If you have an older home in the Hills District that you have not had the wiring checked since you purchased, you may be wondering if your switchboard is up to standard and if it’s worth upgrading.
When it comes to the safety and energy efficiency of your home, keeping your home’s electrical fittings updated should be a priority.
The switchboard is one of the most important electrical aspects of your home and it is worth keeping it up to date. If you’re wondering if you should update, we can help.
Take a look at our top 5 reasons to upgrade your home’s switchboard in Castle Hill here.
What is a switchboard?
A switchboard is one of the most important components of your home’s electric system, helping to distribute electricity throughout your house safely. It contains fuses, circuit breakers, and safety switches to help control the amount of power that is distributed around your home and appliances. Think of your switchboard as the brain of your home’s entire electrical system.
Switchboards are integral for safety; they are designed to circuit out and stop electricity flow if something wrong with the electricity in your home, for example, if your home experiences a power surge.
If one of your appliances malfunctions or an electric line experiences a surge in power your switchboard will circuit out and automatically cut off electricity to prevent household fires or electrocution.
1. Fuses are blowing
If you have noticed recently that your fuses are consistently blowing, or even melting, it’s time to start thinking about upgrading your switchboard as soon as you can.
Older style fuses such as ceramic fuses were not designed to handle the load that most modern homes and appliances often place on them. This leads to them blowing up and in some extreme cases melting under the strain that we are inadvertently putting on them.
Fuses that are constantly blowing or melting are an safety risk and it can be an indicator that your switchboard needs to be replaced and upgraded ASAP.
2. Prevent fires from happening
A worn or loose connection or corroded wiring within your switchboard can cause electricity to arc, which produces excessive heat in your switchboard. If a fuse arcs it can lead to catastrophic fires if the earthing of your switchboard isn’t up to standard. The older your switchboard is, the greater your risk is.
3. Save money on electrical services
Older styles switchboards are likely going to end up costing you more money to maintaining them as they will be more prone to issues resulting in more call-outs. Newer upgraded switchboards have RCDs and circuit breakers which will help minimise the need to have to call an electrician in for something that needs to be updated on an older board.
4. Comply with Australian Electrical Standards
To ensure that homes across Australia comply with electrical standards and minimum levels of safety, the Australian Government has electrical standards in place that you need to comply with.
This is to ensure that your switchboard can handle the electrical demands and usage that modern Australian homes put on their switchboards with the increased need for appliances and technology.
Australian Electrical Standards have key standards for your switchboard. These standards include the need for all lighting and power switches to have safety switches that are designed to shut down when your switchboard is overloaded. This is the best defence against electrical faults that can threaten your home.
Your switchboard must also feature RCD safety switch protection. Additionally, if your old switchboard features ceramic fuses or wooden panels it is recommended to upgrade it as soon as you possibly can as these components are not designed to handle modern-day power usage.
5. Keep up with modern demand
When switchboards were first designed, they were only intended to power a relatively few numbers of small appliances such as fans and irons.
However, as technology has developed and we have welcomed numerous new appliances into our homes that often use a huge amount of power, we often find that our switchboards aren’t always up to the task of safely powering these appliances.
These older switchboards with outdated materials and wiring are put under immense pressure by our modern appliances.
Talk to our experts
If you’re experiencing any of these issues with your switchboard or you think that your switchboard is an older design, you should contact a professional to organise an inspection asap.
Rather than waiting for your switchboard to start malfunctioning, get it upgraded and protect your home and family.
If you need assistance with a possible upgrade, get in touch with us today. Our team of qualified electricians will be able to assess your switchboard in Castle Hill and let you know if and when you need an upgrade.
