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Electric switchboard are essential for the modern household. They are used to direct electricity from one or more sources of power. These sources of power are often the powerlines (either on power lines or underground or from solar panels, or their associated batteries). The switchboard is made up of several panels which allow electricity to be distributed through the house. These panels have a number of sections, a main section and a distribution section but they can sometimes be replaced by a combination section. Each section has switches that provide power to feeder and branch circuits. Circuit breakers (or sometimes fuses) mounted in these sections provide overcurrent protection.
Common issues in switchboards include:
- Heat stress – Keep an eye out for blackened insulation on cables or protective devices. This can indicate that too much electricity is going through the circuit, overloading it. This could be due to the age of the cables, undersized cables being used or poor installation of the cables and, if not fixed immediately, could cause a fire!
- Damaged switchboard – If any parts of the switchboard is damaged, including cracks, or broken glass or exposed wires, it could be extremely dangerous. Ensure only a qualified electrician investigates the issue.
- Incorrectly fire sealed – Australian electrical safety regulations require all switchboards to be properly fire sealed. This prevents fire from spreading to other areas of your house if a fire starts in the switchboard. To properly seal a switchboard a fire rated sealant is applied to all the holes/cable entries so that all possible pathways for fire to enter the home are eliminated.
- Asbestos – This is not a direct threat to electricity, however if a switchboard was built before 1980 there is a large chance that asbestos was used, due to its fire-resistant properties. Asbestos is a banned substance as its dust is very dangerous therefore it needs to be managed.
- Faulty RCD safety switches – This is a common fault we see often around Melbourne. Safety switches are made to ensure the power goes off as soon as too much electricity is going through the circuit. This is to prevent overloading the circuit which may cause a fire! If the safety switch is faulty or there is a poor connection, it will default to the “off” position. This to make sure your house is safe and is the time you should call Millerwatts.
Our trained electricians know how to look out for all these issues. All of our electricians carry around as many spare parts and switchboard components as possible to ensure, as much as possible, the job can be finished with no fuss.
Did you know that many Melbourne homes still have ceramic fuse boards? Ceramic fuses (SERF – semi-enclosed rewirable fuses) are old school forms of electrical protection for a home. They are not up to current electrical standards and are very difficult and costly to repair. Be prepared, if you have one of these kinds of switchboards, for the need to replace the entire circuit board, however, look at it as an investment for your house’s safety. If our electricians come across one of these systems, we can quickly quote you the cost of replacement and help with the advice and guidance you’d expect from an expert electrical company.
The other important aspect often missed is switchboard inspections. Switchboards are out of sight and forgotten about, however, they should be checked at least once a month and if any signs of degradation is found, remember, a quick call to Millerwatts could save time and heat ache down the track.