I reached out to SolArk Electrical regarding installing solar and Jack answered all my questions and explained the process well. The SolArk Electrical team installed the system in a day, were friendly, professional, and left everything neat and tidy.Eve PattiselannoSolar and switchboard
Switchboard upgrades
Switchboard upgrades across Perth, before an old board fails on you.
Ceramic fuse boards and early RCD boards brought up to current standards, properly labelled, without unnecessary work added on.
- 5 stars from 60+ reviews
- RCD test and smoke alarm check on every job
- Perth metro and surrounds
- Our own installers, never subcontracted
Free quote
Get a free quote
Signs to look for
Signs your switchboard is due
Open the meter box and have a look. If any of these are true, send us a photo.
Ceramic fuses or fuse wire are still sitting in the board.
One safety switch, or none at all, is protecting the whole house.
The board is full with no room for solar, a battery or an EV charger.
Breakers trip when two big appliances run at the same time.
Scorch marks, a hot smell or a buzzing sound come from the meter box.
You are selling, leasing or renovating and want the board brought up to current standards first.
What is included
What an upgrade involves
Why this is the job people put off
Because nothing appears to be wrong. A ceramic fuse board keeps working for decades. What it does not do is protect anyone. It has no residual current protection on most circuits, so the first time a fault goes to earth through a person, the board does nothing about it.
We have seen where that ends. On one job a bathroom exhaust fan had caught fire, because a squashed cable had worn through over time. The fan was not really the problem. The problem was that the light circuit had no RCD on it, so nothing cut the power when the fault developed. A modern board would have tripped and the homeowner would have called an electrician instead of the fire brigade.
The parts you cannot see are where corners get cut. Ours are not.
Doing it alongside other work
A switchboard upgrade is much cheaper as part of another job than as its own call-out. If you are getting solar, a battery, an EV charger or a heat pump, that is the moment to do the board, because we are in there anyway. Recent Perth jobs have combined a board upgrade with a solar and battery install in Riverton, and with a sub-mains run to a granny flat in Beechboro.
Sub-boards and granny flats
Sheds, studios, granny flats and portable buildings need their own sub-board and a correctly sized sub-mains run. Undersized is the common mistake, and it shows up later as voltage drop and nuisance tripping.
- Existing board assessed, along with the condition of the incoming supply and mains.
- New board fitted with RCBOs so each circuit has its own protection.
- Circuits identified, tested and properly labelled, so the next person knows what is what.
- Surge protection fitted where it makes sense.
- Provision left for solar, a battery or an EV charger if that is on the horizon.
- Compliance testing and the certificate you are entitled to.
- Old board and materials removed and disposed of.
How it works
How the job runs
Send a photo of the board
Ten seconds of your time and it answers most of our questions: fuses or breakers, how full it is, and whether the mains are up to the job.
Scope and fixed price
How many circuits, whether the mains and incoming supply need attention, and whether to leave provision for solar, a battery or an EV charger while we are in there.
Changeover day
Power off for part of the day, planned around you. New board fitted with an RCBO per circuit, every circuit tested and properly labelled.
Tested and certified
Compliance testing, the certificate you are entitled to, the old board taken away, and your smoke alarms checked while we are on site.
Aftercare
The same number to ring if anything is not right afterwards. Your guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law apply to our work, as our Warranty Terms set out.
FAQs
Questions we get asked
How do I know if my switchboard needs upgrading?
Ceramic fuses rather than circuit breakers, no safety switches, a board that is full with no spare ways, breakers that trip for no obvious reason, scorching or a burning smell, or handwritten labels that no longer match the circuits. Send us a photo and we will tell you.
How long does it take?
Most residential boards are done inside a day, with the power off for part of it. We tell you the likely outage window before we start.
Do I legally have to upgrade?
Existing installations are generally not required to be brought up to current standards retrospectively, but any new or altered work must comply, and rental properties have their own RCD and smoke alarm requirements. We will tell you what applies to your situation.
Can you leave room for solar or an EV charger?
Yes, and you should ask for it. Leaving provision costs very little now and saves a second visit later.
Will the power be off?
Yes, for part of the day. We plan the outage with you, and if you work from home or have medical equipment, tell us and we will work around it.
Get a quote
Send us a photo of your switchboard.
It takes ten seconds and it is enough for us to tell you whether it needs doing and roughly what is involved.
5 stars from 60+ reviews
Jack from Solark recently completed some electrical work at my home. His communication and professionalism were second to none from start to finish. The job was completed with great attention to detail. He was neat, efficient, and took the time to explain everything clearly.Raymond Du PreezHome electrical
Free quote
Tell us about the job
Working across Perth metro and surrounds, including Baldivis, Byford, Canning Vale, Joondalup, Ellenbrook, Rockingham, Midland, Fremantle. See every suburb we cover.