Is it time to upgrade your Electrical Switchboard?
Electrical Switchboards. While they’re usually out of sight, out of mind, hidden in a cupboard or tucked away in your laundry, they play an essential role in your home - Switchboards are the ‘Control Panel’ for your home’s electrical system.
Our homes are now running more appliances than ever, and older switchboards are not designed to handle the high-wattage loads of homes today. This can cause problems like overheating and the danger of fires or electrical accidents.
From computers, air conditioning units, and home theatre systems to kitchen appliances, spa pools, and stereos, it’s essential that your switchboard can handle the amount of electricity required by your household.
Here is a simple list of common signs that indicate you need a switchboard upgrade:
1. Appliances short-circuiting: Older switchboards tend to ‘trip’ or short-circuit when overloaded. This is a mechanism designed to protect the circuit from overheating and resulting in an electrical fire.
2. Flickering Lights: While flickering lights may be caused by loose lightbulbs that need to be tightened, they can also be due to loose wiring in an old or damaged switchboard.
3. An overcrowded appearance: If your switchboard’s wiring looks overcrowded, it probably needs upgrading. This is particularly important if you plan on introducing additional devices to your home, such as spa pools or air conditioning units. These require dedicated circuits to power them and prevent your switchboard from overloading.
4. Your Switchboard still has Fuses: Ceramic fuses are outdated and are a sign that your electrical system is at risk. While they function the same as a modern-type circuit breaker (shutting power off in the event of a short circuit or overload), they cannot do it at the same speed - And the faster the power is terminated, the less damage will be done.
An upgrade of your switchboard is not a significant investment for the sake of your family’s safety.
Give the team at Blackout Electric a call, and we’ll talk you through the options best suited to your home.
