Switchboard upgrades in Canberra
Plenty of Canberra houses are still running the switchboard they were built with. If yours has ceramic fuses, no safety switches, or breakers that trip whenever the kettle and heater are on together, an upgrade brings the board up to current standards.
Common reasons people call
- Ceramic fuses with fuse wire
- No safety switches, or only one
- Breakers tripping under normal use
- No room on the board for a new circuit (oven, EV charger, air-con)
- Scorch marks, buzzing, heat or a burning smell at the board
- Lights flickering or power dropping out regularly
- Planning a renovation, solar, an EV charger or other high-load appliances
What the job covers
- Replacing rewireable fuses with modern circuit breakers
- Safety switches (RCDs) across power and lighting circuits
- Labelling every circuit clearly
- Capacity for new circuits you're planning
- Testing every circuit once the new board is in
- Work completed to the AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules
What affects the price
Every job is quoted on what's actually involved. The main things that change it:
- The number of circuits and safety switches required
- Condition of the existing wiring found during testing
- Whether the enclosure or meter panel also needs replacing
- Any asbestos-backed panel that has to be dealt with
What to expect
- 1Please photograph the outside of your switchboard. You may open its normal hinged access door if safe, but never remove a screwed cover or expose wiring.
- 2Mick looks at the board on site and tests the circuits before quoting.
- 3The upgrade is booked, power is off for part of the day, and every circuit is tested afterwards.
Questions about this job
- How long will the power be off?
- For a typical home upgrade, part of a working day. You'll know the expected time before we start.
- Do I need a full upgrade or just a safety switch?
- Sometimes adding safety switches to the existing board is enough. It depends on the board's condition and space — Mick will tell you which.
- Which Canberra homes usually need an upgrade?
- Older homes in established suburbs such as Ainslie, Narrabundah and Yarralumla often still have their original fuse boards. Any board with ceramic fuses, no safety switches or no spare space is worth having checked.
- Should I upgrade before adding solar, an EV charger or selling or renting?
- An older board often can't take new high-load circuits, and an outdated board can be raised in inspections when a property is sold or leased. Mick can check the board and tell you whether it needs work first.
Where we do this work
Across Canberra, the ACT, Queanbeyan and surrounding NSW, including:
Need switchboard upgrades sorted?
Tell us what's going on and we'll let you know what's involved. No call centre — you talk to Mick.