Switchboards

New Installations or Upgrades

The main electrical switchboard is an important component to distributing power throughout your home or workplace.

Old style switchboards were built using porcelain/ ceramic fuses with rewirable fuse elements. The old style switchboard does not comply with current electrical Australian Standards and is dangerous for many reasons as follows:

  • If a porcelain fuse is removed from its fuse holder base, on an electrical switchboard, and not replaced then live terminals are exposed leading to potential electric shock of the consumer(s);
  • If a porcelain fuse is rewired with a larger gauge than recommended fuse element then this will cause the protected wiring system to now become unprotected causing possible overheating of wiring leading to potential costly damage to wiring system, fire destruction, injury and threatening lives of the consumer(s);
  • If porcelain fuse contacts are damaged or are improperly in contact with the contacts on the fuse holder base then this would cause arcing between contacts under load current causing heat stress to the contacts which pass through to the connected wiring system potentially causing costly damage to the wiring system, fire destruction, injury and threatening lives of the consumer(s).

switchboards

Benefits of a switchboard upgrade

It is important the old porcelain fuse switchboards are replaced to overcome all of the issues specified above. The benefits to upgrading the old porcelain fuse switchboard, to a new modern day switchboard, are numerous yet the main benefit is to ensure the safety of the consumer(s). A typical modern day switchboard comprises of circuit breakers and safety switches.

  • A circuit breaker’s sole purpose is to protect a wiring system from overcurrent which prevents cable damage and fire risk which over all protects the consumer’s premise from destruction and the consumer(s) from injury.
  • A safety switch’s sole purpose is to protect the consumer(s) from residual current which help prevent electric shock to the consumer(s).

So the benefits and reasons to why new modern day switchboards are safer compared to the old porcelain fuse breaker switchboards are as follows;

  • Circuit breakers and safety switches are fixed into position, not removable like the old porcelain fuses were, preventing live terminals from becoming exposed;
  • Circuit breakers have fixed current ratings, unlike the old porcelain fuses, so that when an overcurrent occurs the circuit breaker will trip (switch to off) instead of “blow a fuse”, preventing to having to replace the fuse element at any time such a thing happens.
  • Safety switches are much easier incorporated;
  • New circuits are much easier incorporated;

For a switchboard upgrade or inspection, contact Proelement today.

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