Switchboards
Switchboard replacement in Mount Eden
Switchboard replacement in Mount Eden usually means taking out a board of rewireable fuses, or an early breaker board with no RCD protection, and fitting one that can carry what the house now asks of it. Our registered electricians do the work, and when the new board counts as high-risk mains work, we arrange the licensed electrical inspector it needs.
What the board is for
Every circuit in the house starts at the switchboard. It holds the main switch and a fuse or circuit breaker for each area of wiring, and its job is to cut the power to a circuit before a fault or an overload can turn into a fire.
In a suburb where so many houses date from before the First World War, some boards may still hold ceramic fuse carriers. They worked, but a blown fuse has to be rewired by hand, and the temptation to use thicker fuse wire, which WorkSafe warns can start a fire, is always there. A modern board replaces the fuses with circuit breakers that reset at the flick of a switch, and adds residual current devices (RCDs), which compare the current going out along a circuit with the current coming back and switch off fast when some of it is leaking to earth, as it would through a person receiving a shock.
Why some boards must be inspected
Connecting the mains at the main switchboard is mains work, and the rules treat it carefully. The Electrical Workers Registration Board's guidance on high-risk work says that installing a higher capacity board to cope with more demand is an alteration classed as high-risk, and must be inspected. So is moving a board when the mains have to be extended, jointed or rerouted to reach its new spot, which can come up when a villa's kitchen or laundry is rearranged during a renovation. Replacing a damaged or faulty mains fitting like for like, on the other hand, is treated as low-risk maintenance.
The inspection is done by a licensed electrical inspector, not by the electrician who did the work, and arranging it is the electrician's responsibility. When your new board needs one, we organise the inspector, and you keep the inspection record with your certificate.
Common reasons for a new board
Rewireable fuses
Ceramic carriers and fuse wire, with no residual current protection on any circuit.
New load
A heat pump installation, an induction cooktop or a studio out the back needs circuits and space the old board does not have.
Trouble at the board
Scorch marks, a burning smell, buzzing, or breakers that trip with nothing much switched on.
A renovation
Walls coming out or a kitchen moving can put the board in the wrong place, and a rewire of the older circuits is often planned at the same time.
Nobody knows what is what
A board with no labels makes every fault slower to find. A new one is labelled circuit by circuit.
Switchboard questions
How can I tell if my board still has fuses?
Open the switchboard door. Rows of white ceramic carriers that pull out are rewireable fuses. Small switches in a row are circuit breakers, and a wider switch with a test button is usually an RCD.
Will the power be off while the board is changed?
Yes, for the changeover itself. The new board is usually made up beforehand so the house is without power for as short a time as possible, and we agree the timing with you before the day.
What about the meter?
The meter is your electricity retailer's responsibility, not yours or ours, so if it has to move, the retailer is involved. The service line from the street to the meter is normally the property owner's.
Can the local network cope with a bigger board?
The network up to the point of supply is Vector's, so whether it can supply more power is a question for Vector. Your house's own capacity is set by its supply and service line, which we check before recommending a bigger board.
What paperwork will I get?
A Certificate of Compliance for the work and, where the board needed inspecting, the inspection record. Keep them together with the other house papers.
Still running on fuses?
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour for a call-out, or send the details of the job and we will get back to you.
More from Mount Eden Electrician
Rewiring
Planned rewiring for villas, bungalows and interwar flats, done room by room and tested and certified when it is finished.Emergency call-outs and fault finding
Electricians on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for lost power, tripping circuits, hot sockets and faults that keep coming back.Heat pumps
Heat pump installation planned around big villa rooms, the wall the indoor unit needs and where the outdoor unit can sit.Lighting
LED downlights, pendants, dimmers and outdoor lighting for paths, decks and gardens.TV aerials and wall-mounting
TV aerials, wall-mounted screens and the power and cabling behind them, run tidily through older walls.Commercial electrical
Electrical work for shops, cafes, offices and kitchens along Mt Eden Road and Dominion Road.Mount Eden enquiries
Contact us
Ring 021 156 4005 for anything urgent, day or night. For everything else, leave your details and a short description of the job below.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week