrical switchboard upgrade for legal and personal safety reasons.
Legal reasons for upgrading switchboards
- You’ve received an electrical defect notice.
You’ll receive this notice if the authorities deem that your electrical installations aren’t in line with Australian safety guidelines. This legally requires you to upgrade your switchboard. - You’re making alterations or additions.
If you make any alterations or additions to your home’s electrical system, like adding plug points in a room or installing new lighting, you’ll need to update your switchboard accordingly. - You’re installing high-powered electrical appliances.
Any time you instal a new high-powered electrical device, such as a hot water unit, you’ll need a switchboard upgrade to accommodate it safely within your existing electrical system. - You’re installing solar power.
Solar power is becoming increasingly popular in a more eco-conscious world. If you plan to instal solar panels to power your home, you’ll need to integrate the solar power with your existing electrical system. Again, this will require a switchboard upgrade.
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Other common reasons for a domestic switchboard upgrade
- Your switchboard is outdated.
Older switchboards use ceramic fuses, which need to be designed with the capacity to deal with our many electrical appliances. As a result, they tend to trip unnecessarily, as they can’t handle the demands of modern electrical usage and have become somewhat unsafe. If your switchboard still uses these, you should upgrade it as soon as possible, per the safety switches Victoria regulations. - Your switches trip when you’re using multiple appliances
If your fuses or circuit breakers are tripping when you’re using different electrical appliances simultaneously, you need your switchboard checked to see if it’s faulty or needs an upgrade. There might also be a requirement for an electrical box safety switch upgrade to circuit breakers. - Do you see or hear any anomalies in your switchboard?
The cabling inside your switchboard can overheat if you draw more power than they’re designed to handle. You could also experience your lights flickering or a buzzing sound from your switchboard. These are all signs that you might need to upgrade your switchboard.
The Switchboard Upgrade Process
First, if you have an older switchboard with ceramic fuses, these will be replaced with RCD safety switches and up-to-date circuit breakers. This involves removing all your current circuitry protection and mounting a new enclosure for your safety switches. It is also a mandatory legal requirement to label switches and cables correctly.
Updating your switchboard can also involve some other processes. Your electrician might have to replace old cabling to mitigate the fire risk due to overloading. You must upgrade your consumer mains if your switchboard can’t handle the extra current demand when installing more power-hungry electrical appliances like air-conditioning.
You should also upgrade to a 3-phase switchboard to run certain appliances. Examples include a Jacuzzi or a more powerful hot water system. You’ll need a 3-phase board to instal solar power too.
FAQs about switchboard upgrades
How long will it take to upgrade my switchboard?
This depends on how much work you need to do, but upgrading your switchboard should take at most 6-8 hours.
Can you sell a house in Victoria without a safety switch?
No. To sell your house, you’ll need an electricity compliance certification, which you can only get if your board has safety switches.
Is it hard to move a switchboard?
Moving a switchboard is a complicated and sometimes dangerous process that’s best left to a professional. As the switchboard controls all the electrical systems in your house, moving it can require a lot of rewiring and an intimate knowledge of your electrical system.
Contact us for a switchboard upgrade quote
We’re here for switchboard upgrades in Melbourne. Our team of professionals has years of experience in updating, replacing, and moving switchboards. Contact us for switchboard upgrade prices, and we’ll reply quickly.
Suppose your house still has an old switchboard that can’t handle all your electrical appliances, or you want to instal a powerful new electrical device. In that case, we also offer an excellent new switchboard connection and installation cost.