Electrician in Wollongbar, NSW
Electrical work around Wollongbar
Wollongbar runs along the Bruxner Highway, and the work spreads in three directions. There are the newer estates with modern homes on small blocks. There are rural blocks off the side roads, with sheds, dams and long driveways. And there are the institutions, the TAFE campus on Sneaths Road and the Department of Primary Industries research site on the highway, which bring their own commercial and farm-style electrical needs to the area.
On a newer estate the meter box is on the front wall, parking is on the street and the job is usually quick to reach. Rural blocks are the opposite. Check the gate, the dogs and the state of the driveway after rain. If the shed is a long way from the house, tell us how far, because the supply to it decides the size of cable and the trench.
Wollongbar homes are mostly newer than their neighbours on the plateau. That means a modern board with safety switches already fitted, plastic-sheathed cable in the ceiling and a layout designed around air conditioning and a home office. The jobs are about adding to that wiring neatly, such as more data points, a second air conditioner, a charger in the garage or a larger solar system.
What we do here most
What Wollongbar keeps asking for
Newer homes and working rural blocks both want the same thing, which is more capacity added to a system that was sized for the day it was built.
EV Chargers and Battery Installations
Charger in a newer estate garage
A wall charger needs its own circuit from the board, so the first thing we check is whether the board has room and what the supply can carry. Then we plan the cable path from the board to the garage wall, usually through the roof space or along the slab. Battery storage is looked at the same way, with the inverter position.
Data Cabling
Network cable out to a shed
Wi-Fi rarely reaches a shed or office at the back of a block. We run data cable, or fibre for a long distance, through conduit from the house to the outbuilding. The route is checked for trees, driveways and soft ground first, and the cable ends at a data point at each end, patched back to your router.
Air Conditioning
Split system, sunny living room
Wollongbar houses often have large open living areas that hold the afternoon sun. A split system needs its own circuit, a place for the outdoor unit and a path for the refrigerant and drain lines. We look at the board, the wall the unit mounts on and where the outdoor unit can sit without cooking the neighbour's fence.
New Builds and Renovations
Wiring a new home or extension
A new house or extension is wired in stages. First comes the rough-in, with cable run through the frame before the walls are lined. Later comes the fit-off, when power points, lights and the board are finished. Wollongbar still has blocks being built on, so the order the trades arrive in decides when we are needed on site.
If it is urgent
If a Wollongbar block loses power
- 1Check your switchboard for a dropped switch or safety switch. Flip it back once, and if it drops again, leave it off.
- 2Stay away from a downed line, a wet outdoor power point or a shed supply you cannot isolate, and leave the board cover closed.
- 3When you call, tell us whether you are on an estate street or a rural block, the road name, and whether the fault is in the house, the shed or the whole property.
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 Wollongbar, NSW
Our services match a suburb that is half newer estate and half working rural block, where the main job is adding capacity.
Local, and on the phone
Tell us about your Wollongbar job
Send a photo of your switchboard with the cover closed, and tell us whether the work is at the house or at a shed on a rural block. That tells us how far the cable has to go.
0468 051 006Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4pm
Not urgent? Send us the job instead