Electrical guides, written by electricians
What the standards actually require, what things cost in Adelaide, and what we see go wrong most often. 12 guides.
Cost guides
How Much Does an Electrician Cost in Adelaide?
Adelaide electrician hourly rates, call-out fees, after-hours rates and what common jobs cost, in plain numbers. Plus why a quote for anything complex needs a site visit first.
Read the guideSwitchboard Upgrade Cost in Adelaide
What a switchboard upgrade costs in Adelaide: typical ranges for a residential board replacement, the asbestos backing panel extra, consumer mains, 3-phase, and commercial boards.
Read the guideArticles
What a commercial electrical fit-out actually involves
The 7 stages of a commercial electrical fit-out in Adelaide, from the switchboard capacity check to the Certificate of Compliance, and where fit-outs go wrong.
Read more →Commercial and industrialPlanned shutdowns: how to lose the least production
How to plan an electrical shutdown on an Adelaide factory or warehouse so the downtime is measured in hours, not days: scoping, isolation, pre-fabrication, staging and restart testing.
Read more →EmergencyPower out on 1 circuit only: the 5 causes
When the lights work but the power points don't, or 1 room is dead and the rest of the house is fine, it's 1 of 5 things. What to check yourself, and when to call.
Read more →EmergencyWhat "after hours" means for an electrician, and what it costs
What counts as after hours for an Adelaide electrician, what the rate typically is, which faults are worth paying it for and which can wait until 6am tomorrow.
Read more →Maintenance and complianceRCD testing: how often, and what the rules say in South Australia
How often RCDs (safety switches) need testing in South Australian workplaces and homes, what AS/NZS 3760 requires, what a trip-time test is, and what the records have to show.
Read more →Maintenance and complianceEmergency lighting testing: the 6-monthly and annual regime
What AS/NZS 2293.2 requires for emergency lighting and exit signs: the 90-minute discharge test every 6 months, the annual inspection, the logbook, and what fails most often.
Read more →Switchboards7 signs your switchboard needs upgrading
Ceramic fuses, no safety switches, tripping when the oven and the air con run together, a warm board, an asbestos panel: the 7 signs an Adelaide switchboard is due, and which are urgent.
Read more →SwitchboardsCeramic fuses vs circuit breakers: what's the difference and does it matter?
How a ceramic fuse, a circuit breaker and a safety switch each protect a circuit, why an old fuse board can't protect a person, and what replacing it involves in Adelaide.
Read more →ResidentialRenovating? What electrical work needs a Certificate of Compliance in SA
Which renovation electrical work needs a licensed electrician and a Certificate of Compliance in South Australia, what the certificate is for, and what to ask before the builder starts.
Read more →ResidentialSmoke alarm rules in South Australia: what your home needs
SA smoke alarm requirements by home age: hard-wired 240V alarms, the 6-month rule on sale, interconnection since 2014, the 10-year replacement, and where alarms go.
Read more →SectorsBody-protected areas explained, for practice managers
What a body-protected area is under AS/NZS 3003, which rooms in a medical, dental or allied health practice need one, what the electrical requirements are and how often it's tested.
Read more →SectorsModular buildings: how the electrical fit-out and commissioning works
How electrical work on modular and transportable buildings is done in the factory, tested, split for transport and reconnected and commissioned on site, and what to check before delivery.
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