In this guide, you’ll get an overview of all you need to know about hiring electrician services in Sydney.
The Ultimate Guide to Electrician Services - Table of Content
Electrical Services Overview
Electricity is one of the most important attributes in our lives. It’s impossible to imagine a life without our electrical appliances and the comfortable living that electricity allows us to have.
There are a variety of electrical services available. Wiring installations and repair are the most common, but you can also hire an electrician if you need to replace your lights, timely inspection, and upgrade your electrical panel.
Electrical Wiring and PowerPoints Installation
It’s no secret that electrical wiring is essential for lighting and power distribution. There are different types of home wiring, so it’s important to know that admissible wire and cable types and sizes are specified according to the circuit operating voltage and electric current capability.
Permanently installed and portable appliances, home theatre, computer networks, telephone, heating or ventilation system control might need different types of wires and cables in order to work properly.
PowerPoints allow you to plug all your appliances, gadgets, and devices. With our ever-increasingly dependency on electricity, the number of powerpoints around the house needs to be updated since multiple power boards or double adaptors can be risky.
Electrical Inspections and Repairs
Electrical inspections are necessary to ensure that your home’s electrical components are working properly and are not a threat to you and your family.
Sometimes we have no other alternative than adding multiple power boars and double adapters. However, it presents a risk to our home power distribution. Electrical inspections are necessary to evaluate if our electrical composition presents any threats. The inspection will ensure that everything is in order and performing safely. In case there is any trouble, a certified electrician is required to repair it.
When and How Often Do You Need to Get an Electrical Inspection?
Knowing exactly when you should get an electrical inspection can be difficult. However, every householder in NSW is legally obliged to keep their home safe. The NSW Government of Fair Trading provides guidance to help owners, tenants and businesses comply with electrical safety responsibilities which includes:
Regular maintenance: It’s vital to keep your appliances, electrical wiring, fittings, switchboard, and earthing connections working properly. If you suspect any problem - call a licensed electrician to do a check on the premises, especially for properties over 25 years old.
Safety Switches Installation: According to the NSW Government, 40% of house fires in NSW each year are caused by electrical faults and electrical appliances. These fires could have been prevented by having safety switches. Safety switches are also known as Residual Current Devices (RCDs) and are extremely important to help monitor current flow and protect you from electrical hazards. RCDs provide a fast power cut in problem situations.
Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work: Always use a qualified electrician. Ask to see their electrical contractor license and do a license check on the NSW Government website. Once an electrician finishes the job, they should provide you with a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work to show that the electrical work carried out has been tested and is safe.
Besides the NSW Government recommendations, there are also occasions where it's important to call an electrician to come over and take a look at the electrical system for the sake of safety prevention. It's like the saying: better safe than sorry! So, if you want to be extra careful you should get an electrical inspection in case you are:
Buying a New Home: If you’re thinking about purchasing a new home, you should carry out an electrical inspection prior to purchasing a house. The inspection will identify any dangerous electrical situation that might be very expensive to repair which can also help you negotiate a lower price in case of any property faults.
Old Property or Any Concerning Signs of Electrical Problem: If you own an old property, especially homes that are over 25 years old, you should carry an electrical inspection at least every three to five years. You might also want to check your electrical premises if you’ve been experiencing concerning signs of electrical problems such as regular power outages or tripped circuit breakers.
Before and After a Major Storm: This is something that homeowners usually overlook and might think it's unnecessary. However, it's important to understand that your home’s electrical system might be severely damaged by storms and flooding. It’s essential that you take all necessary precautions to keep your home safe in the lead-up to a storm.
If your electrical system hasn’t been checked in over 5 years, before a major storm it's the best time to do it, you should ensure that your safety switches are installed on all circuits in your switchboard and are working properly. If your property was affected by the storm, don’t attempt to fix any electrical problem by yourself, get an electrician to carry an electrical inspection and repair any damage to your electrical system.
Most Common Electrical Problems
A power outage, electrical surges, sags, and dips in electrical supply can interfere with our daily lives and be dreadful and aggravating. As long as there is electricity, electrical problems might occur. The most common electrical problems in Sydney households are caused by:
Problem with the circuit breaker: the circuit breaker is designed to cut the current flow when a problem occurs. One of the most common problems is circuit breakers tripping repeatedly, this is an indication of electrical issues around the house and should not be ignored.
Recurring Electrical Surges: Surges also known as transients are short overvoltage electrical discharges that can damage, degrade, or destroy electronic appliances in your house or commercial building. Electrical transients can be caused by dodgy electrical wiring, damage to power lines, or even by lightning strikes. If you’re experiencing recurring electrical surges, and you don’t know which electrical device is causing the surges, call an electrician to fix it for you.
Defected Light Switches: shoddy dimmer switches can result in lighting not activating properly. If the switches of your home don’t seem to adjust light properly or do not work at all, it could be a fault in the circuit or wiring. Ask a licensed electrician near you to check the property for any electrical faults.
Light Bulbs Burning Out Quickly: You just replaced a light bulb, and it burned out again? There are a few reasons why your lights can often burn, but most of the time the problem is within the fix itself or elsewhere in the circuit. It can also be that the wattage is too high or bad wiring. It’s important to consult with your electrician to see if the problem is not related to a bigger electrical issue.
Why Should You Not Perform DIY Electrical Work?
Not only it can endanger your life, but also DIY electrical work is illegal in Australia and could void your home insurance. You should never attempt to do any electrical work without a license, however, you can still change a light bulb and put the lights on your Christmas tree. Often a Certificate of Compliance Electrical Work (CCEW) is required for warranty purposes for the electrical article that has been installed. So, always check if your electrician has a current license before agreeing to any work, this will ensure that he will be able to provide you with a numbered CCEW.
How to identify a Reliable Electrician Trade in Sydney?
The easiest way is to ask for recommendations from coworkers, neighbours, family, and friends. That will save you time doing your own research on past work and credentials. If your peers don’t have someone to recommend, start your searching by looking for local electricians near you, this way if anything goes wrong they are closer to you. During your research, make sure to check:
The electrician areas of expertise: electricians usually specialise in one or multiple fields. It’s important to make sure that your electrician trade has professionals with the expertise necessary to handle your electrical issue and any other complications that may arise.
Check their credentials: As we mentioned before, it is illegal to operate electrical work without a license in Australia. You should ask for a copy of the electrician license and check its validity on the NSW Fair Trading website. Also, check your insurance policy to understand the type of license you will need to avoid any problems in the future.
Obtain references: You don’t know this electrician trade? No problem, check their Google and Facebook reviews to see how they’ve been performing so far. If the majority of their reviews are good, it's most likely they are a good local electrician that you can trust.
Always do your research, and avoid the temptation of making your decision solely based on price because you might hire a dodgy one.
There you have it, The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Electrician Services in Sydney. If you want to inquire about electrical work, you can always call us at 02 9913 9417 or fill out the form below, and we will get back to you within 48 hours.