Why You May Need to Upgrade Your Switchboard?

Before we start, let us ask you some questions relating to your switchboard.

✓ Are you experiencing frequent power outages?

✓ Does your switchboard Overheat?

✓ Are your home’s lights flickering?

✓ Can you smell burning when you are near your switchboard?

✓ Your house built ten years ago?

 

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you need to immediately upgrade your switchboard as per the NZ electrical regulations and standards to improve the safety within your premise.

But, let’s first understand, what is a switchboard upgrade?

A switchboard upgrade is when existing rewireable fuses aresupplanted replaced? with new residual current devices (RCDs) and circuit breakers in order to improve the overall electricalsafety.

Not only does upgrading your switchboard enhance the safety of your premises but it also increases the value of your property. With a switchboard upgrade, you can fit out your new board with Residual Circuit Breakers (RCDs) and Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCBs) instead of the rewireablefuses, thus making it secure as well as easy to use for further or future upgrades.

A deep glimpse into what the current switchboard upgrade in New Zealand is all about:

It is important to ensure that your switchboards meet the current New Zealand electrical standards and regulations. With the current switchboard upgrade, the risk is minimized since RCDs are installed. RCD’s are effective especially because they constantly monitor the electrical current flowing along a circuit.

If someone touches a faulty or naked wire, the current may flow via their body to the ground and they can get electrocuted or receive a severe electric shock. But if RCD is installed, it senses any loss of current thus (and not thus) it shuts all the electricity off, reducing the risk of serious harm or injury to any person or object.

 

Expert Tip: 

If your house or premises was built ten or more years ago, then it’s time to give some attention to your switchboard.

 

This brings us to the main question, Why do you need to upgrade your switchboard?

Below are some of the points that indicate reasons why your switchboard should be upgraded, let’s get started:

  1. Unsafe circuits: If your home needs a lot of re-wiring time and again, you may end up using the wrong size fuse wire, thus making the overall circuit protection non-compliant with the size of the actual cable, which can lead to electrical fires. With the new Switchboard, you get wiring that complies with current ASNZS3000:2007 standards,.
  2. Over-Crowded Connections:With the span of time, over-crowded connections may become loose, which may cause a wiring fault or can potentially lead to electrical fires.
  3. Safe Option:RCD’s render more prominent protection against electric shock as compared to normal wires. Moreover, all circuits are labeled and identified properly so no guesswork is required. And, the best part? In the event of a fault, you can easily analyse which circuit has tripped without even touching the switchboard Thus, it becomes a safer option to be installed both at your home or office.
  4. Saves on Future Costs:With the old switchboard, you will have to upgrade the circuit protection on each and every individual circuit that has been altered and/or installed in your new property. Thus, making the entire process more expensive than the regular switchboard upgrade. And, once the upgrade is done, it will allow additional room for future renovations.
  5. No Risks:Old switchboard panels can potentially contain ASBESTOS. A new switchboard is fully upgraded and aesthetically pleasing. Removing the old one will remove any risk of this being disturbed in the future and will give you the confidence that your electrical switchboard is no longer the hazard it once was.

 

Conclusion

It is time to look into your faulty circuit breakers, fuse failures, and damaged wiring in order to get your switchboard upgraded.

If you’re searching for switchboard upgrades or repairs, DJ Spark Limited is here to help you with your switchboard upgrades and switchboard installations (you don’t need to repeat this underlined bit) Our expert technicians and electricians will help you in carrying out the inspection to diagnose the issue, resolve it and install a switchboard that meets all your requirements.