Electrician Bell Post Hill
Switchboard upgrades and safety switches for Bell Post Hill homes, by CabledIN
CabledIN is the licensed electrician Bell Post Hill households call most often about the switchboard: upgrading it, adding safety switches, or finding out whether it is safe. We have completed more than 10 jobs in Bell Post Hill in our records, and about two in three involved switchboard work. Our Registered Electrical Contractor number is REC 30925, and we are based in North Geelong.
Adding a safety switch to an existing board is a shorter job. A new switchboard takes longer, and an independent inspector must check it before the power goes back on. We quote after seeing the board.
- Most common job
- Switchboard work
- Our records
- More than 10 jobs in Bell Post Hill
- Homes
- 92 per cent separate houses (2021 Census)
- Emergencies
- 24/7 call-outs on 1300 025 555
Electrician Bell Post Hill: mostly switchboard work
Bell Post Hill stands out in our records: the switchboard comes up in about two of every three jobs there. The full mix:
- Switchboard upgrades, including new boards that went through an independent inspection before being switched on.
- Safety switches in about four jobs in ten, often combined circuit breaker and safety switch units added circuit by circuit.
- Power points just as often, inside and out.
- Lighting, electrical inspections, fault finding and TV wall mounting, each in about one job in four.
- Also: appliance connections, weatherproof outdoor power points, smoke alarms and a data cabling run.
An established suburb of separate houses
Bell Post Hill is a residential suburb north-west of Geelong, along the Midland Highway (Ballarat Road). The Geelong Ring Road marks its western built-up edge, with open country beyond.
It is an established suburb rather than a growing one. Victorian Places records 4,930 residents in 2001, and the 2021 Census counted 5,083. Nine in ten homes are separate houses (92.0 per cent, against 73.4 per cent across Victoria), and 42.9 per cent are owned outright.
That profile is what sits behind our job records. A house that has stood for decades can still have its original switchboard, or one that has been added to piece by piece. Old switchboards, particularly those without a safety switch, are on Energy Safe Victoria's list of warning signs that home wiring may be faulty, and its advice is to have any house over 30 years old checked by a licensed electrician.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Switchboard upgrades in Bell Post Hill: how they work
When an old board has no room, no safety switches or visible damage, replacing it can be the cleanest fix. In Victoria a new main switchboard works like this:
- We look at the board and quote. The price depends on how many circuits it carries, the condition of the wiring when it is tested, and whether anything has to move.
- We install the new board with safety switch protection on every final circuit, which the Wiring Rules require when a board is replaced.
- An independent licensed electrical inspector checks it. A main switchboard is prescribed work, so we arrange the inspection, and the power cannot go back onto the new board until it has been inspected.
- You receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety shortly after the inspection.
Some older switchboard panels contain asbestos, typically black or dark brown backing boards installed before 1990, so never drill or cut an old board. The switchboard upgrade page has the detail, and our guide do I need to upgrade my switchboard? runs through the signs.
Safety switches without a whole new board
Not every Bell Post Hill board needs replacing. If it already has circuit breakers and the space, safety switch protection can often be added circuit by circuit with combined circuit breaker and safety switch units. Replacing one faulty safety switch or circuit breaker like-for-like is not prescribed work, so no independent inspection is needed, though it is still tested and you still receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
A safety switch (RCD) cuts the power within 0.03 of a second when it detects electricity leaking from a circuit. It only protects the circuits it is connected to, so a board with one safety switch on the power points and none on the lights is only part-protected. Energy Safe Victoria recommends pressing the test button on each safety switch every three months; if the power stays on, call a licensed electrician. More on our safety switch page.
Inspections before you buy, or after a fault
About one Bell Post Hill job in three includes an electrical safety inspection: a visual check and testing of the switchboard, wiring and fittings, with a written report of what needs attention. People book one when they are buying an older house, after a fault that keeps coming back, or before deciding on a switchboard upgrade. Energy Safe Victoria advises checking homes built before the 1980s before moving in.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
TV wall mounting, appliances and outdoor power
- TV wall mounting, about one job in four: the TV on a flat or tilting bracket fixed to something solid, with a power point behind the screen. See TV wall mounting.
- Appliance connections, just as often. A cooktop needs an isolating switch that is visible, easy to reach and not mounted on the appliance itself, and no switch or power point may sit within 150 mm of the edge of the cooking surface.
- Weatherproof power points outside, for the yard, the shed or the barbecue area, on a circuit with safety switch protection.
Booking an electrician in Bell Post Hill
- Call 1300 025 555. If it is about the switchboard, tell us what you can see: fuses or switches, and whether anything has a test button.
- We book a day and time that suit you. A dangerous fault is an emergency, day or night.
- We look at the board and the job, then quote. Nothing starts until you approve it.
- We do the work and test it. Prescribed work is inspected independently, and everything comes with a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
In an emergency, call Powercor on 13 24 12 if the street is out, and 000 if anyone is in danger or there is a fire. For a fault inside your property, we answer the phone around the clock.
Around Bell Post Hill
We also work in Bell Post Hill's neighbours: Bell Park, Batesford and Norlane, as well as Hamlyn Heights, Moorabool and Lovely Banks. For the wider region, see our residential electrician Geelong page.
Recent electrical jobs in Bell Post Hill
Frequently asked questions
Is there an emergency electrician Bell Post Hill residents can call?
Yes. CabledIN takes 24/7 emergency call-outs in Bell Post Hill on 1300 025 555. If the houses around you are dark as well, it is a network fault: call Powercor on 13 24 12. For fire or anyone in danger, call 000.
Does a new switchboard in Bell Post Hill have to be inspected?
Yes. Replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work in Victoria. We arrange an independent licensed electrical inspector, and the power cannot go back onto the new board until it has been inspected.
Do I need a new switchboard, or just safety switches?
It depends on the board. If it already has circuit breakers and room to spare, adding safety switch protection circuit by circuit is often enough. An older fuse board with no room may need replacing, and then every final circuit must have safety switch protection.
My switchboard has a black backing board. Could it be asbestos?
It could be. Older meter and switchboard panels, typically black or dark brown and mostly installed before 1990, can contain asbestos. Do not drill, cut or sand it, and mention it when you book so the electrician knows before starting.
Is replacing one faulty safety switch inspected?
No. Replacing a single safety switch or circuit breaker like-for-like is not prescribed work, so no independent inspection is needed. It is still tested, and you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
How often should I test my safety switches?
Energy Safe Victoria says every three months. Warn the household, press the test button on each switch, check the power is off on that circuit, then reset it. If the power stays on, call a licensed electrician.
Can you mount a TV on the wall in Bell Post Hill?
Yes. TV wall mounting comes up in about one Bell Post Hill job in four. We fix the bracket to something solid and fit a power point behind the screen, which is tested and covered by a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Can you add a weatherproof power point outside?
Yes. Outdoor power points are part of our Bell Post Hill work. We use weatherproof outlets and put the circuit on safety switch protection.
Should I get the wiring checked before buying a house in Bell Post Hill?
It is worth it. Energy Safe Victoria advises checking homes built before the 1980s before moving in, and any house over 30 years old. An inspection tells you whether the switchboard and wiring need work before you commit.
Can you connect a new oven or cooktop?
Yes. Appliance connections come up in about one Bell Post Hill job in four. A cooktop needs an isolating switch that is visible and easy to reach, and no switch or power point within 150 mm of the cooking surface.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.