Electrician in Ballina, NSW
Electrical work in Ballina
Ballina is where we work from, and most of the town sits on or beside water. The Richmond River runs along one side, North Creek along the other, and Shaws Bay sits on the east. Shops and offices along Cherry Street need data points, lighting and switchboard work. Houses spread out from the town centre toward Missingham Bridge and West Ballina, and out to the newer estates on the higher ground. Salt air and damp reach nearly every job here, so we look at what the weather has done to the wiring first.
Access in the older streets is mostly kerbside. Blocks are narrow, driveways are short, and the meter box is often on the front wall or tucked beside the garage. Rented houses and units usually mean getting the agent or the owner to arrange a key before we arrive. In the estates the board tends to sit in a locked cabinet or the garage, and a closed car door or a stacked garage can slow the first look at it more than the wiring does.
A lot of the older housing on the flat ground is timber or fibro, many of them raised on stumps, with wiring that has been added to room by room over decades. We find old cable in roof spaces, switchboards that have been squeezed into the wrong cupboard, and outdoor fittings eaten by salt. Water also matters here. Anything that has been wet from a flood or a king tide needs to be checked before it is switched back on. Newer homes have modern boards, but often only a few data points.
What we do here most
What Ballina keeps needing
Most Ballina jobs trace back to age, damp or salt, or to a building that has been added to over the years without the wiring being looked at.
Switchboard Upgrades
Fuse board in a raised Queenslander
An older timber house near the river often still has ceramic fuses and a small board that was never sized for a modern kitchen. We check the main switch, the earthing and the condition of the cables coming into the board. Then we replace the board with one fitted with safety switches. Because the house sits on stumps, the cable run usually goes under the floor, so we plan the path before opening anything.
Data Cabling
Cabling a Cherry Street shop fit-out
A small shop or office on or near Cherry Street usually has an old building behind a new front. We find where the cable can run through the ceiling space or wall, then put in data points, a patch panel and a rack that suits the room. Counters, tills and wireless access points all want a cable to the right spot. Old buildings rarely have the path already open.
Emergency Electrical
Floodwater has reached the power points
When a flood or a king tide has been through a Ballina house, nothing should be switched back on until it has been checked. We test the circuits, look at the board, the power points low on the wall and the outdoor lines, and find what has been wet. Some of it dries out and some has to be replaced. Both are visible once the covers are off.
Commercial Electrical
Fault tracing in a riverside workshop
Workshops and small industrial units around Ballina often have three phase power, long cable runs and boards that have been added to over time. A tripping circuit can come from a damaged motor, a damp junction box or an overloaded circuit. We trace the circuit back to the board, test each part, and fix the section that has failed rather than guessing at it.
If it is urgent
If Ballina floodwater reaches your switchboard
- 1Check the switchboard. If a safety switch has tripped, switch it back on once. If it trips again, leave it off.
- 2Keep away from wet power points, wet cords and anything that has been under water. Do not switch them back on to see if they work.
- 3When you call, tell us which part of Ballina you are in, whether water got inside, and which circuits are off.
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 Ballina, NSW
Everything we install or repair in Ballina has to cope with salt air, damp ground and the occasional flood, and the list below is how we cover that.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Ballina job
Send a photo of your switchboard with the cover closed, and tell us the street and whether the house is raised or on a slab. That tells us what we are dealing with before we arrive.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead