Electrician in Lennox Head, NSW
Electrical work in Lennox Head
Lennox Head sits between the sea and the hill. Lake Ainsworth lies at the northern end of the village, the headland and Pat Morton Lookout close off the point, and the streets between them climb to the ridge behind. The work is spread through all of it: cafes and shops near the village centre, holiday lets and surf houses near the beach, and family homes on the slopes. Everything here is within reach of the wind off the ocean.
On the hillside, access is the first question. Steep driveways, stairs from the street and a garage on the lower level are common, and the switchboard can be a long way from where the car is parked. Holiday lets and rentals add a key to organise. Where the street is narrow we plan for parking before we plan for tools. In the village itself, shops often keep the board in a back room or a storage cupboard that someone has to unlock.
Salt air is the thing that decides most of the wiring work in Lennox Head. Outdoor lights, weatherproof boxes, pool equipment and the outside of the board all corrode faster here. The homes range from older beach houses with cloth-era wiring, to split-level houses from later decades, to newer builds high on the slopes. Many have been renovated with an extension on one side and the original circuits left behind it.
What we do here most
What Lennox Head keeps needing
Salt, wind and steep ground turn up in all four of these jobs, so the work is mostly about replacing what the weather has worn and adding what the house now needs.
Electrical Repairs
Corroded outdoor power points near surf
Salt air gets into outdoor power points, weatherproof boxes and the cables behind them. A point that trips the safety switch every time it rains has usually let water in around the seals. We open it up, cut back to clean copper, and replace the box and the point. If the cable is green or brittle, we run a new length rather than patching it.
Lighting Installation
Lighting a deck with ocean views
Houses on the slopes behind the headland are built around the view, which means a big deck, wide windows and not much ceiling. We plan where the cable can go through the frame, choose fittings that suit the salt air, and put dimmers and switches where you will actually reach them. Downlights in a sloping ceiling need the right roof space clearance.
Smoke Detector Installation
Alarms in a lakeside holiday let
A beach house near Lake Ainsworth or the village often has bedrooms upstairs, a hallway between, and a small kitchen at one end. Smoke alarms go in the places that protect those paths, wired to the mains and linked so that one sounding sets off the others. In an older house the cable goes through the roof space or under the floor.
Air Conditioning
Split system on a hillside house
A split system on a Lennox Head slope usually means the outdoor unit goes on a bracket, a pad on the downhill side, or a flat spot beside the house. The cable and pipe run has to be short and tidy. We check the board has room for a new circuit, and use outdoor fittings that can handle the salt.
If it is urgent
If Lennox Head power drops
- 1Look at the switchboard. If a safety switch has tripped, switch it on once. If it trips again, leave it off.
- 2Stay away from outdoor lights, power points and cables that have been soaked, and do not touch anything hanging loose after wind.
- 3When you call, tell us which street you are on, whether the house is on the hill or near the beach, and what stopped working.
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 Lennox Head, NSW
Salt air, hillside blocks and holiday homes shape the way we do each of the jobs below in Lennox Head.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Lennox Head job
Send a photo of the outside of the house showing the driveway and where the meter box is. The slope, the stairs and the distance to the board decide how we plan the visit.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead