Services
Switchboard Upgrades & Safety Switches
Old fuses and unprotected boards brought up to current standards.
Earth Electrical NSW upgrades switchboards and installs safety switches across the Northern Rivers. We replace ceramic fuses with circuit breakers, add RCD protection to every final subcircuit as required by AS/NZS 3000, and rebuild boards that have run out of capacity.
If your board still has ceramic fuses with fuse wire in them, it predates every safety requirement that matters. A safety switch is the single device that stands between a fault and a person, and plenty of houses in the region still do not have one on every circuit.
What’s included
- Full switchboard replacement and rebuild
- Ceramic fuse to circuit breaker conversion
- Safety switch (RCD/RCBO) installation on all circuits
- Board capacity expansion for solar, EV or air conditioning
- Surge protection installation
- Circuit identification and labelling
- Safety switch testing and compliance reports
Why old boards get replaced
Ceramic rewireable fuses do not protect people, only cable. They also cannot be reset without tools, and they are routinely found bridged with the wrong gauge wire. A modern board with RCBOs protects each circuit individually.
What an upgrade involves
We isolate supply, strip and rebuild the board with new breakers and RCDs, re-terminate and label every circuit, test each one and issue compliance paperwork. Most single-phase domestic boards are done inside a day.
Switchboard Upgrades & Safety Switches across the Northern Rivers
We carry out switchboard upgrades & safety switches work throughout our service area. Pick your suburb for local detail, or call Matt on 0412 521 992.
- Ballina
- Lennox Head
- Lismore
- Byron Bay
- Alstonville
- Bangalow
- Evans Head
- Casino
- Mullumbimby
- Brunswick Heads
- Ocean Shores
- Suffolk Park
- Skinners Shoot
- Wollongbar
- Skennars Head
- Newrybar
- Wardell
Switchboard Upgrades & Safety Switches questions
How do I know if my switchboard needs upgrading?
Common signs are ceramic fuses instead of breakers, no safety switch, breakers that trip repeatedly, no room left for new circuits, or a board that is warm or buzzing. Any of these is worth an inspection.
How long does a switchboard upgrade take?
A typical single-phase domestic switchboard upgrade takes most of a day, with power off for several hours of it. We give you a window so you can plan around the outage.
Are safety switches a legal requirement in NSW?
RCD protection is required on all final subcircuits in new and significantly altered installations under AS/NZS 3000. Existing older installations are not automatically forced to upgrade, but adding RCDs is strongly recommended.
Other services
More electrical work we do
Residential Electrical
Repairs, new circuits, power points and everything else around the house.
Learn more →New Homes & Renovations
Rough-in to fit-off on new builds, extensions and full renovations.
Learn more →Lighting Design & Installation
LED downlights, pendants and feature lighting that suits the room.
Learn more →Outdoor & Landscape Lighting
Deck, path, garden and facade lighting built for a coastal climate.
Learn more →EV Charger Installation
Home and workplace EV chargers, assessed and installed properly.
Learn more →Fault Finding & Repairs
Tripping breakers, dead circuits and mystery faults traced to the cause.
Learn more →