A big share of Gladstone housing went up in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The switchboards did too. Plenty are still running ceramic fuses and a single safety switch, if any, and they were sized for a house with one TV and no air conditioning.
Here is how to tell whether yours is due.
Open the door and look
Ceramic fuses. Round porcelain holders with fuse wire inside. If you have these, the board predates modern circuit breakers and almost certainly has no safety switches on most circuits.
No safety switches, or only one. A safety switch has a “T” test button. Older boards have one covering the power points and nothing on the lights, oven, hot water or air con. The current standard is one per circuit.
Discolouration, heat or a smell. Brown marks around a breaker, a warm panel or a hot plastic smell mean a loose connection or an overloaded circuit. Do not wait on this one.
No spare ways. If the board is physically full there is nowhere to add the air conditioner, the pool pump, the EV charger or the solar.
Frequent tripping. A breaker or fuse that goes regularly under normal use is telling you the circuit is overloaded or faulty.
Asbestos backing panel. Some older boards are mounted on an asbestos-cement sheet. It needs to be handled properly when the board is replaced.
What the rules say
Queensland does not force you to upgrade a working board. But:
- Any new or altered circuit must have a safety switch.
- Rentals must have safety switches on power circuits, and the owner must confirm it in the lease.
- Homes being sold must have safety switches on power circuits.
- Insurance claims can get complicated when a fire starts at a board that was known to be non-compliant.
So the moment you add a circuit, sell, or lease, the board comes into play.
What an upgrade involves
Kelly assesses the board, the mains and the earthing, and gives a written quote. On the day the power is off for a few hours while the old enclosure and gear come out and the new board goes in with circuit breakers, safety switches on every circuit, surge protection and proper labels. Ergon is notified if the meter panel is touched. You get a certificate of test at the end.
A straightforward domestic board sits in the mid-size price range, around the $1,000 mark. Three phase, sub boards or rerouting mains push it into project territory.
What customers said
“Upgraded the main board, change lights to LED. Installed new switches and wired up the shed. Came when he said. got in and got the job done!” Anthony Shipway, Google review.
“Kelly helped out with doing a switchboard upgrade and few other electrical installs and troubleshoot. Was very professional and fit around our schedule.” A Maroli, Google review.
Next step
Send a photo of your board through the contact page and Kelly will tell you straight whether it needs doing. More on the switchboard upgrades page and on safety switches.
Related service: Switchboard Upgrades · Service area · Contact Kelly