Electrician Geelong West
Fault finding, power points and safety switches for Geelong West homes, by CabledIN
Geelong West households ring CabledIN, a licensed electrician, when a circuit keeps tripping, a power point stops working or an older house needs more outlets and safer circuits. We are a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC 30925) based next door in North Geelong, and we have done more than 15 jobs in Geelong West.
A fault starts with diagnosis, and the repair is quoted once the cause is found. Adding a power point, or a safety switch to one circuit, is usually a short visit. The price depends on the age and condition of the wiring, how easy the cable route is and whether the switchboard has room.
- Most common job here
- Power points
- Our records
- More than 15 jobs in Geelong West
- Council
- City of Greater Geelong
- Licence
- REC 30925
What we do most in Geelong West
Our Geelong West jobs lean towards the problems older houses have.
- Power points. More than half of those jobs included power point installation or repair: extra double power points, outlets moved to new positions and dead outlets replaced.
- Lighting. Half involved lights: LED downlights, an extra pendant point and new switches.
- Fault finding. More than four in ten started with a fault: a circuit that trips, a power point that has stopped working or lights that have gone out.
- Safety switches. Also more than four in ten. Most were combination units, each giving one circuit both circuit breaker and safety switch protection.
- Switchboards. More than a third included work on the switchboard itself.
- The rest. Ceiling fans, bathroom exhaust fans, appliance connections, electrical inspections and data points for a study.
Timber cottages, bungalows and the wiring behind the walls
Geelong West was subdivided from 1839 and became a borough in 1875. Most of its houses are single-storey timber: cottages, double-fronted Edwardian and Federation homes, and Californian bungalows. After the Second World War, brick became the more common choice for new houses.
A house that old has usually been altered more than once. Older Geelong West homes can have any of these:
- An older switchboard with rewireable fuses, or circuit breakers with only one safety switch, or none.
- Cabling that has been extended or joined over the decades, which can make a fault harder to trace.
- Too few power points for the number of appliances a household runs now.
Energy Safe Victoria recommends a licensed electrician's check for any house more than 30 years old, and a check before moving into a home built before the 1980s. Older switchboard panels can also contain asbestos, mostly those installed before 1990, so an old panel should be identified before anyone drills or cuts it.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Electrician Geelong West: tracking down faults
When something stops working, a few safe checks tell you who to call:
- Check next door. If the neighbours are without power as well, the problem is on the network, not in your house. Powercor runs the network across the Geelong region: ring 13 24 12.
- Check the switchboard. A safety switch in the off position has tripped. Unplug everything on that circuit, then switch it back on.
- Leave it off if it will not stay on or drops out again, and ring a licensed electrician.
- Stay clear of anything hot, sparking or giving you a tingle. A tingle from a tap or appliance is a job for Powercor first, on 13 24 12. A fire is a 000 call.
On site, the electrician tests the circuits one by one to find the leak or the break. A safety switch can trip because of a faulty power point, damaged wiring or an appliance, so the testing covers all three. Where the old cable to a set of lights has failed, new cable is run to them. Our guide on why a safety switch keeps tripping goes through the common causes.
Adding safety switches to an older switchboard
A safety switch (RCD) watches the current on a circuit and cuts the power within milliseconds if it detects a leak that could hurt someone. It works alongside circuit breakers and fuses, which protect the wiring from overloads, and it only protects the circuits it is connected to.
An older board may protect the power points but leave the lights unprotected. Where the board has space and is in good condition, we fit a combined circuit breaker and safety switch to each unprotected circuit. That is the most common safety switch installation we do in Geelong West.
Where the board is full, worn or still on rewireable fuses, a switchboard upgrade is usually the better option. A replacement board must have safety switch protection on all of its final circuits. Replacing a main switchboard is prescribed work: an independent licensed electrical inspector checks it, and the power cannot go back on until that inspection is done.
Flats, units and rented homes in Geelong West
Geelong West has more variety in its housing than Greater Geelong as a whole. At the 2021 Census, 73.7 per cent of occupied homes were separate houses, against 86.4 per cent across the municipality. Another 16.6 per cent were flats or apartments and 9.0 per cent were semi-detached, terrace or townhouses. About four in ten homes (40.3 per cent) were rented.
If you rent out a house or flat here, this is the work owners and property managers book with us:
- An electrical safety check of the switchboard, wiring and fittings by a licensed electrician, with a written report of the results.
- Safety switches added to power outlet and lighting circuits that are not yet protected, or a switchboard upgrade where the board is too old.
- A smoke alarm check, with each alarm tested and its age checked.
- Any repair that follows is quoted first and comes with its own Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Power points, lights, fans and data points
The rest of our Geelong West work adds to a house rather than fixing it:
- Power points where you need them. Extra double power points, and existing ones moved to a better spot on the wall.
- Lighting. LED downlights, an extra pendant point over a bench or table, and new switch plates.
- Fans. Ceiling fans for bedrooms and living areas, and exhaust fans for bathrooms.
- Data points. Data cabling to a study or the TV, so you are not relying on Wi-Fi alone.
We test every circuit we install or alter before it goes live.
Booking an electrician for a Geelong West home
- Phone 1300 025 555 or fill in the contact form. For a fault, tell us what tripped, when, and what was running at the time.
- We book a time. Planned work is booked for a day that suits you. If the fault is unsafe, say so: that is an emergency call-out, available 24/7.
- Diagnosis comes first. For faults, the electrician finds the cause before quoting the repair.
- You approve the quote before any work starts.
- The work is tested. Before a certificate is issued the electrician must test earthing, insulation resistance, polarity, circuit connections, earth fault-loop impedance and every safety switch.
- You receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety. Victoria requires one for all electrical installation work, however small the job. Keep your copy, because the contractor only has to keep theirs for three years.
Next to Geelong West
From our base in North Geelong we work right around Geelong West, including Hamlyn Heights, Manifold Heights, Newtown, Drumcondra and central Geelong. For the wider region, see our Geelong electrician page.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a 24/7 electrician Geelong West homes can call?
Yes. We take emergency call-outs 24/7, and 1300 025 555 is answered around the clock. If your neighbours have lost power too, call Powercor on 13 24 12. If there is a fire or someone is hurt, call 000.
Why does the power keep tripping in my old house?
A safety switch trips when it detects current leaking, which can come from a faulty power point, damaged wiring or an appliance. Unplug the appliances on that circuit and reset it. If it trips again, a licensed electrician needs to test the circuits.
Can a safety switch be added without replacing the switchboard?
Often, yes. If the board has room and is in good condition, a combined circuit breaker and safety switch can be fitted to each circuit. If the board is full or worn out, replacing it is the better option, and a new board needs safety switch protection on all of its final circuits.
Does a Federation or Edwardian house need rewiring?
Not automatically. Energy Safe Victoria says any house over 30 years old should have its wiring checked by a licensed electrician. The inspection shows whether the wiring is sound, needs repairs in places, or needs replacing.
Should I get the wiring checked before buying an older house in Geelong West?
Energy Safe Victoria recommends checking any home built before the 1980s before you move in. An electrical safety inspection covers the switchboard and circuits and tells you what needs attention now and what can wait.
Could my old switchboard contain asbestos?
It can. Black or dark brown resin panels in older switchboards can contain asbestos, and most were installed before 1990. Do not drill, cut or sand one, and point it out to the electrician before any work starts.
Can you check a rented flat in Geelong West?
Yes. We check the flat's switchboard, wiring and fittings, test the smoke alarms, and send the owner or property manager a written report. Access is arranged with the household.
Do you work in flats and units as well as houses?
Yes. Flats and apartments made up about one in six Geelong West homes at the 2021 Census. Inside a flat we do the same work as in a house: power points, lights, safety switches, smoke alarms and fault finding.
Can you run a data point to a study or spare room?
Yes. We run data cable from the modem to the study, the lounge or wherever the TV sits, so the connection does not depend on wi-fi.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.