Electrician Barwon Heads
24/7 call-outs, switchboards and repairs for Barwon Heads homes, by CabledIN
Barwon Heads homeowners can call CabledIN, a licensed electrician, at any hour. We take 24/7 emergency call-outs across the Bellarine, and our work in town has included an after-hours fault, switchboard and safety switch work, electric hot water and a lighting fault.
Faults are found by testing first, then the repair is quoted. A new switchboard is a bigger job, and it must be inspected before the power goes back on. Our registration is REC 30925, and every job is quoted after we have seen it.
- Emergencies
- 24/7 call-outs on 1300 025 555
- Population
- 4,353 at the 2021 Census
- Council
- City of Greater Geelong
- Licence
- REC 30925
Electrician Barwon Heads: after-hours faults and what to check first
Our 24/7 emergency call-outs cover Barwon Heads, and we answer the phone around the clock. Before you ring, this tells you who to call:
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| The whole street is dark | A network fault. Check Powercor's live outage map or call Powercor on 13 24 12. |
| Only your house is off | Look at the switchboard. If a safety switch has flipped off, unplug the appliances on that circuit and switch it back on. If it refuses to stay on, ring a licensed electrician. |
| The street has power and nothing has tripped | Your own supply may be damaged. Call a licensed electrician. |
| A tingle from a tap, shower or appliance | Do not touch it or go back into the area. Ring Powercor on 13 24 12 immediately, then have an electrician investigate. |
| Fire, smoke or someone hurt | Call 000. Never use water on an electrical fire. |
The jobs we have done in Barwon Heads
Barwon Heads is a smaller part of our work than Ocean Grove next door, but the jobs we have done here are typical of what a coastal home needs:
- Emergency fault finding after hours.
- Switchboard and safety switch work, with combined circuit breaker and safety switch devices fitted to individual circuits.
- Electric hot water. The electrical parts of a hot water unit are the element, thermostat, isolating switch and circuit. A leaking tank or valve is a plumber's job.
- Lighting faults traced and repaired.
Everything else on our list is available here too, from power points and smoke alarms to outdoor lighting.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
A seaside town: what Barwon Heads homes need
Barwon Heads sits on the west side of the Barwon River mouth, about 18 km south-east of Geelong. Settlement on this side began in 1875. Victorian Places records that it became a holiday destination for Geelong residents from the 1920s and, since the 1960s, an outer suburb of Geelong as well. The council describes streets bordered by seaside grasses and ti-tree, with some roads still unsealed.
At the 2021 Census Barwon Heads had 4,353 residents and 2,300 private dwellings. Of the occupied homes, 91.2 per cent were separate houses and 47.6 per cent were owned outright, and the median age was 46.
For the wiring, that means:
- Older houses can still have an original switchboard, with rewireable fuses and one safety switch or none. Energy Safe Victoria advises a wiring check for any house over 30 years old.
- Salt air is hard on outdoor fittings. Plated fittings corrode quickly near the coast, so we suggest fittings made for it, such as marine-grade stainless steel or good-quality powder-coated aluminium.
- If you are away for weeks at a time, test the safety switches and smoke alarms before you go, so you know they work.
Low-lying ground and wet wiring
The council notes that the low-lying town area is protected from flooding by a levee bank. If water does get into a house, Energy Safe Victoria's advice is:
- Do not turn the power back on until a licensed electrician has tested the wiring.
- Do not use any appliance that got wet until it has been tested.
- Switches that will not stay on are a sign the wiring has been affected.
For storm and flood help, call the SES on 132 500. If a powerline is down, treat it as live, stay at least 10 metres away and report it to Powercor on 13 24 12.
Switchboard upgrades and safety switches
When an old board is replaced, three rules apply. Every final circuit must then have safety switch protection. Replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work, so an independent licensed electrical inspector, arranged by us, inspects it. And the power cannot go back on to the new board until that inspection is done.
Not every board needs replacing. If yours already has circuit breakers and room to spare, safety switches (RCDs) can often be added circuit by circuit instead. Once they are in, press each test button every three months, as Energy Safe Victoria advises.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Booking an electrician from Barwon Heads
Call 1300 025 555. For a fault, tell us what happened just before it started and what you have already tried. For planned work, tell us what you want done. We book a time, look before we start and quote before any work begins.
Every job ends with testing and a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Our work carries a lifetime workmanship warranty, backed by more than 20 years' experience and 2,000+ five-star Google reviews.
Ocean Grove and nearby
Ocean Grove is next door and one of the Bellarine suburbs we work in most. We also cover Connewarre, Breamlea and Wallington, and elsewhere on the peninsula Leopold. For everything else, see our residential electrician Geelong page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an electrician out to Barwon Heads at night?
Yes. Night or day, we answer 1300 025 555 and take 24/7 emergency call-outs in Barwon Heads and the rest of the Bellarine. If anyone is hurt or there is a fire, call 000 first.
The neighbours have power but my house does not. What should I do?
Check the switchboard for a tripped safety switch, unplug appliances and try resetting it. If it will not reset, or nothing has tripped, your own supply may be damaged: call a licensed electrician.
Water got into our Barwon Heads house. Can we turn the power back on?
Not until a licensed electrician has tested the wiring. Energy Safe Victoria also says not to use any appliance that got wet until it has been tested.
Is a cold hot water system an electrical problem or a plumbing one?
If the water has gone cold and nothing is leaking, the cause can be electrical: the element, thermostat, isolating switch or circuit. Leaks, valves and pipework are a plumber's job. We test the unit and tell you which it is.
Will a new switchboard give every circuit a safety switch?
Yes. When a switchboard is replaced, every final circuit must have safety switch protection. The new board is then inspected by an independent licensed electrical inspector before the power goes back on.
What should I check before leaving the house empty for a few weeks?
Press the test button on each safety switch and test each smoke alarm. If a safety switch will not reset after testing, have it checked before you go, because a switch that trips while the house is empty can leave the fridge and freezer off until you return.
Do you take small jobs in Barwon Heads, like one light?
Yes. Lighting repairs are among the jobs we have done in Barwon Heads, and a single light, power point or smoke alarm is worth a call.
Can you come out to Connewarre and Breamlea as well?
Yes. Along with Barwon Heads we cover Connewarre, Breamlea, Wallington, Ocean Grove and the rest of the Bellarine Peninsula, as well as Geelong and the Surf Coast.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.