Electrician in Skennars Head, NSW
Electrical work in Skennars Head
Skennars Head is a stretch of high ground between Ballina and Lennox Head, with the sea on one side and open land on the other. There is no real town centre. The work sits in homes along Skennars Head Road and the streets off it, around the sports field, near the holiday park, and in the rural blocks further back. People often have solar, a battery or an electric car on their minds, and the job is usually adding something to a house that already works.
Access is usually easier here than in the older towns, but distances are longer. Driveways can be long, gates are common, and the meter box and the switchboard are sometimes on opposite sides of a big block. On acreage the supply may come in from a pole at the road, so we ask where the cable comes in. Dogs, locked gates and a long run from the shed to the house are all worth mentioning when you call.
Most of the housing is newer than in Ballina or Lennox Head, from later estates and individual builds on the ridge. The boards are modern, but they were sized for the house as it was first built. A pool pump, a second fridge, a split system and a car charger can fill them quickly. Exposed ground catches the wind and the salt, so outdoor work needs fittings that hold up, and the open ridge means storms hit power lines hard.
What we do here most
What Skennars Head keeps needing
The houses here are fairly new, so the jobs are about adding load: panels, chargers, extensions and backup power for when the lines on the ridge go down.
Solar System Installation
Solar panels on an ocean-facing roof
A roof facing the sea on the ridge gets sun and wind in equal measure. Panels need to be fixed to the roof structure, the inverter goes somewhere shaded and protected, and the cable runs back to the board. We check the main switch and the board have room, and look at where the roof meets the wall before we decide the cable path.
EV Chargers and Battery Installations
Charger in a double garage
An electric car wants its own circuit, and in a newer Skennars Head house the board is often close to full. We look at the board, the main switch and the cable run to the garage, and put in a circuit sized for the charger. If a battery is part of the plan, the two are laid out together so the cable is not run twice.
New Builds and Renovations
Wiring a new rural house
A new house on the edge of the farmland starts with where the power comes in, then the board, then the rooms. We do the rough-in while the frame is open, run cables to the shed or the pool if there is one, and come back after the walls are lined to fit points, lights and switches. Long runs across the block get their own conduit.
Generator Changeover
Backup power for a ridge-top house
Exposed ridge-top homes lose power in storms when lines come down. A changeover switch at the board lets you connect a portable generator safely without feeding power back to the street. We fit the switch, a generator inlet on the outside wall, and label the circuits that the generator can run, so you know what stays on.
If it is urgent
If Skennars Head power drops
- 1Check the switchboard. If a safety switch has tripped, switch it on once. If it trips again, leave it off.
- 2Stay clear of any wire or cable down on the road or across the block, and do not plug a generator into a power point.
- 3When you call, tell us the road, whether the house is on a small block or on acreage, and whether your neighbours have power.
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 Skennars Head, NSW
The services below suit the newer homes and open blocks on the ridge, where most work is adding to an existing supply.
Also nearby
We work in these suburbs too
Local, and on the phone
Send us your Skennars Head job
Tell us whether your block is small or acreage, and send a photo of the meter box and the board. Where the power comes in decides how long the cable runs will be.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead