Switchboard Upgrades Melbourne

High-Quality Electrical Switchboard Upgrades

Reasons to upgrade your switchboard with Melbourne's 5-star trusted electricians

• Upgrade your switchboard to meet current electrical standards
• Improve electrical safety and reliability of supply
• Prevent nuisance tripping, or the loss of power to your entire house when a single circuit trips
• Have safety switches installed to keep your family safe
• Ensure protective devices are able to work properly to keep your family safe
• Have overload devices installed to keep your home safe from fire
• Relocate your switchboard to inside your house for ease of access and security
• Relocate your switchboard away from a non-compliant location for safety reasons
• Label the circuits so they can be easily identified in emergencies or when being worked on
• Reduce the risk of fires spreading to other parts of your home by having your switchboard fire sealed
• Get your electrical terminations checked to reduce the risk of arcing
• Ensure your family are not exposed to asbestos fibres from the switchboard

What should a safe, modern switchboard contain?

Our expert electricians are here to answer your switchboard questions

There's a lot to a switchboard... and as such there are very strict electrical regulations about how it must be set up. All residential switchboards must have a main switch that provides overload protection and both overload and RCD protective devices (safety switches) on all other circuits including power, lighting and electrical appliance circuits (eg. A/C, cooktop, oven and solar). Read more on our blog about what components a modern, safe switchboard should have.

Safety switches (RDCs) are the most vital safety component of your switchboard. They detect ‘earth leakage’ and disconnect power when they detect something disrupting the circuit. RCDs are the only device that will trip in the event of an electric shock and are required in the Australian Wiring Rules. An easy way to identify if you have safety switches installed is to look for a button labelled 'TEST' on the device. If pressed it should trip the device. Safety switches should be tested at least twice a year to ensure they are operating correctly. If you have any concerns, contact our friendly team for advice.

Circuit Breakers (CBs) provide overcurrent protection, so that if too much power is being drawn through a circuit the circuit breaker will trip to prevent the cable from overheating and starting a fire.

RCBOs are a combination device that incorporates a RCD and a CB. They are the best solution for safety and reliability.

However, many older style homes in Melbourne are still using old-fashioned, unsafe fuse boxes with ceramic re-wireable fuses! These types of Federal fuse boards do not meet current electrical safety standards and should be replaced to ensure your home and your family are protected.

Kenner Electrics regularly inspects and upgrades switchboards to meet current Australian Electrical Standards.

Common Problems with Switchboards in Melbourne

RCD and Overload Protection Devices (Safety Switches)

• No RCDs – without safety switches, your switchboard provides absolutely no protection against electric shock. Safety switches are the only device that provide protection to humans, and the electrical system in your home is unsafe without them
• Single RCD protecting multiple circuits – when there is only a single safety switch in your switchboard, it means that all the connected circuits will trip every time it detects earth leakage, which may affect power to your entire home! It also increased the chances of nuisance tripping during normal operation
• Malfunctioning RCD – safety switches that aren’t operating correctly may cause nuisance tripping, or may not operate at all in the event of a fault which is a safety issue
• Old style fuses – fuse boards do not usually have safety switches, and so they provide no protection against electric shock. They are also harder to maintain and create a risk of electric shock due to exposed live parts when replacing fuses. These old style fuse boards are no longer compliant and the switchboard must be upgraded

Fire Seal, Cracks and Signs of Heat

• Signs of heat stress – blackened insulation on cables or protective devices can be an indicator of electrical arcing or overloading. This could be due to poor installation or under-sized cabling, and is an immediate fire risk
• Not properly fire sealed – regulations require all switchboards to be properly fire sealed. This prevents fire from spreading to other areas of your house if it starts in the switchboard
• Asbestos – Asbestos was used in switchboards throughout Australia until the 1980s because of its fire-resistant properties. Due to the disastrous health consequences, asbestos is now a banned substance. Asbestos that is crumbling or requires disturbance for works/maintenance must be safely removed by a licensed asbestos removalist
• Damaged switchboard – if any of the protective devices or the switchboard enclosure is cracked or damaged, there is a risk that it could expose live electrical parts

Location and Labelling

• Inaccessible location – switchboards must be easily accessible in case of emergencies, cannot be located too high (main switch must be within 2m of the floor), or in cupboards where things could be stacked in front of them.
• Non-compliant location – near bathrooms or pools (due to the moisture) or too close to a gas meter
• Not weather rated – must be appropriately weather rated to protect the switchboard from the elements
• Incorrect labelling – Non-labelled or mislabelled circuits in your switchboard mean your circuits cannot be identified. This is a safety hazard to anyone who might need to turn off power in your home. The switchboard must also contain labels to indicate the Main Switch, the location of the earth electrode, as well as all solar devices.

Cable Sizing and Earthing

• Under-sized cables – cables are sized according to circuit capacity, so a circuit that is drawing more power requires a larger cable. Under-sized cables can cause overloading of circuits, leading to nuisance tripping, power outages or even a fire.
• Protective devices not properly rated to cable size – if the protective devices in your switchboard are not the correct size/rating for the cables, there is a risk that the device will not operate in time to prevent overheating of the circuit. This creates a risk of fire.
• No earth cabling – earthing is required on all power, lighting and appliance circuits. Without earth cabling, protective devices will not operate correctly. The fault will keep occurring undetected in your home, which creates a fire risk as well as a risk of electric shock.
• Light fittings not earthed – older homes may not have earth cabling to the light fittings, which creates a risk of electric shock if there is exposed metal in the fitting