Electrician in Mullumbimby, NSW
Electrical work in Mullumbimby
Mullumbimby is a river town, and the work follows the water. In town it sits along Burringbar Street and the side streets around it, in shops, cafes and houses a short walk from the Brunswick River. Out of town it spreads into the valley, onto farms, small acreages and rural houses on long driveways. The flat ground beside the river is where the water has come up in past floods, and anyone with a board low on a wall in those streets knows what that means.
In town, parking is usually on the street and the meter box is on the front or side wall of the house. Out in the valley it is a different story. Driveways can be long and unsealed, gates may be locked, and the power often arrives overhead from a pole at the road, then runs to a meter on a shed or a post. Tell us if there is a dog, a gate code or a creek crossing on the way in.
The older houses in town are mostly timber with iron roofs, many raised on stumps. Old cable run through timber frames can be cloth-covered or early rubber, and it does not like damp. Boards are often small and mounted low, and the wiring in a roof space can be a tangle from fifty years of additions. Where a house has been under water or has stood in damp ground, we check the board, the power points and the earthing before anything is switched back on.
What we do here most
What Mullumbimby keeps needing
Age and damp sit behind most of the work here, and out in the valley the long runs of cable and the lack of backup power add to it.
Electrical Repairs
Dead power points in timber cottage
A timber cottage a few streets from Burringbar Street has two power points that stopped working and a light that flickers. The cause may be a loose joint in the roof space, damp in a wall, or old cable that has dried out. Both are visible once the cover is off and the ceiling is open. We trace the circuit, find where it breaks and repair it properly.
Generator Changeover
Farmhouse that loses power in storms
A farmhouse out in the valley is on an overhead line that drops out every time a storm brings a branch down. The family wants the fridge, freezer and water pump to keep running. We fit a changeover switch at the board so the generator feeds the house and never backfeeds the line. The generator sits outside on a pad under cover, with a lead run in through the wall.
Solar System Installation
Solar panels on acreage shed
A property on acreage has a large shed with a clear roof and a house some distance away. The panels go on the shed, and the cable has to travel to the house board underground in conduit. We look at the roof pitch, the shade from trees, and the distance, because a long run changes the cable size. A photo of the shed and the house board settles most of it.
Commercial Electrical
Re-wiring a Burringbar Street shopfront
An old shopfront in Burringbar Street is being fitted out for a new tenant. The building is heritage in feel, with a timber frame, high ceilings and wiring from several different decades. The job is a new sub-board, fresh circuits and lights that suit the room. We plan the cable path through the ceiling to keep the original details of the building.
If it is urgent
If the power drops in Mullumbimby
- 1Check the switchboard for a tripped safety switch or breaker, and look out the window to see whether neighbours also have no power.
- 2Leave any board, meter box or power point that has been wet alone, and do not switch anything back on after water has got in.
- 3Tell us your road, whether the power comes in overhead or underground, and whether there is a locked gate or a creek crossing.
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 Mullumbimby, NSW
The services below all suit a town that mixes old timber houses, shopfronts on Burringbar Street and rural properties spread across the valley.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Mullumbimby job
Send a photo of your switchboard with the cover closed and tell us whether the property is in town or out in the valley. If there is a gate, a long drive or a dog, add that too.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead