It’s frustrating that you have to go outside to a charging station to charge your vehicle. You might even have to spend hours there until your vehicle gets fully charged. But what if you install an EV charger at your home?
This article is for all of you who own an EV or planning to buy one in the future. This article will give you some essential tips that you must consider before installing an EV charger at your home.
What is a switchboard?
Before jumping to the rest of the article, do you have a basic idea of what a switchboard does? You all have seen that panel with various breaker switches. That is a switchboard.
A switchboard controls the electricity received from the main supply and distributes it to the rest of the house or the property.
To further simplify it, when you switch on an electrical appliance, the switchboard is the one that sends electricity to it.
Therefore, the switchboard does a tremendous job in handling the electrical power and controlling it so that the electrical appliances work without interference.
What is done in a switchboard upgrade?
With the rising use of electrical appliances, you should also take actions to increase the switchboard capacity.
Upgrading a switchboard would involve various activities. You might have to rewire, replace the old fuses with the modern ones, install new breakers, etc.
All of this is done to enhance the capacity of the switchboard and allow more electricity to flow through the system. It is crucial to cope with the rising demand for electricity due to modern appliances.
Why should you upgrade the switchboard?
As mentioned earlier, the main reason why you should upgrade your switchboard is to ensure your safety. If there is a fault or malfunction in the board, it can lead to life-threatening electrical hazards.
Apart from ensuring your safety, there are various other reasons to upgrade your old switchboard. These reasons are:
Installing solar panels: With the world moving towards green energy, solar power has become more popular among many households. However, old switchboards cannot support solar power systems. Therefore you should change your old switchboard to a new one.
Rules and regulations: There are variousrules and regulations that you must comply with when implementing an electrical system. These rules have changed over time to increase electrical safety. As a result, your old switchboard might not comply with the current rules and regulations.
Old fuses: Do you still have old ceramic fuses? They are not designed to handle an overload. These ceramic fuses have zero protection against electric shocks. Therefore they must be replaced immediately.
New safety switches: Did you know that most new switchboards have built-in safety switches? This improves safety against electrical shocks and fire hazards.
Smart metres: If you are keen on tracking your energy consumption and saving more energy, you should consider installing smart metres. However, these new smart metres require new switchboards to work.
Overload: With the rising use of electrical devices, your switchboard needs more capacity to handle electrical needs. The older boards don’t have sufficient capacity. Therefore, they tend to overload. This can even lead to a fire.
Tripping: When your switchboard cannot handle the load, it trips constantly. This will interrupt the power supply. In such situations, you should upgrade your switchboard.
Your switchboard should function efficiently to supply the electricity smoothly and avoid electrical hazards. Therefore keep your switchboard upgraded to avoid unnecessary power outages and electrical hazards.
How to know when your switchboard needs upgradation
Upgrading the switchboard when necessary is crucial to ensure electrical safety. The question is, how can you know when you should upgrade it?
There are a couple of signs and factors that you must consider to decide whether you should upgrade your switchboard.
Age: When did you upgrade your wiring and the switchboard last? If you can’t remember, it could be long ago. If it is more than 20 years, you should probably consider upgrading the switchboard as soon as possible.
Check the power outlets: You should check the power outlets in your house or property. Have they discoloured (burnt-like), or are there any burn marks on them? If so, that could be a sign of power overload. It should be checked immediately.
Weird smell: Do you often smell something burning? Especially the burning smell of rubber or plastic? Then it can also be due to power overloading.
Blown fuses: When the fuses cannot handle the electrical load, they will blow out. You should probably upgrade the switchboard if your fuses are blowing frequently.
Flickering lights: If there are any flickering lights, that could mean that your electrical system and the switchboard are insufficient to handle the house’s electrical needs. It could also be due to loose wiring.
Buzzing noises: Electricity doesn’t generally generate any noise. If you hear a buzzing or a sizzling sound, then that could be a sign of a faulty switchboard.
Tripping Appliances: If your appliances are dull and tripping constantly, it is time to upgrade.
Sparks: If there are any sparks when plugging into an electrical outlet, then it could be a sign of a faulty switchboard.
Electrical shocks: Are you experiencing a mild electrical shock when plugging equipment? Then it could be a sign of malfunction in the switchboard. However, it should probably be checked by a licensed electrician.
Overheated wires: If the wiring in the house gets overheated, it could be a sign of power overload.
These signs can also occur due to various other reasons. Therefore if you see them, don’t jump to conclusions immediately. Instead, call your electrician at your earliest convenience. They will check and let you know the reasons and possible solutions.
Is a switchboard upgrade expensive?
Well, this is quite a complex question. The cost of upgrading a switchboard can differ from one job to another.
This is because the cost will depend on various factors. These factors are:
The capacity of the switchboard.
Does your house need rewiring?
The size of the switchboard.
Does your house need new cabling?
The phase of the switchboard.
The labour cost.
These factors will entirely depend on the nature and size of the job, and all of these factors can affect the project’s final cost.
Therefore the best way to find the final cost of the project is to obtain a quotation from a licensed electrician. It is ideal to obtain at least three different quotations in detail from three different electricians.
Finding the final cost is crucial to match your budget. However, you should never consider this as a cost, but consider this as an investment to ensure your safety.
Whom should you hire to upgrade switchboards in Geelong
Are you wondering whom to hire to upgrade your switchboard in Geelong? Then you should consider hiring a qualified electrician with the relevant licences and years of experience. They can understand your situation well and provide the best solutions.
If you are looking for such an electrician, consider contacting Mr. Electric. We have served the Geelong community for a long time, and all our electricians are highly skilled and experienced.
We will provide free in-house quotations and even workmanship guarantees. Don’t forget the 24/7 emergency service we provide for our clients. Your safety is of utmost importance to us.
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