Do I Need A Switchboard Upgrade?

Your switchboard is the central hub of your homes entire electrical distribution. The power comes from the street to your switchboard, which directs the current through the various circuits in and around your home. It is important that your home is electrically sound and it all starts here, at your switchboard. Make sure your families safe and get a free quote for your switchboard upgrade today.

The electrical wiring rules and standards are constantly updated every few years. At this point in time, in 2018; if you wish to add any electrical power outlet to your house or make any amendments to your switchboard. Legally you have to have a switchboard upgrade, to enable RCD protection in order to provide maximum safety for you, your family and your home.

If you are looking at acquiring new or bigger appliances or perhaps you simply need a new power point in your home, then you will need to invest in a switchboard upgrade. If your switchboard is aged or you still have ceramic fuses, then your home does not meet the current Australian Standards. This is a hazard and could be potentially very dangerous.

If you answer yes to any of these questions, then you may need a switchboard upgrade! Call us for a free quote!

• Do your fuses blow or, circuit breakers trip when you use too many appliances?
• Do your lights flicker for no apparent reason?
• Can you hear any ‘buzzing’ or odd noises coming from your switchboard panel?
• Do you still have the ceramic style fuses?

Does your switchboard look like this?

If so, you should definitely invest in a switchboard upgrade!

Why Do I Need A Switchboard Upgrade?

Over time, household power consumption has increased, as homes simply require more power. Australia’s safety standards surrounding electricity have also improved immensely. With these positive changes we have come to learn more about the integrity and protection of the electricity flowing through our homes. The integrity of the wiring in a house, especially at the switchboard, is crucial to ensuring your family’s safety. The old porcelain fuses are very outdated and not safe. If you want your home to be electrically sound, you need the protection of a modern RCD (Residual Current Device).

Why Are Ceramic Fuses Not Safe?

Ceramic/porcelain fuses were designed as a safety feature for homes many, many years ago. Fuses, like circuit breakers, only protect the cables integrity (when connected and wired properly). They will only disconnect the power when there is an overload (too much current being pulled on one individual circuit) or, a short circuit (when the electricity flows down an undesired path. e.g. when the Active (red) and Neutral (black) cables touch).

I’m sure most of you have seen the plug in ceramic fuses and the wire inside them… What many people don’t realise is that the wire is a certain size for a very important reason! This fuse wire is a specified size because the cable providing power to that circuit is a certain size. This certain sized cable can only safely handle a certain amount of current before it begins to overheat. If the current exceeds the current capability of that fuse wire, it will break, cutting out the power supply. This is a vital element to your homes safety!

Cable Protection

• A standard lighting circuit on a home will be generally wired in 1mm cable.
• 1mm cable can generally handle up to 10A (13A in perfect conditions).
• A porcelain fuse will generally have a wire rated to handle a maximum of 8A.
• If someone replaced the fuse wire with a larger wire that didn’t break before the current reaches 10A, this will become an serious electrical hazard.
• If this circuit continues to pull more than the 10A this cable can handle; the cables will overheat, melt, short out and possibly even cause a fire.

If that wire wasn’t to break and the current output kept increasing, due to load demand in the house; the cables can quickly overheat causing an electrical fire internally. This can be extremely dangerous! As Central Coast electricians we at Coast Complete have been to multiple residencies who’ve had big electrical problems and even fires at their switchboard. This is due to a homeowner trying to rewire the fuse with a wire that is too large. I have even seen one with where a nail is used instead of a wire!

What Is An RCD?

An RCD is a Residual Current Device. It’s a life-saving device! An RCD is a sensitive safety device that is designed to prevent people from getting an electrical shock. It also protects the cables integrity (like a circuit breaker or fuse), which in turn protects you, your family and your home. RCD’s offer personal protection that the old school fuses and simple circuit breakers don’t (as they purely protect the cable). A Residual Current Device will monitor the flow of electricity through one or, more of your household circuits. An RCD will near instantly cut your power if it detects electricity flowing down an unintended path, like a person who has touched a live component. This will significantly reduce the risk of death or serious injury.

Fuse Vs Circuit Breaker Vs RCD

A Fuse is wired with a certain sized wire which will break if the current flowing through is too large. This is when you ‘blow a fuse’.

A circuit breaker is designed to ‘trip’/disconnect when a current that is too big flows through. There’s an electromagnet in it that pulls to break contact, disrupting the supply when there is too much current.

A Residual Current Device (RCD) is designed to ‘trip’/disconnect when the difference in current between the outgoing current on the Active and the returning current on the Neutral is too big. This difference happens when a person touches an exposed cable or live element.

Lose those old, outdated and unsafe fuses and get your switchboard upgraded today! Get complete electrical protection and have us fit your panel with circuit breakers that are protected by RCDs where necessary!

What Is Involved In A Switchboard Upgrade?

A switchboard upgrade will vary from home to home and budget to budget. Your switchboard upgrade will involve the replacement of all ceramic fuses for modern, safe circuit breakers and RCDs. This occurs in a neat enclosure along with the rewiring/tidying of the cables behind your panel; before finishing with the testing the entire installation and residence.

It can also include the addition of smart meters, replacement of asbestos panels, new service fuses and the upgrade of your consumers mains cables. This is in order to make your home as safe as possible, whilst meeting required Australian Electrical Standards.

A Switchboard Upgrade In Detail

• Your houses entire power will be isolated at your main switchboard, in order to conduct the switchboard upgrade safely.
• We will remove all of the old circuit protection devices (fuses).
• We’ll install an 8-12 pole enclosure to house the new circuit breakers and RCDs.
• Your circuits will be reconnected into circuit breakers or, circuit breaker/RCD combination breakers. This ensures the safety of people and meets the updated electrical standards (according to AS NZS 3000:2018).
• We will inspect the MEN (Main Earthed Neutral) system and ensure that your main earthing conductor (electrode) is still in adequate condition, as per updated electrical standards. This may also have to be upgraded, to ensure that your home is electrically grounded.
• The entire installation will require 7 mandatory electrical tests that we will carry out. This ensures adequate protection verifying that there are no faults or underlying issues.
• This will take anywhere from 2-4 hours to complete for a standard switchboard upgrade.

Switchboard Upgrade Extras

• Replacement Of Asbestos Panel

Once again, older homes were built according to old rules and regulations. These rules allowed the switchboard panels to be made from asbestos. Although the replacement of this panel is not a mandatory requirement during a switchboard upgrade; we definitely do recommend it due to the carcinogenic health issues relating to asbestos! Unfortunately not every electrician is legally allowed to do this, as it involves the disconnection of your meters. Thankfully, at Coast Complete Electrical Solutions we have two Level 2 (ASP) electrician Central Coast who are able to complete this safely and legally.

• Upgrade Your Consumers Mains 

Your house will be drawing much more power nowadays, compared to what it used to. If you have an air conditioner, heater, washing machine, dryer, cooktop, oven and other kitchen appliances; then you are already pulling quite a bit of current, probably close to 40A. 10+ years ago houses were typically only supplied with 6mm cable which has the capability of handling up to about 40A.

If you are looking at installing a pool or air conditioner or any other large appliance, you probably need to upgrade your consumers mains cables. Your consumers mains cables are what connects your house to the service lines coming in from the street.

Whether it is an overhead service to a point of attachment on your eave or,  from a pillar box underground to your switchboard. We will generally upgrade these to 16mm cables that can handle little more than 70A. This gives you the freedom to install most electrical appliances without the worry of overloading your circuit. Once again, this is a job where your central coast electrician will need a Level 2 electrical qualification to complete. Call us 24/7 for a free quote!

Electrical Switchboard Upgrade Cost

The switchboard upgrade price will depend on a number of factors:

• How many circuits do you have?
• How many of the circuits need RCD protection?
• Will we have to disconnect the service?
• Will we have to disconnect your meters?
• Do you want your consumers mains upgraded?
• Do you want to replace your asbestos panel?
• Is it a 3 phase supply?

In general your average electrical switchboard upgrade will cost anywhere between $900-$1300. This is the price before any service disconnections or, Level 2 electrician work. If you require any of the extras like replacing the asbestos panel, upgrading your consumer mains or any metering work, this will come at an extra cost. Coast Complete’s Central Coast electrician does free quotes. If you would like to find out how much your electrical switchboard upgrade will cost use this as a rough price guide:

• Up to 5 circuits/poles + main switch = $900 (including GST)
• 6-10 circuits/poles + main switch = $1100 (including GST)
• 11-15 circuits/poles + main switch = $1300 (including GST)
• Anything bigger contact us for a suitable quote!
• (circuit/poles: single phase = 1 pole / three phase = 3 poles)

For more details on a switchboard upgrade, protective devices or anything electrical. Get in contact with us at Coast Complete Electrical, we will be happy to provide your electrical solutions.