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You flip the light switch and the lights come on. You turn on the TV and it starts to glow. You open the refrigerator and get a blast of cold air. Surely this must mean that the electrical wiring inside your home is up to date and working perfectly; right? Not necessarily.

If your house is 40 years+ you may have to look at upgrading the electrical wiring – especially if you’re looking to sell or rent out. Old porcelain fuses are out, RCDs are in. Rewiring a house can be a very messy job and it can get expensive. However if you take a little bit of time to plan properly – you can greatly reduce problems & stress add value and protection to your home.

One huge reason for upgrading your electrical wiring is that there are major safety issues that come with older wiring. Faulty wiring has been proven to be the leading cause of fires at home. And the older your house gets the greater the chance that your house has out-dated or unsafe wiring. Now this isn’t to say that the methods used long ago are unsafe. The methods and practices that were in place years ago were in fact safe methods and practices. However considering the age and the fact that you have no idea who did the entire wiring job, you don’t know for certain that it hasn’t deteriorated over time. You would be suprised how many older houses we come across that only have an active and neutral wire and are completely missing an earth wire.

What’s an earth wire? i hear you ask – well an earth wire is the the wire that protects people from getting electrical shocks. It does this by providing the electrical current with a fast route to the earth. Along with fuse breakers, earth wires provide the primary source of safety in electrical systems. If it’s removed or damaged; the person handling the wires risks suffering from a belt of electricity…. not good for kids, the oldies like me and pacemakers. Additionally, electrical fires are far more common if no earth wire is used on the circuit.

If you are not sure of the last time your wiring was inspected it is well worth the money to hire a licensed electrician to come take a walk through your house and check for any of the major warning signs such as breakers or fuses that tend to constantly trip and blow, any tingling sensations when touching certain appliances, flickering lights or lights that dim on their own and also things such as no GFCI outlets in the bathrooms, and other areas that are exposed to moisture. This is just a small list of things that could signal the need for an upgrade.

Another reason to have a professional come through your house is to search for any signs of aluminium wiring. Many houses built around the 1960s were fitted with aluminium wiring which is now considered to be a safety hazard. An aluminium wiring connection will tend to loosen over time creating a real safety risk that can cause overheating and possibly fires at outlets with heavy appliances plugged into them.

On top of all the reasons for why you should upgrade your electrical wiring there is also the fact that doing so allows you to plan for the future of your home. As we move further into a technological world we are constantly plugging more and more things into our power supply, constantly using more and more power. Upgrading now can prevent the risk of any problems or failures further down the road.

A common problem that can occur is a power outage to part or all of you home.

Before calling out an electrician – do a few basic checks to find out if it is a blown fuse/ RCD,  A power outage or a faulty appliance causing a short.

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What to do?

If it’s a total power outage – check with the neighbours. If you’re not the only one experiencing problems then it’s a Western Power issue. Phone them on 13 13 51 to confirm, then get the candles out and prepare to wait it out!

If it’s just you – check the mains power board for a tripped switch (the switch will either be in the ‘off’ position or in a neutral position). Flip the switch back to the ‘on’ position and carry on with what you were doing.

If a fuse has blown – Phone us. Or if you are quite handy – turn the power off at the mains switches, then pull each wedge out until you find the blown fuse (the one that is usually blackened in parts). When you find the faulty fuse, replace the wire with the same size – to do this you need to loosen the screws on the fuse wedge and curl the fuse wire in a clockwise direction around the first screw and tighten it again.  Thread the wire through the hole in the middle of the wedge and wind the wire around the second screw and tighten again. Make sure the wire is clipped off close to the screw.  You don’t want any long tails of fuse wire hanging out.  Push the fuse wedge back into the base and turn on the main switches… then carry on with your day

If the switch won’t stay in the ‘on’ position then it’s likely that you have an appliance causing a short. Go back into the house and unplug your appliances (the usual suspects are kettles, toasters and vacuum cleaners) – it’s a process of elimination unfortunately – plug each appliance back in and test the RCD – eventually you will find the culprit – then either take to a repair shop or buy a new one.

If it’s not an appliance, and it’s not a blown fuse – then you’re buggered and it’s time to call in the professionals.

If it’s a dire emergency and you simply can’t live without power until the next morning – then ring us and ask for an emergency callout but be prepared – we will charge like a wounded bull!

Otherwise ring us and ask for our earliest next day appointment – it’s easier on the wallet!