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You may also hear it called a fuse box or meter box, and it is the nerve centre for your electricity requirements. Power from the Western Power network comes into your home through the mains to your switchboard, where it is split into separate circuits to power your appliances and gadgets.
As years pass your switchboard may naturally need an upgrade and there are key indicators to show it’s no longer fit for purpose.
The short answer
Consider an upgrade when breakers trip or fuses blow often, the switchboard feels warm, it looks crowded with crossed wires, it has no room for new circuits, or it still uses rewireable fuses. These are signs it can no longer meet your home's needs.
- Modern circuit breakers trip by themselves and protect people and property far better than old rewireable fuses.
- An upgrade typically takes four to eight hours, longer for older homes that need extra capacity.
Overcrowded appearance
If you keep adding more electrical devices to your house such as an extra air conditioner or pool pump, your switchboard may start to look overcrowded.
Many older homes have switchboards that were never designed for the number of appliances a modern family uses. Dozens of extra circuits can result in a messy switchboard, with wires crossing over each other rather than fastened correctly. Circuit breakers with two wires connected to them, are known as double tapped and could be potentially hazardous if they loosen, causing electrical arcs and fires.
Double tapping
A circuit breaker with two wires connected to it is called double tapped. If those connections work loose, they can arc and start a fire.
Flickering lights
If your circuit breakers are regularly tripping and fuses are blowing unexpectedly, it may indicate faulty wiring or switchboard issues.
Frequent trips mean appliances may be drawing more current than your current system can handle, and a system upgrade may be the solution to meet your electrical demands.
Beware if the switchboard is warm to touch because it’s another potential sign of overloaded power.
Older property with rewireable fuses
Many old switchboards are of poor quality and may stop working and need to be replaced. Older switchboards have limits on the available space to add circuits or fuses. Some switchboards have maxed out their available circuits and there’s no place for extra ones.
Older switchboards may also still have rewireable fuses instead of circuit breakers which pose hidden dangers. Old fuses should be replaced altogether, modern circuit breakers are far better at protecting both people and property as they will trip by themselves.
Time and costs for a switchboard upgrade
A switchboard upgrade will take anything from four to eight hours. A simple upgrade for a newer property will take less time than a house which is over thirty year older and needs to accommodate increased power requirements. So, costs will vary based on how much an electrician typically charges in an hour.
All the electricians at PWA Electrical Services are licensed with extensive experience. For all switchboard upgrades we will carry out a full assessment of power required at your house so you can be guaranteed it will meet your future requirement. We use state of the art diagnostic tools and are fully licensed and insured so contact us today for your electrical requirements.
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About the author
Kirk Lam
Senior Electrician, PWA Electrical Services
Kirk is a Senior Electrician and the backbone of our operation, known for his attention to detail and industry knowledge. He is often requested by our clients as their preferred technician.
