Switchboards
Switchboard upgrades for Remuera homes
The switchboard is where every circuit in the house begins. In a Remuera home that has grown over the decades, gaining a kitchen here, a bathroom there, then a heat pump and garden lights, the board is often the oldest and most crowded part of the whole installation. We replace old fuse boards and full switchboards and arrange the inspection the work needs.
Why Remuera switchboards run out of room
Remuera's older houses have rarely stood still. The Remuera Heritage society describes villas and bungalows that have been modernised with new kitchens, bathrooms, decks, swimming pools and garages while keeping their character, and each of those changes usually meant another circuit. Add a heat pump in two or three rooms, an oven and cooktop on their own circuits, a garage with power, and lighting out in the garden, and a board that was laid out for a handful of lighting and power circuits is asked to carry several times that.
When a board fills up, the shortcuts start: two circuits doubled onto one fuse, a heavier fuse wire fitted because the old one kept blowing, a sub-board added in a cupboard without anyone recording it. None of those is visible from the hallway, and all of them are reasons a modern switchboard is worth the change.
One more circuit at a time
A bathroom renovation is a typical example. The old room had a light and perhaps a heater; the new one has downlights, an extract fan, a heated towel rail and a heater on the wall, and possibly heating under the tiles. A heat pump installation elsewhere in the house usually needs a dedicated circuit of its own as well.
Where the board has spare space and sound wiring behind it, a new circuit can simply be added. Where it has neither, the sensible answer is a board with room to grow, and often a look at the age of the wiring behind it while the cover is off.
What a new switchboard gives you
Inspection, certificates and the line to the street
Changing a main switchboard is not a job that ends when the cover goes back on. WorkSafe's guide to getting electrical work done explains that the law requires some work to be inspected, particularly work on the main switchboard, the main cable and the main earth, and that the electrician you employ is responsible for arranging a licensed electrical inspector. We arrange that inspector for you. Once our work is tested you receive its certificate, and the inspection report belongs in the same folder.
It also helps to know who owns what. Vector generally owns the network up to the point of supply, usually an isolating fuse on your boundary or on the nearest pole. The service line from there to your meter is the property owner's, and Vector says the meter is the responsibility of your electricity retailer, so moving a meter involves the retailer as well as the electrician. On a long driveway or a rear section, the condition of that service line is worth checking at the same time as the board.
Switchboard questions
How can I tell if I still have fuses?
Open the switchboard cover. White or brown ceramic holders that pull out are rewireable fuses; a row of small switches is circuit breakers. Some boards have both, which usually means circuits have been added over the years.
Can more circuits just be added to my old board?
Sometimes, if there is space and the board and its wiring are sound. An old ceramic fuse board with no room left is usually better replaced than extended.
Will the power be off while the board is changed?
Yes, the whole house is off while the switchboard is changed over, so the day is planned with you in advance. Fridges and freezers are worth keeping closed until the power is back.
Who is responsible for the meter on my switchboard?
Your electricity retailer, according to Vector. If a new board means the meter has to move, the retailer is part of the job.
Does a new switchboard mean a full rewire?
Not necessarily. A new board can be fitted to existing circuits that test sound. If the testing turns up perished cable, we will tell you which circuits need attention and why.
Talk to an electrician about your Remuera home
Call 021 156 4005 at any hour, or send us the details of the job and we will get back to you.
Other services
Rewiring Older Homes
New wiring for Remuera's villas, bungalows and Edwardian houses, planned around the ceilings, floors and joinery you want to keep.LED & Interior Lighting
LED downlights, dimmers, joinery and wardrobe strips, and feature lights for kitchens, lounges and hallways.Garden & Outdoor Lighting
Lighting for gardens, paths, driveways, decks and outdoor rooms, so a big section can be used and found after dark.Heat Pump Installation
Heat pumps for a single room or a whole house, with the dedicated circuit and switchboard work they need.Home Theatre & TV
Wall-mounted TVs, projector screens, aerials and the power and data points behind a home theatre or media room.Security Cameras & Alarms
Alarm systems and CCTV cameras for homes and premises, placed to watch your property rather than your neighbours'.24/7 Emergency Electrician
Electricians available for call-outs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for lost power, tripping circuits and anything burning or sparking.Enquiries
Contact us
Call 021 156 4005, day or night, or tell us about the job below and one of our electricians will get back to you.
021 156 4005- Auckland
- Call-outs around the clock, every day of the week