Switchboard Upgrade

In many older Australian homes, existing switchboards, earth systems and protective devices are not protected by up to date safety switches, are undersized and no longer suitable for the electrical demands of modern living.

RCD Safety switches

Installing RCDs (Residual Current Devices) is one of the most important safety measures you can take in any electrical system. RCDs constantly monitor the flow of electricity and instantly cut power if they detect a leakage current—such as when electricity is flowing through a person due to contact with a live wire. This quick action (within milliseconds) can prevent serious electric shock or even save lives.

In Australia, RCDs are mandatory on all final sub-circuits in new homes and must be installed during electrical upgrades or renovations, as required by AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules. They are especially important in wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and outdoor circuits, where the risk of electric shock is higher.

RCDs also protect against electrical fires caused by faulty appliances or damaged wiring. By cutting the circuit before heat builds up, they reduce the chances of fire due to earth faults.

In short, RCDs are a critical line of defence in your electrical system—protecting lives, reducing fire risk, and ensuring compliance with modern electrical safety standards.

Earthing systems

In older Australian homes, it's common to find earthing systems that rely on metal water pipes as the main earth electrode. While this was once standard practice, it's no longer considered safe or compliant under current AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules.

Over time, metal water pipes are replaced with plastic, breaking the continuity of the earth connection. This leaves the electrical system without a reliable path to safely discharge fault currents, significantly increasing the risk of electric shock, electrocution, or fire in the event of a fault.

Modern earthing systems use dedicated earth rods installed into the ground, ensuring a stable and permanent connection to earth. Having your earthing system inspected and updated ensures your home’s electrical system is properly grounded, and that RCDs and circuit protection devices function correctly in a fault situation. This is a crucial step in keeping your electrical installation safe, compliant, and reliable.

Mains cables

Often, it’s not just the switchboard that’s outdated—sub mains cabling feeding the board can also be undersized, especially in homes that have had multiple renovations or increased load from high-power appliances. This can lead to overheating, voltage drop and reduced performance of your electrical system. In some cases, a 3-phase power upgrade may be recommended, particularly in homes with or considering installing larger air conditioning systems, electric ovens, EV chargers, or other heavy-load appliances (electric hot water etc).

Enclosure upgrades

If you are considering solar in the future, upgrading to a 600x600mm switchboard enclosure allows enough space to safely install compliant AS/NZS 3000 standard circuit protection, including RCDs, RCBOs, main switches, and surge protection. These larger enclosures also future-proof your home by allowing room for additional circuits or future installations like battery storage, or EV chargers.

Inspecting and upgrading your switchboard and distribution system ensures your home is safe, compliant, and capable of handling today’s power needs without compromise—greatly reducing the risk of fire, shock, or circuit overloads, and providing peace of mind for years to come.