Switchboard upgrades

Switchboard upgrade specialist, Warkworth

A switchboard upgrade is one of the best things you can do to increase your family’s safety within your home. It can often be overlooked and misunderstood.

Most older style switchboards do not contain Earth leakage circuit breakers RCD which are designed specifically to operate when risk of an electric shock presents itself.

Contact us to talk about your switchboard upgrade.

Switchboard upgrades Warkworth from KE Electrical

Compliant switchboard upgrades

A typical switchboard upgrade involves introducing a new board complete with RCD protective devices across the installation, upstream of the new miniature circuit breakers, main switch upgrade & ensuring existing earthing requirements meet the current NZ wiring standards. A new enclosure is installed to accommodate the new devices. A full comprehensive list of mandatory tests is performed before a Certificate of Compliance and record of inspection is issued.

The benefits of upgrading your switchboard

AFDD-RCBOs are the ultimate solution and are an investment in protecting a home and its occupants from the risk of electrical fire. They are combination devices that detect arc faults (one of the most common causes of electrical fires) and feature MCB and RCD all in one. Arc faults can occur through poor connections or old wiring. An AFDD installed in a switchboard finds any abnormal or dangerous arcs and it will trip to isolate and disconnect the faulty circuit before it can ignite and cause a fire. AFDDs’ ability to detect these arcs before a fire starts means they have been approved by many insurance companies as a way of mitigating risk.

Outdated electrical switchboards are often hazardous as old connections may cause heat build-up in fuse and switch terminals, leading to a fire risk.

They are not designed to cope with the modern power demands due to the addition of more electrical appliances and devices used in modern homes and businesses today.

If you’ve noticed that your fuses are constantly blowing, consider a switchboard upgrade. Older style fuses like ceramic ones aren’t meant to cope with loads that most modern appliances and devices put on them.

Most old switchboards have backing panels made of asbestos. Electricians can’t drill into the system for repairs because of the dangers of asbestos becoming airborne and possibly entering the lungs.