One of the best things you can do for your family's safety at home. KE Electrical are switchboard upgrade specialists across Warkworth and Rodney.
A switchboard upgrade is one of the best things you can do to increase your family's safety within your home. It's often overlooked and misunderstood.
Most older-style switchboards don't contain earth-leakage circuit breakers (RCDs), which are designed specifically to operate the moment a risk of electric shock presents itself.
A typical switchboard upgrade involves introducing a new board complete with RCD protective devices across the installation, upstream of the new miniature circuit breakers, a main switch upgrade, and ensuring existing earthing requirements meet current NZ wiring standards. A new enclosure is installed to accommodate the new devices, and a comprehensive list of mandatory tests is performed before a Certificate of Compliance and record of inspection is issued.
AFDD-RCBOs are the ultimate solution and an investment in protecting a home and its occupants from the risk of electrical fire. These combination devices detect arc faults — one of the most common causes of electrical fires — and feature MCB and RCD protection all in one. Arc faults can occur through poor connections or old wiring; an AFDD finds any abnormal or dangerous arc and trips to isolate the faulty circuit before it can ignite. Their ability to detect arcs before a fire starts means they're approved by many insurance companies as a way of mitigating risk.
Outdated switchboards are often hazardous — old connections can cause heat build-up in fuse and switch terminals, leading to fire risk. They aren't designed to cope with modern power demands from the appliances and devices used in homes and businesses today.
If you've noticed fuses constantly blowing, consider a switchboard upgrade. Older ceramic-style fuses aren't meant to cope with the loads most modern appliances place on them. Many old switchboards also have backing panels made of asbestos — electricians can't drill into them for repairs because of the danger of asbestos becoming airborne.
Talk to KE Electrical about bringing your board up to current standards.