Electrician in Lismore, NSW
Electrical work around Lismore
Lismore sits on a flat river floodplain with hills around it. The CBD and the older streets of South Lismore, North Lismore and East Lismore are close to the Wilsons River, and the 2022 floods went through them. Lismore Heights and the hill suburbs sit higher, and the work there looks more like any other town. Wherever we are called to, the first question is how high the water has come in the past and where the board and meter are on the wall.
Access varies with the street. In the CBD and near the hospital and Southern Cross University, parking is tight and many buildings are shared, so the landlord or building manager often holds the key. In North Lismore and South Lismore, some houses have been raised, so the meter and board may now be up a ladder or a flight of stairs. On the hill suburbs, steep driveways and narrow streets are the usual limit. Tell us which, and who will be home.
Housing here is mixed. There are old Queenslanders and timber cottages on stumps, brick veneer homes from later decades, units, and new houses built after the floods. Where equipment has been under water, switchboards, meters, power points, cable and appliances may all be affected, and none of it should be switched back on until it has been checked. Rebuilt and raised houses often need the board and meter moved or the whole wiring re-run, and hill houses keep the usual problem of old cable in a hot roof.
What we do here most
What Lismore keeps needing
Flood exposure shapes the work: boards and meters set higher, wiring re-run, and shops and homes brought back into use.
Switchboard Upgrades
Moving a board higher after raising
A South Lismore house has been lifted onto new stumps so the floor sits higher than before. The old board and meter are still low on the wall, below where the water has reached. The job is a new board mounted higher, with new circuits and safety switches. The meter move is arranged with the network, which is something we talk through first.
New Builds and Renovations
Rewiring a North Lismore rebuild
A North Lismore owner is repairing a timber house that has been stripped back to the frame. With the walls open, this is the easiest time to run new cable, set power points at a useful height and put in lights. Wiring that sat in wet walls is replaced, not reused. We plan the circuits and board position before the lining goes back on.
Commercial Electrical
Getting a CBD shop trading again
A shop in the CBD has been empty and now needs power, lights and a working board. The old cable, fittings and sub-board may all be damaged by past water, and some is hidden in the ceiling and floor. We test what is there and replace what has to go. Tenants and landlords often disagree on who owns what, so a clear list of the circuits helps.
Data Cabling
Home office wiring in Lismore Heights
A house on the hill suburbs above the town needs a reliable network for work and study, with the router in one cupboard and cable to the study, the lounge and the back room. Wi-Fi alone struggles through brick and timber. We run Cat6 through the roof space to wall plates, and finish with a patch panel and a short lead to the modem.
If it is urgent
If the power drops in Lismore
- 1Look at your switchboard and see whether a safety switch has tripped, then check whether the street has also lost power.
- 2Leave anything that has been wet alone, including the board, meter box, power points and appliances, and do not switch them on.
- 3Tell us your suburb, whether the house has been raised or has flooded before, and where the meter box sits.
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 Lismore, NSW
In Lismore the services below are chosen around the river: higher boards, re-run wiring and shops and homes checked before power goes back on.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Lismore job
Send a photo of your switchboard and meter box, and tell us which suburb the house is in. If it has been raised or has flooded before, say so, because that decides where the new board goes.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead