Electrician in Greensborough

If your board still has ceramic fuses, or only one or two safety switches covering the whole house, it's worth having it looked at. Modern boards use RCDs or RCBOs that cut power within milliseconds when current leaks to earth, which is what protects people from shock, and circuit breakers that stop overloaded cable from overheating.

We replace the old board, put protection on every power and lighting circuit, label each one clearly and leave room for what you're likely to add later, such as a car charger, an induction cooktop or extra cooling. Before quoting, we check the main switch rating and incoming supply so the new board isn't held back by what feeds it.

Victorian rental rules require working smoke alarms, and landlords are responsible for keeping them that way. Every alarm has an expiry date printed on it; once it passes, the unit needs replacing even if the test button still beeps.

We fit photoelectric alarms, hardwire them where practical and interconnect them so a fire in one room sets off every alarm in the house. For rental properties we test, replace expired units and give you documentation you can keep on file for your records.

A wall charger on its own dedicated circuit is far quicker and safer than charging off a standard powerpoint with a portable lead. The main questions are whether the switchboard and supply have the capacity, how far the charger sits from the board, and whether load management is needed so the charger backs off when the rest of the house is drawing heavily.

We check all three first, size the cable for the distance, fit the correct protection and commission the charger with you so you know how it behaves before we go.

If you're planning solar or a battery as well, tell us at the quote stage. Sizing the charger circuit, the board and any load management together usually costs less than adding each one separately, and it avoids reopening the switchboard a second time a year later.

Storm surges after a summer thunderstorm can knock out safety switches, and water getting into outdoor lights, powerpoints or junction boxes is one of the most common reasons a circuit keeps tripping afterwards. Other usual suspects are a failing appliance, damaged cable in a wall or roof space, or a loose connection that has started to heat up.

Rather than swapping parts and hoping, we isolate the circuit and test insulation resistance and earth continuity until the fault is found. Then we explain what we found and quote the repair before doing it. If you notice a burning smell, scorching or a warm switch or socket, turn that circuit off at the board and call us before using it again.