SWITCHBOARD UPGRADE

Roost electrical switchboard upgrades

Roost Electrical offers a premium switchboard upgrade service for businesses and homes throughout Melbourne's West including but not limited to: Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Melton, Ballan, Gordon, Lara and Gisborne. To get a Free switchboard inspection and quote get in contact now.

Switchboard Upgrade

Your business is growing or your home is ageing faster than you expected. Your current switchboard can no longer be added to or trusted to trip in an emergency. It's time for a switchboard upgrade. Of course you have questions about the whole process and want it done correctly the first time. In this page I will shed some light on the whole process, what materials are used and why, when you need a switchboard upgrade and more.

So if that interests you then lets get into it.

When do i need a switchboard upgrade?

Business and household energy consumption will continue to rise as the amount of electrical appliances rise to new greater heights. Linked with the movement away from natural gas, electricity has become the new bulk standard for all new households and the demand is constantly increasing. With the constant increase in electricity also comes the ever changing electrical regulations governing the install and upgrade of electrical switchboards. At this point in time we are mainly governed by the ASNZ 3000: 2018 regulations.

These regulations state that a switchboard upgrade must be undertaken if:

- You have recently received an electrical defect notice.

- your renting a property that doesn't have safety switches on the light and/or power circuits. (Shed's included)

- Your house is undergoing a substantial renovation or extension.

- You are installing a large electrical appliance, e.g Air conditioner, pool heater, sauna, etc.

- You are installing new power points in your home or business.

Note- Did you know that an outdated switchboard can affect your home and property insurance claim should there be an electrical fire in the property?



You should also get a switchboard upgrade if:

- You are undertaking any kind of new electrical works on your home or business.

- you have an old style ceramic fuse board in your home or business.

- You don't have any safety switches in your switchboard.

- The lights flicker in your house.

- You notice small electric shocks on metal taps or in showers.

- Your current switchboard makes an audible buzzing noise.

Why remove ceramic fuses?

Ceramic or porcelain fuses were used extensively throughout Australian businesses and homes pre dating the early 2000's. The main function of a ceramic fuse is to break or open circuit when the power running through it reaches a high enough point. This can cause all manner of issues including but not limited to, electrical fires, electric shock caused by improper trip times, falsifying of the fuse by improper maintenance of the fuse wires, etc

Not to mention the hazardous live parts that are required to be exposed in order to change the fuse wire in the event of a fault.

It is for the reasons above as well as many more that Ceramic fuses are now deemed a residential fire hazard by Wiring Standards Australia and are required to be disconnected and replaced with individual safety switch/circuit breaker combination type modules.

A Switchboard upgrade generally includes 4 main parts that warrant speaking about.

Removal of existing ceramic fuse board- Once the electrician has started the switchboard upgrade and isolated the power they will remove all the old parts of the switchboard and label all the existing cables. This aids in replacing the cables in the correct positions when the new switchboard is installed.

Install of new switchboard- The electrician would then install a new switchboard, new main switch and combination circuit breakers/RCD's (RCBO's)on all sub circuits except sub switchboard feeds. The switchboard must also be fire sealed with an approved fire rated sealant.

Install new Main earthing if required- A new main earth electrode also needs to be installed in the absence of a proper main earth. Usually in the form of either a buried earth or an earth stake that is hit 1.2M into the ground.

Electrical inspection- When the switchboard upgrade is complete, the electrician will nominate an electrical inspector to inspect the prescribed works that have been completed. A prescribed electrical safety certificate is then signed by both the electrician and electrical inspector. The safety certificate is for the electrician to declare that all necessary tests have been conducted and the installation is safe.

How much does a switchboard upgrade cost?

There are 3 costs that make up a standard switchboard upgrade.

At the time of this writing the costs associated are as follows:

The switchboard upgrade- $800-$1200+GST this is the cost of a switchboard upgrade that doesn't include the installation of a new main earth electrode.

New Main Earth- $150-$350+GST In the event that a new main earth electrode needs to be installed, the cost is depending on if there is already a main earth conductor ran of sufficient size and colouring.

Electrical inspector- $200-$300+GST

How long does a switchboard upgrade take?

Generally a switchboard upgrade will take between 2-4 hours depending on the complexity. If the switchboard is a larger industrial switchboard it could take up to a day or even more in some exceptional circumstances.

In most cases of a domestic switchboard upgrade you should allow around 3-4 hours for the power to be turned off to your home.

Conclusion

If you believe that you will need a switchboard upgrade in the near future and you live west of Melbourne, get in contact with one of our electricians today. We can organise a free switchboard inspection and quote to upgrade your switchboard.