Switchboard upgrades that unblock everything else

Why the board comes first

Almost every bigger job depends on it. An EV charger needs a spare way and capacity behind it. Ducted or split system air conditioning wants its own circuit. Going all electric means an induction cooktop, an electric oven and often hot water, all pulling from the same board. If the board is full or old, none of that goes ahead until it is sorted.

Signs yours is due

• Ceramic fuses with rewirable fuse wire rather than circuit breakers
• No safety switches, or a safety switch on the power circuits only
• No spare ways left, so nothing new can be added
• Circuits that trip when a few appliances run at once
• Scorching, a burnt smell, or a board that is warm to touch

That last one is not a "book it in next month" problem. If you can smell burning at the board, turn the power off at the main switch and ring us.

What we actually do

We start by looking at the board and the wiring feeding it, because a new board on top of failing cable solves nothing. Then a new enclosure, a main switch, circuit protection sized to each circuit, and safety switches covering both power and lighting. Circuits get labelled properly, which sounds minor until the day someone needs to find the right one in a hurry.

Safety switches on lighting too

A lot of older boards have an RCD on the power circuits and nothing on the lighting. People assume lighting is harmless because the fitting is up on the ceiling. Changing a globe, a downlight transformer failing, or anyone working in the roof space says otherwise. We fit protection across both.

What it costs

It depends on the size of the board, how many circuits there are, and what condition the cable feeding it is in. We look first and then give you a fixed price. No hourly rate, and no estimate that moves once we are on site.