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Should you request an electrical inspection before purchasing a new home?
Why you should request an electrical inspection before purchasing a new home?
The main reasons for having an electrician inspect the electrical wiring and switchboard of your home is to give you peace of mind knowing that you and your family will be safe.
Do not put yourself or your family’s lives at risk and know the dangers of electricity.
Potentially fatal electrical accidents can happen in the home and knowledge about the dangers of electricity is everyone’s businesses
When is a electrical inspection is essential?
- If you come across any old electrical wiring in your home, do not touch any part of it as live parts of the wires may be exposed, especially at power outlet or light switch connections –call a licensed electrician.
- In older homes most of the electrical wiring used had a rubber protective coating for the wires, over time it deteriorates and crumbles away, leaving the wire exposed and increasing the chance of fire.
- If your home was built before the 1980s, you really should consider having it inspected to see if you have any aged or faulty wiring.
- Make it your selling point to present to any potential buyers that a electrical inspection has been performed by a licensed electrician.
The only way to be sure that the electrical wiring in your home is not a risk to you and your family is to have a qualified electrician inspect the wiring in your home.
Switchboard inspections and checks by electricians
If you’re looking for some peace of mind and want a licensed electrician to check your switchboard at your property in Batemans Bay, call South Coast Electrical Solutions.
One of our licensed electrician will inspect your switchboard and tell you if your homes electrical switchboard was manufactured before safety switches, (RCD’s). They will also check it for overall safety. Switchboards are an essential part of your home’s electrical system. Safety switches (RCD’s) are there to protect you and your family from electrocution.
If your current switchboard has old ceramic fuses and an asbestos panel, you are putting your family at risk and our electricians will recommend the need to invest in a switchboard upgrade with RCD’s.
An upgraded switchboard will mean you will have a switchboard that meets the current Australia standard. These have safety switches and circuit breakers installed throughout the board as well as labelled. RCDs (Safety switches) installed in your switchboard may not appear like much, but these devices save lives.
It is important that your home is electrically sound. Make sure your family is safe and ask for a free quote for a switchboard upgrade from one of our licensed electricians at South Coast Electrical Solutions in Batemans Bay.
Safety switches
Information from the NSW Government website indicates that 40% of house fires in NSW each year are caused by electrical faults and electrical appliances. This means up to 1800 house fires each year could have been prevented by getting the wiring checked by a licensed electrician and having safety switches installed.
Usually, properties built during or after the year 2000 will have safety switches installed. For properties built before the year 2000, it’s strongly recommended that you ask a licensed electrician to check.
Test safety switches twice a year to make sure they’re working properly to prevent the deadly risks of electric shock and fire.
Do not put yourself or your family’s lives at risk and know the dangers of electricity.
Potentially fatal electrical accidents can happen in the home and knowledge about the dangers of electricity is everyone’s businesses.
It is important to make sure that the electrical installation in your property is well maintained, and we recommend that you use a licensed electrician to check that it is safe.
You would not delay calling a licensed electrician when a power point or light switch becomes faulty or your home losses power because of faulty wiring. It should be a priority to make sure our homes are safe for our family, and to protect your largest financial investment, your home.
Talk to one of our licensed electricians to perform an audit at your home or investment property.
When the electrician does an audit of your home it will involve a safety check making sure your electrical circuits and equipment are not overloaded. The electrician will pick up deficiencies and potential problems. These issues are then highlighted to the property owners so that any electrical hazards can be rectified immediately. Our electricians can also inspect older houses that have not been inspected for many years. Older homes may still be equipped with faulty earthing or bonding which means they may be have higher electrocution risk and will need to be rectified immediately by a licensed electrician.
Having an electrician inspect your property could uncover some issues which, once repaired, could save you money.
Listed below are some simple visual checks you can do yourself:
- Check that you have RCD protection in your switchboard.
- Make sure that your power points are not overloaded.
- Ensure that power points are not damaged.
- Check that visible cables and leads are in good condition.
- Check that your light fittings are not visibly damaged.
- Check your downlights are in good working condition.
- Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your switchboard.
- Do not use the top of the microwave for storing items.
- Never trail cables under carpets or rugs.
- Do not coil cables while they are being used.
- Never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom.
- Switch off your electrical items when they are not in use.
- Ensure the electrical items you use meet Australian Standards
Anyone can do a quick visual check to ensure their home is electrically safe but having a licensed electrician perform an electrical safety check will give you peace of mind.
Early detection of potential electrical dangers in and around your home could potentially reduce serious risks issues.
If you do notice an issue of something that you are not sure about, call our electricians at South Coast Electrical Solutions in Batemans Bay
Electrical safety in rental properties.
It is the responsibility of a landlord to ensure their rental property is safe and secure. When a property is rented, the landlord or agent must take steps such as making repairs so the property is fit to live in.
Before a tenant moves in a landlord or agent must fill out a condition report and give two paper copies, or one electronic copy, to the tenant prior to or at the time of the tenancy agreement being signed.
The condition report includes whether there are;
- visible hazards relating to electricity (e.g. a loose or damaged electricity outlet socket, loose wiring or sparking power points)
- smoke alarms installed (as required by legislation) and the dates that they were last checked and had battery replacement
- safety switches and confirmation that they are working, which can only be known if a test has been done
Any electrical fault in a rental property either before or during a tenancy would be considered an urgent repair and tenants need to notify the landlord or agent right away so arrangements can be made to for repairs to be done as soon as possible. You can find more information on NSW Fair Trading’s repairs and maintenance in rented properties page.
*This information in this section about rental properties has been taken from the NSW Governments website.