Why You Should Get a Switchboard Upgrade.
Electrical Switchboard Upgrades - Everything You Need To Know
Do you have a fuse board installed at your home at the moment? Have you ever found yourself changing fuse wires in the dark of the night trying to get your power back on? This can be frustrating but it is important to understand some of the real risks associated with a fuse board and how it could affect you and your family. In this article, you will learn why switchboard upgrade is a valuable investment andhow you can benefit from replacing your fuse board with a new electrical switchboard.
Reduce the risk of electrocution and fire in your electrical switchboard and save hundreds of dollars in call outs by replacing your old fuse board.
4 INCREASINGLY WORSE RISKS OF OLD FUSE BOARDS
1. BLOWN FUSE WIRE.
This is usually caused by an overloading circuit such as too many electrical appliances being used at a time but can also be from a loose connection within the fuse holder itself.
2. MELTED CABLES FROM LOOSE CONNECTIONS.
When a cable becomes loose in a termination such as in the back of a fuse holder, the electricity jumps from the source across to the cable that leads to the load on the electrical circuit. This is called an electrical arc and this is a fire starter.
3. FIRES IN THE BACK OF THE FUSE BOARD.
When the fuse holder begins to arc, it begins to heat all of the other circuits which then in turn exposes more copper to create more arcing in the back of the fuse board. If your earthing is not up to standard, you may find a full fire starting in the back of the fuse board.
4. THE SWITCHBOARD FIRE SPREADS INTO THE ROOF SPACE.
Once the fire starts at the back of the fuse board, a draft will carry the fire up the wall cavity into the roof space where it will grow into a full roof fire. This is the ultimate disaster caused by an old fuse board and a bad earthing system.
REMOVE DEADLY ASBESTOS MATERIALS FROM YOUR FAMILY HOME
Most old black panel fuse boards have an asbestos meter panel.
If these panels are drilled into, the fibres are airborne and put everyone around at risk.
Asbestos meter panels can be safely removed if they are not drilled into or broken.
An electrical switchboard upgrade will remove the old asbestos switchboard panel and make it safe for the family living in the house.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARD UPGRADE?
1. SAVE MONEY ON ELECTRICAL CALL OUTS
Electrical call outs can be expensive and so upgrading to a new electrical switchboard with RCDs and circuit breakers will minimise the likelihood of requiring an electrician when the circuit trips. You will be able to easily reset the circuit yourself and get back to the things you love to do with your electricity.
2. REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTROCUTION AND FIRE
As discussed above, loose connections and bad earthing which is found in old fuse boards can ignite fires at the back of the switchboard. Replacing your fuse board with a new electrical switchboard with RCDs, circuit breakers and new earthing will ensure that you are fully protected against any potential risk of electrocution and fire.
3. SAVE TIME IN GETTING YOUR POWER BACK ON
If you have an old fuse board, you may find yourself spending a lot of time trying to work out what fuse has blown and then having to call an electrician in Perth to attend to your electrical fault. That may be a day before they arrive to repair any electrical issue you have.
If you were to upgrade your switchboard, you would be able to walk out and reset the circuit breaker or RCD and within minutes, have your power back on again. It also makes it easier for you to find faulty appliances yourself when you lose power. Click here to watch how to get your power back on without an electrician.
HOW DO YOU PRICE AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARD UPGRADE?
Switchboard upgrade prices can vary from home to home depending a number of questions that we ask when inspecting your old fuse board which include:
How many circuits or fuses do you currently have?
Is your switchboard single phase or three phase? (Is there 1x black meter fuse or 3x black meter fuses?)
Have you got a black asbestos metering panel?
Do you have any faults are present after installation?
WHAT DO YOU GET WITH AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARD UPGRADE?
Removal of all old electrical equipment including the old asbestos switchboard panel and re-termination of all of your circuits into new circuit breakers and residual current devices.
A new enclosure and metering panel will be installed with labeling to help you easily locate faulty circuits yourself.
All terminations and earthing re-terminated to ensure no loose joints that cause arcing.
An increased level of electrical safety and reliability from the source.
Minimise the likelihood of needing an electrician for basic electrical faults that cost you over between $120-$300 for a basic fault call out and time.
WHAT IS THE COST OF AN ELECTRICAL SWITCHBOARD?
Most electrical fuse boards can be upgraded to a new electrical switchboard for less than $1500. This will guarantee that the risk of electrocution and fire as well as airborne asbestos fibres is completely minimised with you benefiting from long-term cost savings and reliability of your electrical system.