Switchboard upgrades & inspections for domestic to multi-high rise office or unit blocks.
The switchboard is the central hub for all your power, so it is vital that it is maintained and kept in safe working order. The electrical standards have dramatically changed resulting in many switchboards that do not comply with the current standards. Think of it like a car, it still works but lacks all the safety features of a new one! If you have a catastrophic failure, you could be without power from days to weeks depending on the size of the building.
We are your switchboard specialists and can help with ongoing maintenance, compliance and upgrading if required.
Residential Switchboards
Switchboards for a standard home usually contain a couple of metres and household circuits. Being the main place where power enters and is distributed throughout the home, it requires regular maintenance to ensure safety, as well as to keep meeting the needs of the occupiers – which is to keep functioning! Regular testing and inspections can pick up safety issues or identify upgrades to make the switchboard safer. An upgrade to a home switchboard is always a good investment in safety for your occupants and property.
Homes built in Australia before 1990 did NOT have a mandatory safety switch installed on the lighting circuit, potentially putting these homes in danger as they are not compliant with the current Australian standards. An electrician will be able to complete an inspection and provide recommendations to achieve greater safety and compliance.
There are a few key reasons why a switchboard will require an upgrade:
- The frame is made from non compliant materials (chipboard/asbestos) or is breaking apart, making it a hazard.
- If there are ceramic fuses or old and cracked breakers still being used
- Switchboards which were installed before the year 2000
- Any extensions to the home or building where load has increased – new appliances or pool/spa
- If the switchboard does not comply with new metering and connection standards
While there is no official law as to how often a switchboard should be inspected, we strongly recommend that owners have an inspection every 2 years or when leaving or purchasing a new property, renovating a property or you simply see damage and unsure if it is safe or not.
Yes, we are the experts on your side to manage and communicate directly with your energy provider and Energex on your behalf. Often this can be the hardest part for owners, so we make sure we take care of this for you and communicate in a language you can understand.
Commercial & Body Corporate Switchboards
A Commercial or Body Corporate community main switchboard is an often overlooked yet critical piece of infrastructure and generally contain larger circuits (including 3 phase circuits). These switchboards are designed to handle higher loads, so safety and regular inspections are vital. Over time the switchboard degrades and falls behind the latest safety requirements and can become non-compliant to current standards. This is particularly the case for switchboards installed before the year 2000. An inspection with Fully Wired Electrical can determine the state of your switchboard and provide expert advice on what you can do to increase the safety of your supply.
Switchboard upgrades are often required when a new tenancy is taken over, therefore the requirements the business may place on the switchboard needs to be considered.
A sub-standard installation is a major safety concern to people and property, especially in the event of an electrical fault or infrastructure failure. If the switchboard suffers a catastrophic failure the complex may suffer power loss for up days or sometimes weeks and the financial cost will be substantial to the body corporate or owners of the building.
Yes, but the time frames vary. We liaise directly with your or site contacts to give an estimated time for power outages.
Yes, we are the experts on your side to manage and communicate directly with your energy provider and Energex on your behalf. Often this can be the hardest part for owners, so we make sure we take care of this for you, organise with onsite managers and communicate in a language you can understand.
There are a few key reasons why a switchboard will require an upgrade:
- When a new tenancy moves into a building, they often have a different power requirement, therefore the switchboard capacity may need to be increased
- Being submerged full or partly under water from flooding events
- The frame is made from non compliant materials (chipboard/asbestos) or is breaking apart, or is not lockable therefore making it a hazard
- If there are ceramic fuses or old and cracked breakers still being used
- If the switchboard which were installed before the year 2000
- Any renovations or new major appliances installed in the building which impacts the power load
- If your circuits require safety switches
We do the full range of elec-trical & lighting services across Brisbane
Select a service that you're interested in
View all services
