Electrician Grovedale
Power points, lighting and safety switches for Grovedale homes, by CabledIN
Our work as an electrician Grovedale homes call on is mostly adding and updating: extra power points, LED lighting, safety switches (RCDs) and tracing faults. CabledIN is a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC 30925) based in North Geelong, with more than 20 years' experience.
A few power points or downlights are usually one visit. A fault that comes and goes, or a full switchboard, takes longer. We quote after seeing the job.
- Area
- Grovedale VIC 3216, City of Greater Geelong
- Most common jobs
- Power points, lighting, safety switches
- Residents
- 14,869 at the 2021 Census
- Licence
- REC 30925, 24/7 call-outs
Electrician Grovedale: the work we do most
Our Grovedale jobs mostly bring an established house up to date. In order of how often they come up:
- Extra power points. Double power points where power boards and extension leads have taken over, and single outlets for an appliance that needs its own.
- Lighting. LED downlights in place of old fittings or added to dim rooms, and new switches, including two-way switching so a hall or stair light works from either end.
- Safety switches. Circuits brought up to date with a combined circuit breaker and safety switch on each one.
- Fault finding. A circuit that keeps tripping, or lights and power points that have stopped.
- Switchboard work, close behind.
Then come outdoor lights and power, mains supply work, TV wall mounting, appliance connections, smoke alarms, cameras, inspections and after-hours call-outs.
What Grovedale homes are like, and what that means for the wiring
Grovedale was farmland until the 1960s, when housing spread in from neighbouring Belmont. Building moved west through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, and the council describes a mixture of modern brick homes reflecting that growth. Since 2012 its southern edge has been the Warrnambool railway line; the land beyond became Charlemont and Armstrong Creek.
At the 2021 Census Grovedale had 14,869 residents. Most homes are separate houses (85.9 per cent), with semi-detached houses and townhouses making up 13.5 per cent. About a third were owned outright.
A house from the 1960s to the 1980s is now more than 35 years old, past the 30-year mark at which Energy Safe Victoria recommends a wiring check by a licensed electrician. In Grovedale that can mean:
- an original switchboard with rewireable fuses and few or no safety switches
- too few power points for the way a household lives now
- rooms lit by a single central fitting, where LED downlights and two-way switching now go in
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
What affects the cost of electrical work in Grovedale
The same request can be quick in one house and bigger next door, so we quote after seeing it. What changes the price:
- How many points or lights you want done in the visit. A kitchen bench, a bedroom and the garage in one trip is one visit, not three.
- How the cable gets there. An open roof space is simpler than a low roof, a solid wall or a long run out to a garage.
- Whether the switchboard has room for a new circuit and its safety switch.
- What testing finds. Older wiring is tested as part of the job, and anything it turns up is explained and priced before it is fixed.
You approve the price before any work starts, and every new or extended circuit is tested before it is switched on.
Safety switches and switchboards in older Grovedale houses
Fuses and circuit breakers look after the cables. A safety switch (RCD) looks after people, switching off within 0.03 of a second of detecting leaking current. Older Grovedale boards can have one safety switch covering a few circuits, or none.
With circuit breakers and spare room on the board, adding safety switch protection to the circuits is often enough. If it still has rewireable fuses or no room, a switchboard upgrade may make more sense, and in Victoria that brings rules with it:
- each final circuit on the new board needs safety switch protection
- it is prescribed work: an independent inspector checks it before the new board is switched on
- panels mostly fitted before 1990 may sit on a black or dark brown backing board containing asbestos, so never drill or cut near one
Once safety switches are in, Energy Safe Victoria says to test each one every three months with its test button.
When something stops working: fault finding in Grovedale
Fault finding is one of the jobs we do most in Grovedale. Before you call, make these safe checks:
- Look at the switchboard. Where a safety switch or circuit breaker is off, unplug everything on that circuit and switch it back on.
- If it trips again or refuses to reset, leave it off and ring a licensed electrician.
- If the neighbours are without power as well, call Powercor on 13 24 12.
Go no further. The electrician tests the circuit, finds the cause and prices the repair. See fault finding and repairs; our 24/7 emergency call-outs cover Grovedale day and night.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Electrical services available in Grovedale
Grovedale gets the full range of home services we run around Geelong. Besides the work above, that includes smoke alarms, outdoor lights and weatherproof power points, ceiling and exhaust fans, oven and cooktop connections, electric hot water repairs, TV wall mounting, data points, security cameras, EV chargers and split system air conditioning installs. Mains supply work is prescribed work, so it is independently inspected, and we lodge any change to your supply with Powercor for you.
Booking an electrician in Grovedale, and the suburbs around it
- Call 1300 025 555 or use the contact form with a note of what you want added or what has stopped working.
- Planned work goes in the diary for a day that suits you; a dangerous fault is handled as an emergency.
- The electrician looks first, then gives you the price.
- Everything is tested, and for lights and power points your certificate must reach you within 30 days.
We are based in North Geelong. Around Grovedale we also cover Belmont, Waurn Ponds, Wandana Heights and Highton, and across the railway line Charlemont and Armstrong Creek. Our residential electrician Geelong page covers the wider region.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an emergency electrician Grovedale households can call at night?
Yes. Our 24/7 emergency call-outs cover Grovedale on 1300 025 555. If the houses around you are dark too, ring Powercor on 13 24 12. If there is fire or someone has been hurt, call 000 first.
Can you add power points to a Grovedale house without rewiring it?
Usually, yes. A new power point is taken from a nearby circuit or run as a new circuit from the switchboard. The electrician checks the existing wiring and the board first, and tells you if anything needs attention before more load goes on.
My Grovedale house was built in the 1970s. Does the wiring need checking?
Yes. A 1970s house is well past the 30-year mark at which Energy Safe Victoria recommends a licensed electrician check the wiring. The check covers the switchboard, wiring and fittings, and you are told what needs fixing and what can wait.
Can you replace old downlights with LEDs in the same holes?
Often, yes. LED downlights come in several cut-out sizes, so we match the existing holes where we can. If a different size is needed, we tell you before the job starts.
Can a hallway light be switched from both ends?
Yes. That is two-way switching: two switches control the same light, so you turn it on at one end and off at the other. It suits halls, stairs and rooms with two doors.
I live just south of the railway line. Am I in Grovedale?
Probably not. Since 2012 Grovedale's southern boundary has been the Warrnambool railway line, and the land south of it became Charlemont and Armstrong Creek. We cover all three, so it makes no difference to booking.
Do I get a certificate for one new power point?
Yes. Victoria requires a Certificate of Electrical Safety for all electrical installation work, whatever its size. For power points and lights your copy must reach you within 30 days. Keep it with your house papers.
Can I replace a power point or light switch myself?
No. In Victoria all DIY electrical work is illegal, including swapping a switch or power point for an identical one. Energy Safe Victoria warns it can also be deadly. Safe checks, such as resetting a tripped safety switch, are fine.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.