Electrician in Alstonville, NSW
Electrical work across the plateau
Our work in Alstonville splits between the town and the farms around it. In town it is shops along Main Street, the streets behind the Plaza and houses on ordinary blocks. Out on the plateau it is acreage, macadamia and avocado farms and homes at the end of long rural roads. The red volcanic soil is deep and holds water, so cable trenches to sheds and bores are a different job here than on sand.
Most farm and acreage jobs start at the gate. Check whether it is locked and who holds the key, and tell us if there are dogs or stock loose near the house. Some driveways are long and steep and turn to mud after rain, which decides where we park and how far we carry gear. In town, the meter box is usually on the front or side wall and needs to be clear.
Alstonville has plenty of older timber houses and mid-century brick homes, many added to over the years. That usually means a switchboard that has been patched, circuits that were extended by different people and roof spaces with old cable running through them. Newer additions sit on newer wiring, and the join between the two is where we spend our time. Sheds and pump houses are often wired from the main house over a long run.
What we do here most
What Alstonville keeps needing
Most of these jobs come from the same place: buildings that have grown in stages, on blocks big enough that the power has a long way to travel.
Switchboard Upgrades
Patched switchboard in a timber house
A lot of older Alstonville houses have a board that was added to every time a room was built on. We open it up and look at what each circuit feeds, whether there is an RCD on the power and lights, and how the earthing is run. Often the answer is a new board with every circuit labelled, so the next person is not guessing.
Solar System Installation
Solar panels on an acreage roof
Acreage homes on the plateau often have a big, simple roof that suits panels, and a shed or second dwelling that also draws power. The job is working out where the inverter goes, how the cable gets from roof to board, and whether the supply into the property can carry what you want to add. The roof space is checked first.
Generator Changeover
Storm outage on a macadamia farm
When the line to a farm drops in a storm, pumps, cool rooms and the house all stop together. A changeover switch at the board lets a generator feed the property without sending power back into the street. We fit the switch, the inlet on the outside wall and label which circuits it carries, so you are not guessing in the dark.
Commercial Electrical
Fit-out for a Main Street shopfront
Older shopfronts along Main Street were wired for whatever the last tenant did, and a new cafe or office rarely matches it. We check the sub-board, the power for the new equipment and the lighting layout, then run new circuits where they are needed. Work in a shared building starts with finding out where the main supply comes in.
If it is urgent
If an Alstonville farm loses power
- 1Look at your switchboard. If one switch has dropped, flip it back once. If it drops again straight away, leave it off.
- 2Leave the board cover on, stay out of water, and do not touch a pump, shed supply or cable you cannot see the end of.
- 3When you call, tell us if you are in town or on acreage, the road name, whether the gate is locked, and which sheds or pumps are on the same supply.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I send before someone visits?
A short description of what is happening and which suburb you are in is the main thing. A photo of the switchboard with the cover closed, and one of the spot where the work is needed, lets us see the age of the installation and the layout. If an appliance or unit is involved, send its make and model.
How do I describe a fault over the phone?
Say which room or circuit is affected and what you noticed first, such as lights flickering, a switch tripping or a smell of burning. Mention whether it happens all the time or only when a particular appliance is running. If there is smoke, fire or someone has been hurt, call 000 first.
What days and hours are you open?
We are open Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4pm, and closed on Saturday and Sunday. You can call 0468 051 006 or email enquires@switchedonelectrical.com.au. If you email, put your suburb and what is going on in the first lines.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Ballina and work across the Northern Rivers. That includes Lennox Head, Skennars Head, Alstonville, Wollongbar, Byron Bay, Bangalow, Lismore, Mullumbimby, Woodburn, Evans Head and Broadwater. If you are somewhere nearby, call and ask.
What does a switchboard upgrade involve?
The power is switched off, the old board is taken out and a new board goes in with the circuits moved across. Safety switches are fitted to the circuits and each circuit is labelled. Older boards sometimes hide extra wiring, which becomes visible once the cover is off.
Can a power point be added where I need one?
Usually, yes. It depends on where the nearest circuit is, whether that circuit can carry the extra load, and how the cable can reach the spot through the roof space, the wall cavity or under the floor. A photo of the wall and a note of what you want to plug in is enough to start.
What if my safety switch keeps tripping?
Unplug everything on the affected circuit and reset the switch once. If it holds, plug appliances back in one at a time, since a faulty appliance is a common cause. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, leave it off and call us, because the fault is in the wiring or a fitting.
What do I need to know about smoke alarm basics?
Alarms belong in hallways and near bedrooms, and interconnected alarms sound together when one detects smoke. Mains powered alarms with a battery backup are common in newer homes. Most alarms have a date printed on the back, so check it, and call us if yours is old or does not sound when tested.
How are data points run?
A network cable, usually Cat6, runs from a central point such as a patch panel or a rack to a wall outlet in each room. It goes through the roof space or wall cavity, is terminated at both ends and is tested. Tell us which rooms need a point and where the router or rack will sit.
Do you work with solar and batteries?
Yes. Solar system installation and battery installation are both on our list of work. Both connect through the switchboard and meter box, so a photo of those and the make of any inverter or battery you have in mind is a useful start.
What is involved in an EV charger install?
The charger needs its own circuit from the switchboard, and the cable has to run from the board to wherever the car parks. We look at the board for spare space and at the distance to the garage or carport. Send a photo of the board and the make and model of the charger.
What should I know before an air conditioner install?
Decide which room the unit serves and where the outdoor unit can sit, since the pipes and cable have to connect the two. The switchboard needs a circuit with enough capacity for the unit. Send the make and model if you have chosen one, and a photo of the board and the wall where the indoor unit will go.
Everything we do here
Services in Alstonville, NSW
The services below suit a plateau of older houses, farm sheds and long driveways, where the wiring has been added to as the place grew.
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Alstonville job details
Tell us whether the job is in town or on acreage, and send a photo of the meter box or the gate and driveway. That decides how far the cable has to run and how we plan the day.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead