Electrician Whittington
Inspections, safety switches and fault finding for Whittington homes, by CabledIN
CabledIN is the licensed electrician Whittington homes call for electrical inspections, fault finding and safety switches. We are a Registered Electrical Contractor, REC 30925, based in North Geelong, with 24/7 emergency call-outs.
An inspection of most houses is one visit, with a written report afterwards. A fault takes as long as it takes to trace. Repairs are quoted once the cause is found, and every repair comes with a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
- Common jobs here
- Inspections, fault finding, safety switches
- Population
- 3,990 at the 2021 Census
- Licence
- REC 30925
- Emergencies
- 24/7 call-outs on 1300 025 555
Electrician Whittington: the work in our records
Our Whittington jobs are mostly about checking and fixing what is already in the house:
- Electrical inspections of the switchboard, wiring and fittings, with a report of what needs attention.
- Fault finding: circuits that trip, and power points or lights that have stopped working.
- Safety switches: failed ones replaced, including after hours, and combined circuit breaker and safety switch units added to circuits.
- Also: switchboard and mains box work, smoke alarms, power points, lighting and electric hot water.
Whittington houses and the 1960s
Whittington is a residential suburb about 4 km south-east of central Geelong, in postcode 3219. Residential development spread rapidly through it during the 1960s, and more than 500 Housing Commission units were built there. At the 2021 Census nine in ten homes were separate houses (90.5 per cent).
For the wiring, age matters more than layout. A house built in the 1960s is now around 60 years old. It can still have its first switchboard, with rewireable fuses and few or no safety switches, or a board that has been added to over the years. Energy Safe Victoria advises a wiring check for any house over 30 years old. Our guide does a 1970s house need rewiring? covers the same questions for a slightly younger house.
Talk to a licensed Geelong electrician (REC 30925).
Inspections for owners, buyers and landlords
Inspections are one of the jobs we do most in Whittington. More than four in ten Whittington homes are rented (43.8 per cent at the 2021 Census, against 28.5 per cent for Victoria), and landlords and property managers book inspections, as do owners of older houses and people about to buy one.
An electrical safety inspection is a visual check plus testing of the switchboard, wiring and fittings, followed by a written report of what was found. For a rented home, the owner or property manager books it and we arrange a time with the people living there. Any repair that follows is quoted separately and comes with its own Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Safety switches that trip, fail or are missing
A safety switch (RCD) cuts the power within 0.03 of a second when it detects electricity leaking from a circuit, and it only protects the circuits it is connected to. Safety switch problems come in three kinds:
- Tripped and will not reset. Unplug the appliances on that circuit and try again. If it still will not reset, call a licensed electrician; out of hours, that is an emergency call-out.
- Trips again and again. Powercor's advice is that frequent tripping means the wiring and appliances should be inspected. We trace it with testing; see fault finding and repairs.
- Too few. An older board may protect the power points but not the lights.
Press the test button on each safety switch every three months. If the power stays on, the switch may have failed. Replacing one like-for-like is not prescribed work, so no independent inspection is needed, but it is tested and you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Split system air conditioning in Whittington
In Whittington, as across Geelong, we install residential split system, multi-head and ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning. Every air conditioner we install gets its own circuit at the switchboard and an outdoor isolator, and in an older house we check first that the board has room for that circuit. Powercor lists larger air conditioning among the common reasons for upgrading a home's supply. Air conditioning is non-prescribed electrical work, so your Certificate of Electrical Safety is due within 30 days. See air conditioning installation for sizing and how an install runs.
Not sure what you need? Tell us what is happening and we will talk it through.
Mains boxes, switchboards and Powercor defect notices
Our Whittington work has also included switchboard and mains box jobs. Both sit on the owner's side of the supply. Powercor names a defective or loose fused mains box, a damaged meter box and a faulty switchboard among the common defects it finds, and fixing them is the property owner's responsibility.
If you receive a defect notice, a registered electrical contractor makes the repair and sends the Certificate of Electrical Safety to Powercor. Replacing a main switchboard or the consumer mains is prescribed work, so an independent licensed electrical inspector checks it before the power goes back on. Our page on mains upgrades and Powercor defect repairs explains the process.
Booking, and what to do in an emergency
- Call 1300 025 555. Tell us whether it is an inspection, a fault or an install, and for a rental, who arranges access.
- We book a time that suits you. If the fault is dangerous, we treat it as an emergency, day or night.
- We find the cause or check the job, then quote. Work starts once you approve the price.
- Everything is tested, and you receive a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
In an emergency: if the whole street is dark, or you feel a tingle from a tap or appliance, call Powercor on 13 24 12, and do not touch that tap or appliance again. For fire or anyone in danger, call 000. Never attempt a repair yourself: DIY electrical work is illegal in Victoria.
Next to Whittington
We also cover the suburbs around Whittington: Newcomb, Breakwater, Moolap, St Albans Park and Thomson. East Geelong shares the 3219 postcode with Whittington and is on our list too. Elsewhere in the region, see our residential electrician Geelong page.
Recent electrical jobs in Whittington
Frequently asked questions
Is there an emergency electrician Whittington residents can call after hours?
Yes. CabledIN takes 24/7 emergency call-outs in Whittington on 1300 025 555. If the whole street is out, call Powercor on 13 24 12 first. If there is a fire or someone is hurt, call 000.
Can you do an electrical safety check on a Whittington rental?
Yes. The owner or property manager books it, we arrange a time with the people living there, and the written report goes to whoever booked. Any repairs are quoted separately.
Does a 1960s house in Whittington need rewiring?
Not automatically. Testing decides it, not the age alone. Energy Safe Victoria advises a wiring check for any house over 30 years old, and an inspection shows whether the wiring and switchboard need work.
Do you install split system air conditioners in Whittington?
Yes. We install split system, multi-head and ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning in Whittington homes. Each system gets its own circuit and an outdoor isolator, and we check the switchboard has room before we quote.
My safety switch has failed. Does the replacement need an inspection?
No. A like-for-like replacement of one safety switch is not prescribed work, so it needs no independent inspection. It is still tested before it goes back into service, and you get a Certificate of Electrical Safety.
Is the mains box my responsibility or Powercor's?
Yours, as the property owner. The fused mains box is part of your installation, and Powercor lists it among the common defects. A registered electrical contractor repairs it and sends the certificate to Powercor.
How do I know my safety switch still works?
Press its test button every three months, as Energy Safe Victoria advises. The power on that circuit should go off. If lights or appliances stay on, the switch may have failed: call a licensed electrician.
Do hard-wired smoke alarms need an electrician?
Yes. Hard-wired 240 V alarms must be installed and replaced by a licensed electrician. Homes built after 1 August 1997 must have mains-powered alarms, and every alarm should be replaced every 10 years.
Do you cover St Albans Park, Breakwater and Thomson as well?
Yes. We cover all of Whittington's neighbours, including St Albans Park, Breakwater, Thomson, Moolap and Newcomb.
Still have a question? Ask the CabledIN team.