Electrician Portarlington
Switchboards, safety switches and smoke alarms for Portarlington homes, by CabledIN
Switchboard work comes up often in our jobs as an electrician Portarlington households book: older boards brought up to date with a safety switch on each circuit, alongside fault finding, lighting, power points, data points and smoke alarms. CabledIN is a licensed Registered Electrical Contractor (REC 30925) based in North Geelong, covering the whole Bellarine Peninsula.
Adding safety switches to a board with spare room is usually a short visit. Replacing the whole board takes longer, and an inspector must pass it before it is switched on. The price depends on the board and the wiring behind it, so we quote after seeing both.
- Area
- Portarlington VIC 3223, Bellarine Peninsula
- Most common job
- Switchboards and safety switches
- Residents
- 4,436 at the 2021 Census
- Licence
- REC 30925, 24/7 call-outs
Electrician Portarlington: switchboards first
Our Portarlington records lean towards making older homes safer:
- Switchboard work comes up often, usually fitting a combined circuit breaker and safety switch to each circuit.
- Safety switches, fault finding, lighting, power points and data points come up about as often.
- Smoke alarms replaced with new alarms, including mains-powered ones.
- Hot water, inspections and after-hours call-outs make up the rest.
What Portarlington homes typically need, and why
Town lots in Portarlington were first sold in 1851, and Victorian Places records that the town grew as a retirement area after the 1960s. The council describes a holiday destination with north-facing beaches that is increasingly popular with people who commute to work.
The 2021 Census counted 4,436 residents. Nine in ten homes are separate houses (90.8 per cent). The median age was 62, against 38 for Victoria, and 54.7 per cent of homes were owned outright, against 32.2 per cent across Victoria.
A house owned for a long time can be a house whose switchboard has never been replaced. Energy Safe Victoria recommends a licensed electrician check the wiring of any house over 30 years old, and names an old switchboard with no safety switch as one of the warning signs of faulty wiring. Here that can mean rewireable fuses, or one safety switch covering only part of the house.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Adding safety switches, or replacing the board
A safety switch (RCD) watches for electricity leaking out of a circuit and turns the power off within 0.03 of a second. Fuses and circuit breakers protect the wiring; a safety switch protects people. There are two ways to add one:
- Add safety switches to the existing board. If it already has circuit breakers and room, putting safety switch protection on the power and lighting circuits is usually enough.
- Replace the board. An older fuse board, or one with no space, may need replacing. The new board must have safety switch protection on every final circuit. It is prescribed work: an independent licensed electrical inspector must inspect it, and the power cannot go back on until that is done. Your Certificate of Electrical Safety follows shortly after.
See our guide Do I need to upgrade my switchboard?
What affects the cost of a switchboard upgrade in Portarlington
- How many circuits the house has, and how many need safety switch protection.
- The wiring behind the board. Each circuit is tested, and if a test shows a problem we explain it and price the fix before going further.
- Asbestos. Older meter and switchboard panels, mostly installed before 1990, can have black or dark brown backing boards that contain asbestos. They need careful handling.
- Supply changes. If the meter panel or the supply has to change, we lodge the request with Powercor. Powercor's charges and lead times are its own, separate from our quote.
We quote after seeing the board, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Smoke alarms: which rule applies to your house
- Built before 1 August 1997: working smoke alarms that meet the Australian Standard; battery alarms are allowed.
- Built after that date: mains-powered 240 V alarms, each with a backup battery.
- Built or substantially renovated after 1 May 2014: if the house needs more than one alarm, they must be linked so they all sound together.
Whatever the age of the house, every alarm should be replaced every 10 years, and CFA advises testing them monthly. Only a licensed electrician may install or replace a hard-wired alarm. See smoke alarm installation.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Data points, TVs and other services
Anything we do for homes around Geelong, we do in Portarlington. Our work here has included Cat6 data cabling to wall data points, giving a TV or computer a steady wired connection. We also mount TVs on the wall with power behind the screen, fit lighting, power points, outdoor lights, fans, EV chargers and security cameras, and repair electric hot water.
Faults and after-hours calls on the Bellarine
When the power goes off, first work out whether it is your house or the street:
- Ask a neighbour. If they are out too, call Powercor on 13 24 12.
- If it is only your house, look at the switchboard. If a safety switch is off, unplug what runs on that circuit and turn it back on.
- If it will not reset, call a licensed electrician.
Our 24/7 emergency call-outs cover Portarlington and the rest of the peninsula. Our fault finding and repairs page explains how we trace a fault.
Booking, and nearby Bellarine towns
Call 1300 025 555 or use the contact form, and tell us roughly how old the house and the switchboard are. We book a time that suits you, look before quoting, and test everything before it is switched on. Your Certificate of Electrical Safety follows.
Along the bay we also work in Indented Head and St Leonards, and in Drysdale. Everywhere else we cover is on our residential electrician Geelong page.
Frequently asked questions
Electrician Portarlington: who do I call when the power goes out?
Ask a neighbour first. If their power is out too, call Powercor on 13 24 12. If it is only your house and a safety switch will not reset, call us on 1300 025 555 for a 24/7 emergency call-out.
Can safety switches be added to my old switchboard?
Often, yes. A board that already has circuit breakers and spare room can take safety switches on its power and lighting circuits. A fuse board, or a full one, may need replacing instead.
Is an old fuse board in a Portarlington house still safe?
It may still work. Energy Safe Victoria counts an old switchboard, especially one with no safety switch, as a tell-tale sign of faulty wiring. We can test it and tell you whether adding safety switches or a new board makes more sense.
Who inspects a new switchboard, and when does the power go back on?
A new main switchboard is prescribed work, so we arrange an independent licensed electrical inspector. The new board stays off until the inspector has passed it, and your Certificate of Electrical Safety follows shortly after.
Could my old switchboard contain asbestos?
It can. Asbestos backing boards, usually black or dark brown, were mostly installed in meter and switchboard panels before 1990. Leave the panel alone rather than drilling, cutting or sanding near it, and let the electrician deal with it.
The smoke alarms in our Portarlington house are years old. Should they all be replaced?
If they are 10 years old or more, yes: the 10-year replacement applies to hard-wired and battery alarms alike. A licensed electrician must replace the hard-wired ones, and it makes sense to do them all at once.
Can you run a data cable so the TV does not rely on Wi-Fi?
Yes. We run Cat6 cable from the modem or network switch to a wall data point beside the TV, desk or games console. A wired connection is steadier than Wi-Fi at the far end of the house.
Do I get a certificate for a safety switch or a new switchboard?
Yes. Every piece of electrical installation work in Victoria needs a Certificate of Electrical Safety. For safety switches it must reach you within 30 days; for a new switchboard it follows the inspection. Keep it safe, because the contractor only needs to hold its copy for three years.
Do you cover Indented Head, St Leonards and Drysdale too?
Yes. We work right across the Bellarine Peninsula, including Indented Head, St Leonards, Drysdale, Clifton Springs and Curlewis, from our base in North Geelong.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.