Electrician in Evans Head, NSW
Electrical work in Evans Head
Evans Head runs from the Evans River in the south to the long stretch of Airforce Beach in the north, with the town in between. Most of the shops, the pubs and the RSL sit within a short walk of each other around Woodburn Street and Oak Street. The houses fan out from there toward the beach and the river. Work here is mostly in homes a few streets from the sea, plus the shopfronts in the centre, and sometimes a shed or hangar out near the aerodrome.
Streets in the town are flat and fairly wide, and parking is rarely hard. The harder part is the holiday house, which may be locked up and empty for weeks. We need to know who holds the key, and whether the power can be turned off while we work. Meter boxes are often at the front boundary, sometimes in the weather, and the salt air eats the doors and screws on them. Gates are common, so tell us if there is a code.
Much of the housing here is fibro, weatherboard and older brick, built as beach shacks and holiday homes and later extended. Wiring tends to be a mix of eras, with a new room tacked on to an old circuit. Salt air corrodes switchboards, outdoor lights, isolators and the screws on conduit clips. Retirees live here year round and often have the same board they bought the house with.
What we do here most
What Evans Head homes keep asking
The salt air is behind most of it: gear that corrodes, boards that were never meant for today's loads, and roofs that now suit solar.
Air Conditioning
Split system for a beach fibro
A fibro house gets hot in summer and damp in winter, and its owners want a split system in the lounge. We find a spot for the outdoor unit that keeps it out of direct sea spray, then run a separate circuit from the board. Where the board is full, a new breaker or a larger board comes first. Pipes and cable are run through the roof space or along the wall.
Smoke Detector Installation
Smoke alarms, empty holiday house
A holiday house is shut up for long stretches, and nobody notices an old smoke alarm that has failed. We check what is on the ceilings, remove old units and fit mains powered alarms interconnected so one sounds all. The hallway and each bedroom get one. In a fibro place with a low roof space, we look at how the cable can be run without breaking sheeting.
Solar System Installation
Rooftop solar, retiree's weatherboard home
Someone at home all day uses a lot of power at midday, which suits panels on the roof. We look at which way the roof faces, whether neighbours' trees cast shade, and where the inverter can sit on a wall out of the afternoon sun. The cable runs back to the switchboard, and salt-rated fittings are used where the gear is outside.
Commercial Electrical
Shopfront rewire near Woodburn Street
A small shop near Woodburn Street has a counter, a coolroom and old power points that trip when the kettle and the fridge are both on. We look at the board, add circuits so each big load has its own, and fit a safety switch. Lighting over the counter is replaced where the old fittings have rusted from the salt air and the damp.
If it is urgent
If power drops in Evans Head
- 1Check the switchboard. If a breaker or safety switch has tripped, switch it back once, and leave it off if it trips again.
- 2Leave alone any outdoor power point, light or meter box that is wet, rusty or sparking, and keep children and pets away from it.
- 3Tell us the street, how close the house is to the beach or river, and whether the house is lived in or a holiday place.
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 Evans Head, NSW
Salt air, older fibro homes and a village of retirees mean most of our service list gets used in Evans Head sooner or later.
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Evans Head address
Tell us your street and whether the house is lived in or empty, and who holds the key. A photo of the switchboard cover will show us how far salt has got at it.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead